| 1 | 1 | | By: Bernal H.B. No. 366 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | relating to an elective course in ethnic studies for middle school, |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | junior high school, and high school students. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 28.0111 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 28.0111. ELECTIVE COURSE IN ETHNIC STUDIES. (a) In |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | this section, "advisory committee" means the ethnic studies |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | advisory committee. |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | (b) A school district shall offer an elective course in |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | ethnic studies to students in middle school, junior high school, |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | and high school. The course provided to high school students must |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | meet the requirements for a one-half elective credit under Section |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | 28.025. |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | (c) The commissioner shall create an ethnic studies |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | advisory committee that consists of ten to fifteen members serving |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | a term of two years, including at least one representative from the |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | following: |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (1) a middle school teacher with experience in ethnic |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | studies; |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (2) a high school teacher with experience in ethnic |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | studies; |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (3) a professor from a Texas public institution of |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | higher education who specializes in ethnic studies; |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (4) a professor from a Texas private institution of |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | higher education who specializes in ethnic studies; |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (5) a professor from a Texas Community College who |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | specializes in ethnic studies; |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (6) a member of a community based organization who is |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | an expert in the field of ethnic studies; |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (7) a member of a professional association relating to |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | ethnic studies; and |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (8) a parent of a middle or high school student with |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | demonstrated interest in ethnic studies. |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | (d) A member of the advisory committee serves at the will of |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | the commissioner. |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (e) The advisory committee shall prepare and periodically |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | update model curricula for ethnic studies courses for review and |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | consideration by the State Board of Education. The model curricula |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | for ethnic studies courses must provide: |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | (1) proposed grade-level appropriate instruction for |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | students in middle school, junior high school, or high school; |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | (2) recommended resources and educational materials |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | for ethnic studies courses; and |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | (3) proposed training for teachers of ethnic studies. |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | (f) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year, |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | the advisory committee shall prepare a report addressing ethnic |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | studies courses taught in this state for middle school, junior high |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | school, and high school students. The report must: |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | (1) review and evaluate ethnic studies courses offered |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | in the state; |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | (2) address the use of ethnic studies model curricula |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | developed by the advisory committee; |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | (3) provide best practices for ethnic studies courses; |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (4) provide areas of improvement for ethnic studies |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | courses; and |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | (5) evaluate current educational research on ethnic |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | studies courses. |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | (g) The advisory committee shall provide the proposed model |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | curricula and report to the: |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | (1) governor; |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | (2) lieutenant governor; |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | (3) speaker of the house of representatives; |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | (4) appropriate committees of the senate and house of |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | representatives; and |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | (5) State Board of Education. |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | SECTION 2. A school district shall provide the elective |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | course required by Section 28.0111, Education Code, as added by |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | this Act, beginning with the 2018-2019 school year. |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|---|