Texas 2017 - 85th 1st C.S.

Texas House Bill HB354 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85S11876 GCB-D
2	2	By: Villalba H.B. No. 354
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the adoption of teacher performance contracts for
8	8	classroom teachers and an increased basic allotment for school
9	9	districts that adopt those contracts.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding
12	12	Subchapter H-1 to read as follows:
13	13	SUBCHAPTER H-1. TEACHER PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS
14	14	Sec. 21.371. TEACHER PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS. (a) A school
15	15	district may adopt teacher performance contracts under this
16	16	subchapter for use in the district for the purpose of providing
17	17	specific guidance to classroom teachers on improving performance.
18	18	(b) A district that adopts teacher performance contracts
19	19	under this subchapter must use a teacher performance contract
20	20	evaluation system described by Section 21.372.
21	21	(c) A teacher performance contract under this subchapter is
22	22	a supplemental agreement between the district and teacher and does
23	23	not affect the requirements under this chapter to employ a teacher
24	24	under a probationary, continuing, or term contract.
25	25	Sec. 21.372. TEACHER PERFORMANCE CONTRACT EVALUATION
26	26	SYSTEM. (a) A teacher performance contract evaluation system
27	27	consists of an appraisal process and performance criteria adopted
28	28	in accordance with Section 21.352(a)(2) that include evaluation
29	29	based on:
30	30	(1) observation of the teacher's performance;
31	31	(2) student achievement results, as measured by
32	32	student growth and performance on multiple tests and school growth
33	33	and performance on state assessment instruments administered under
34	34	Section 39.023; and
35	35	(3) research-based, age-appropriate surveys
36	36	administered to students about the teacher's performance.
37	37	(b) The evaluation system described by this section must
38	38	provide that a classroom teacher's performance on each criteria
39	39	listed in Subsection (a)(1), (2), or (3) is weighted not less than
40	40	15 percent of the teacher's appraisal.
41	41	(c) The evaluation system described by this section must
42	42	provide not fewer than eight performance levels to which a
43	43	classroom teacher may be assigned based on the teacher's appraisal.
44	44	Sec. 21.373. ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION BASED ON APPRAISAL
45	45	PERFORMANCE LEVEL. (a) A teacher performance contract must
46	46	provide for additional compensation for a classroom teacher
47	47	assigned a performance level under the evaluation system described
48	48	by Section 21.372 that indicates the teacher's performance exceeds
49	49	the performance expected at the teacher's level of experience.
50	50	(b) The contract must ensure that the salary of a teacher
51	51	described by Subsection (a) exceeds the compensation the teacher is
52	52	entitled to under the minimum salary schedule provided by Section
53	53	21.402.
54	54	Sec. 21.374. CERTAIN EMPLOYMENT RENEWAL PROHIBITED. (a) A
55	55	school district that adopts teacher performance contracts under
56	56	this subchapter may not renew the employment contract of a
57	57	classroom teacher employed under a probationary contract who is
58	58	assigned the minimum performance level based on the teacher's
59	59	appraisal for the school year, except as otherwise provided by
60	60	Subsection (b).
61	61	(b) The board of trustees of a school district may take
62	62	specific action to renew the employment of a teacher who is employed
63	63	under a probationary contract and is assigned the minimum
64	64	performance level based on the teacher's appraisal for the school
65	65	year.
66	66	Sec. 21.375. COMMISSIONER APPROVAL. The commissioner shall
67	67	approve a school district for purposes of the adjustment in the
68	68	district's basic allotment provided by Section 42.101(d) if the
69	69	commissioner determines that:
70	70	(1) the district has met the requirements for teacher
71	71	performance contracts provided by this subchapter; and
72	72	(2) the teacher performance contracts adopted by the
73	73	district satisfy any commissioner rules adopted to ensure that
74	74	teacher performance contracts are likely to improve the district's:
75	75	(A) recruitment of effective classroom teachers;
76	76	(B) retention of effective classroom teachers;
77	77	and
78	78	(C) student performance.
79	79	Sec. 21.376. RULES. The commissioner may adopt rules to
80	80	implement this subchapter.
81	81	SECTION 2. Section 42.101, Education Code, is amended by
82	82	adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
83	83	(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
84	84	for a school district that adopts teacher performance contracts
85	85	under Subchapter H-1, Chapter 21, and receives commissioner
86	86	approval under Section 21.375, the basic allotment to which the
87	87	district would otherwise be entitled under this section is
88	88	increased by the amount that results from the following formula:
89	89	I = $50 X (PCE/TE)
90	90	where:
91	91	"I" is the amount by which the district's basic allotment is
92	92	increased under this subsection;
93	93	"PCE" is the number of classroom teachers employed by the
94	94	district that have entered a teacher performance contract with the
95	95	district; and
96	96	"TE" is the total number of classroom teachers employed by
97	97	the district.
98	98	SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2018-2019
99	99	school year.
100	100	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect December 1, 2017.