| 4 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 7 | | relating to developing a strategic plan for the improvement and |
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| 6 | 8 | | expansion of high-quality bilingual education. |
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| 7 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 9 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 29.067 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 12 | | Sec. 29.067. STRATEGIC PLAN TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND BILINGUAL |
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| 11 | 13 | | EDUCATION. (a) In this section, "general academic teaching |
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| 12 | 14 | | institution" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 13 | 15 | | (b) The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher |
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| 14 | 16 | | Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission, |
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| 15 | 17 | | shall develop a strategic plan that sets tangible goals and |
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| 16 | 18 | | establishes timelines to: |
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| 17 | 19 | | (1) increase the number of educators certified under |
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| 18 | 20 | | Subchapter B, Chapter 21, in bilingual education instruction; |
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| 19 | 21 | | (2) increase the number of dual language |
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| 20 | 22 | | immersion/one-way and two-way program models used in public |
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| 21 | 23 | | schools; |
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| 22 | 24 | | (3) educate families and school district employees |
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| 23 | 25 | | regarding the importance of bilingual education in early childhood; |
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| 24 | 26 | | (4) adopt a uniform process for: |
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| 25 | 27 | | (A) identifying students in prekindergarten |
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| 26 | 28 | | through 12th grade of limited English proficiency; |
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| 27 | 29 | | (B) monitoring the bilingual learning of |
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| 28 | 30 | | students in prekindergarten through 12th grade; and |
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| 29 | 31 | | (C) collecting data regarding the identification |
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| 30 | 32 | | and monitoring under Paragraphs (A) and (B); and |
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| 31 | 33 | | (5) increase the number of bilingual and multilingual |
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| 32 | 34 | | high school graduates. |
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| 33 | 35 | | (c) In developing the strategic plan, the agency: |
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| 34 | 36 | | (1) shall consult with appropriate representatives |
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| 35 | 37 | | of: |
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| 36 | 38 | | (A) general academic teaching institutions; |
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| 37 | 39 | | (B) public schools; |
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| 38 | 40 | | (C) early childhood education programs; and |
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| 39 | 41 | | (D) parents and legal guardians of public school |
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| 40 | 42 | | students; |
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| 41 | 43 | | (2) may collaborate with representatives of: |
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| 42 | 44 | | (A) state, regional, and local agencies; |
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| 43 | 45 | | (B) nonprofit organizations; |
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| 44 | 46 | | (C) social services providers; |
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| 45 | 47 | | (D) faith-based organizations; and |
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| 46 | 48 | | (E) the business community; and |
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| 47 | 49 | | (3) shall study the use of the Bilingual Target |
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| 48 | 50 | | Language Proficiency Test to certify educators in bilingual |
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| 49 | 51 | | education instruction and: |
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| 50 | 52 | | (A) determine: |
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| 51 | 53 | | (i) the impact of using that test to assess |
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| 52 | 54 | | the critical competencies necessary to instruct bilingual programs |
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| 53 | 55 | | at each grade level; and |
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| 54 | 56 | | (ii) if any barriers to the certification |
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| 55 | 57 | | of bilingual educators exist based on differences between the |
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| 56 | 58 | | dialect of the educator and the dialect used on the test; and |
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| 57 | 59 | | (B) make recommendations to modify or revise the |
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| 58 | 60 | | assessments used to certify educators in bilingual education |
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| 59 | 61 | | instruction to enhance the competency of educators serving |
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| 60 | 62 | | bilingual programs. |
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| 61 | 63 | | (d) The agency shall submit the plan developed under this |
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| 62 | 64 | | section to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of |
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| 63 | 65 | | the house of representatives, and each member of the standing |
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| 64 | 66 | | committees of the senate and house of representatives having |
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| 65 | 67 | | primary jurisdiction over public education not later than December |
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| 66 | 68 | | 1, 2022. |
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| 67 | 69 | | (e) This section expires January 1, 2023. |
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| 68 | 70 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 69 | 71 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 70 | 72 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 71 | 73 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 72 | 74 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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