Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3211 Compare Versions

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

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1	1	By: Bell of Kaufman H.B. No. 3211
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to civics instruction in public schools.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
9	9	amended by adding Section 21.4555 to read as follows:
10	10	Sec. 21.4555. CIVICS ACADEMIES. (a) The commissioner
11	11	shall develop and make available civics academies for teachers and
12	12	administrators.
13	13	(b) The commissioner shall determine to what grade levels
14	14	the civics academies apply. In making that determination, the
15	15	commissioner shall include grade levels for which the State Board
16	16	of Education makes significant revisions to the Texas essential
17	17	knowledge and skills under Section 28.0025.
18	18	(c) A civics academy developed under this section must
19	19	include training in at least:
20	20	(1) citizenship or civics and related social studies
21	21	knowledge and skills as adopted by the State Board of Education;
22	22	(2) guided classroom discussion of current events, as
23	23	appropriate for the grade level;
24	24	(3) simulations and models of governmental and
25	25	democratic processes;
26	26	(4) media literacy, including instruction in
27	27	verification of information and sources and the identification of
28	28	propaganda, as appropriate for the grade level; and
29	29	(5) strategies for incorporating civics instruction
30	30	into other subject areas.
31	31	(d) From funds appropriated for that purpose, a teacher who
32	32	attends a civics academy may receive a stipend in the amount
33	33	determined by the commissioner. A stipend received under this
34	34	subsection is not considered in determining whether a district is
35	35	paying the teacher the minimum monthly salary under Section 21.402.
36	36	(e) On request of the commissioner, regional education
37	37	service centers shall assist the commissioner and agency with
38	38	training and other activities relating to the development and
39	39	operation of civics academies. The commissioner may seek
40	40	additional assistance from other public and private providers.
41	41	(f) The commissioner is required to implement this section
42	42	only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that
43	43	purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money
44	44	specifically for that purpose, the commissioner may, but is not
45	45	required to, implement this section using other appropriations
46	46	available for that purpose.
47	47	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
48	48	amended by adding Sections 28.0025 and 28.0201 to read as follows:
49	49	Sec. 28.0025. CIVICS CURRICULUM UPDATE. (a) In this
50	50	section:
51	51	(1) "Civic attitudes" means appreciating the
52	52	importance and responsibility of participation in civic life;
53	53	gaining values such as commitment to the United States' system of
54	54	government and appreciation for free speech and civil discourse;
55	55	and developing civic self-efficiency and understanding of
56	56	perspectives that differ from one's own.
57	57	(2) "Civic behaviors" means practicing civic habits,
58	58	including voting, engaging in deliberative discussions,
59	59	volunteering, attending public meetings, and other civic
60	60	activities.
61	61	(3) "Civic knowledge" means an understanding of the
62	62	history and heritage of civic life; the structure, functions, and
63	63	processes of civic institutions at all levels; founding-era
64	64	documents; geography and economics that affect public policy; and
65	65	the role of the citizen.
66	66	(4) "Civic skills" means the abilities necessary to
67	67	participate as an active and responsible citizen in a republic;
68	68	effectively engage in the civic life and civic institutions of
69	69	one's community, state, and nation; analyze text and determine the
70	70	reliability of sources; formulate and articulate reasoned
71	71	positions; and actively listen and engage in civil discourse.
72	72	(b) To ensure the students of Texas possess sufficient
73	73	knowledge of history to effectively engage in the civil discourse
74	74	of the republic and fulfill the requirements of Section 28.002(h),
75	75	the State Board of Education shall:
76	76	(1) for kindergarten through grade six, revise the
77	77	essential knowledge and skills for social studies to address
78	78	essential civic education, including civic knowledge, civic
79	79	skills, civic attitudes, and civic behaviors, and ensure sufficient
80	80	knowledge of history necessary to ensure proper context for the
81	81	understanding of civic knowledge, civic skills, civic attitudes,
82	82	and civic behaviors; and
83	83	(2) for grade seven through grade twelve, streamline
84	84	the essential knowledge and skills for social studies to enhance
85	85	civic knowledge, civic skills, civic attitudes, and civic
86	86	behaviors.
87	87	(c) The commissioner shall review prekindergarten
88	88	guidelines and incorporate revisions, if necessary, based on the
89	89	revisions to the essential knowledge and skills under this section.
90	90	(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt a recommended
91	91	reading list for kindergarten through grade twelve of
92	92	civics-focused texts that address the content of the social studies
93	93	essential knowledge and skills for each grade that can be used in
94	94	conjunction with teaching the English and Spanish language arts and
95	95	reading standards. The texts should, at a minimum:
96	96	(1) build background knowledge and vocabulary in
97	97	elementary grades; and
98	98	(2) provide a rich study in rhetoric, reasoning, and
99	99	argumentation in secondary grades.
100	100	(e) The agency shall make the reading list in Subsection (d)
101	101	available to every public school in the state.
102	102	(f) The commissioner shall review current research and
103	103	resources and provide proposed revisions to the applicable
104	104	essential knowledge and skills and a preliminary reading list as a
105	105	starting point for the State Board of Education's use in executing
106	106	its duties under Subsections (b) and (d).
107	107	(g) The State Board of Education shall adopt revisions under
108	108	this section on a timeline that allows the development of academies
109	109	under Section 21.4555 and compliance by public schools with Section
110	110	28.0201 by the timeline established in that section.
111	111	Sec. 28.0201. CIVICS INSTRUCTION. (a) Each school
112	112	district and open-enrollment charter school shall:
113	113	(1) integrate civics materials into its curriculum in
114	114	non-social studies courses, as appropriate; and
115	115	(2) ensure that each campus with grade levels
116	116	identified by the commissioner in Section 21.4555(b) has at least
117	117	one teacher and either a principal or a campus instructional leader
118	118	who has attended a civics academy developed under Section 21.4555.
119	119	(b) The agency shall provide assistance to school districts
120	120	and open-enrollment charter schools in complying with the
121	121	requirements under this section.
122	122	(c) Subsection (a) does not apply until school year
123	123	2024-2025. This subsection expires September 1, 2027.
124	124	(d) The commissioner may delay implementation of Subsection
125	125	(a) to a school year no later than school year 2026-2027, if the
126	126	revision of curriculum under Section 28.0025 or the availability of
127	127	civics academies does not occur at a pace that reasonably affords
128	128	public schools the ability to comply with Subsection (a). This
129	129	subsection expires September 1, 2027.
130	130	(e) Notwithstanding Subsections (c) and (d), the
131	131	commissioner may delay implementation of the requirement of
132	132	Subsection (a)(2) if, in accordance with Section 21.4555(f), civics
133	133	academies have not been developed or sufficiently developed to
134	134	allow school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to
135	135	comply with that requirement.
136	136	(f) The commissioner may adopt rules to implement this
137	137	section.
138	138	SECTION 3. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by
139	139	adding Subsection (c-9) to read as follows:
140	140	(c-9) An assessment instrument developed under Subsection
141	141	(a) or (c) may include excerpts from texts included on the
142	142	recommended reading list adopted under Section 28.0025(d).
143	143	SECTION 4. The Texas Education Agency is required to
144	144	implement a provision of this Act only if the legislature
145	145	appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the
146	146	legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that
147	147	purpose, the agency may, but is not required to, implement a
148	148	provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that
149	149	purpose.
150	150	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
151	151	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
152	152	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
153	153	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
154	154	Act takes effect September 1, 2021.