Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4064 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Bohac (Senate Sponsor - Taylor of Galveston) H.B. No. 4064
2		-	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 2017;
3		-	May 10, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on
4		-	Education; May 19, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote:
5		-	Yeas 9, Nays 0, 1 present not voting; May 19, 2017, sent to
6		-	printer.)
7		-	Click here to see the committee vote
	1	+	85R23385 MM-F
	2	+	By: Bohac H.B. No. 4064
8	3
9	4
10	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
11	6		AN ACT
12	7		relating to staff development and continuing education
13	8		requirements for public school educators regarding digital
14	9		education methods.
15	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
16	11		SECTION 1. Section 21.001, Education Code, is amended to
17	12		read as follows:
18	13		Sec. 21.001. DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION]. In this chapter:
19	14		(1) "Commissioner" [, "commissioner"] includes a
20	15		person designated by the commissioner.
21	16		(2) "Digital learning" means any type of learning that
22	17		is facilitated by technology or instructional practice that makes
23	18		effective use of technology.
24	19		(3) "Digital literacy" means having the knowledge and
25	20		ability to use a range of technology tools for varied purposes. The
26	21		term includes the capacity to use, understand, and evaluate
27	22		technology for use in education settings.
28	23		SECTION 2. Section 21.044, Education Code, is amended by
29	24		adding Subsection (c-2) to read as follows:
30	25		(c-2) Any minimum academic qualifications for a certificate
31	26		specified under Subsection (a) that require a person to possess a
32	27		bachelor's degree must also require that the person receive, as
33	28		part of the training required to obtain that certificate,
34	29		instruction in digital learning, including a digital literacy
35	30		evaluation followed by a prescribed digital learning curriculum.
36	31		The instruction required must:
37	32		(1) be aligned with the International Society for
38	33		Technology in Education's standards for teachers;
39	34		(2) provide effective, evidence-based strategies to
40	35		determine a person's degree of digital literacy; and
41	36		(3) include resources to address any deficiencies
42	37		identified by the digital literacy evaluation.
43	38		SECTION 3. Sections 21.054(d) and (e), Education Code, are
44	39		amended to read as follows:
45	40		(d) Continuing education requirements for a classroom
46	41		teacher must provide that not more than 25 percent of the training
47	42		required every five years include instruction regarding:
48	43		(1) collecting and analyzing information that will
49	44		improve effectiveness in the classroom;
50	45		(2) recognizing early warning indicators that a
51	46		student may be at risk of dropping out of school;
52	47		(3) digital learning, digital teaching, and
53	48		integrating technology into classroom instruction; and
54	49		(4) educating diverse student populations, including:
55	50		(A) students with disabilities, including mental
56	51		health disorders;
57	52		(B) students who are educationally
58	53		disadvantaged;
59	54		(C) students of limited English proficiency; and
60	55		(D) students at risk of dropping out of school.
61	56		(e) Continuing education requirements for a principal must
62	57		provide that not more than 25 percent of the training required every
63	58		five years include instruction regarding:
64	59		(1) effective and efficient management, including:
65	60		(A) collecting and analyzing information;
66	61		(B) making decisions and managing time; and
67	62		(C) supervising student discipline and managing
68	63		behavior;
69	64		(2) recognizing early warning indicators that a
70	65		student may be at risk of dropping out of school;
71	66		(3) digital learning, digital teaching, and
72	67		integrating technology into campus curriculum and instruction; and
73	68		(4) educating diverse student populations, including:
74	69		(A) students with disabilities, including mental
75	70		health disorders;
76	71		(B) students who are educationally
77	72		disadvantaged;
78	73		(C) students of limited English proficiency; and
79	74		(D) students at risk of dropping out of school.
80	75		SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
81	76		amended by adding Section 21.0543 to read as follows:
82	77		Sec. 21.0543. CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR INSTRUCTION
83	78		RELATED TO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY. The board shall propose rules
84	79		allowing an educator to receive credit toward the educator's
85	80		continuing education requirements for completion of education
86	81		courses that:
87	82		(1) use technology to increase the educator's digital
88	83		literacy; and
89	84		(2) assist the educator in the use of digital
90	85		technology in learning activities that improve teaching,
91	86		assessment, and instructional practices.
92	87		SECTION 5. Section 21.451, Education Code, is amended by
93	88		amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (d-3) to read as
94	89		follows:
95	90		(d) The staff development:
96	91		(1) may include training in:
97	92		(A) technology;
98	93		(B) conflict resolution;
99	94		(C) discipline strategies, including classroom
100	95		management, district discipline policies, and the student code of
101	96		conduct adopted under Section 37.001 and Chapter 37; [and]
102	97		(D) preventing, identifying, responding to, and
103	98		reporting incidents of bullying; and
104	99		(E) digital learning;
105	100		(2) subject to Subsection (e) and to Section 21.3541
106	101		and rules adopted under that section, must include training that is
107	102		evidence-based [based on scientifically based research], as
108	103		defined by Section 8101, Every Student Succeeds Act [9101, No Child
109	104		Left Behind Act of 2001] (20 U.S.C. Section 7801), that:
110	105		(A) relates to instruction of students with
111	106		disabilities; and
112	107		(B) is designed for educators who work primarily
113	108		outside the area of special education; and
114	109		(3) must include suicide prevention training that must
115	110		be provided:
116	111		(A) on an annual basis, as part of a new employee
117	112		orientation, to all new school district and open-enrollment charter
118	113		school educators; and
119	114		(B) to existing school district and
120	115		open-enrollment charter school educators on a schedule adopted by
121	116		the agency by rule.
122	117		(d-3) The digital learning training provided by Subsection
123	118		(d)(1)(E) must:
124	119		(1) discuss basic technology proficiency expectations
125	120		and methods to increase an educator's digital literacy; and
126	121		(2) assist an educator in the use of digital
127	122		technology in learning activities that improve teaching,
128	123		assessment, and instructional practices.
129	124		SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018
130	125		school year.
131	126		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
132	127		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
133	128		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
134	129		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
135	130		Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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