Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2729 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.B. No. 2729
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to teacher requirements for high quality prekindergarten
6	6	programs.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Section 29.167, Education Code, is amended by
9	9	amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsections (b-1),
10	10	(b-2), and (b-3) to read as follows:
11	11	(b) Each teacher for a prekindergarten program class must:
12	12	(1) be certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; and
13	13	(2) have one of the following additional
14	14	qualifications:
15	15	(A) an associate or baccalaureate degree in early
16	16	childhood education or a related field;
17	17	(B) a Child Development Associate (CDA)
18	18	credential or another early childhood education credential
19	19	approved by the agency;
20	20	(C) [(B)] certification offered through a
21	21	training center accredited by Association Montessori
22	22	Internationale or through the Montessori Accreditation Council for
23	23	Teacher Education;
24	24	(D) [(C)] at least eight years' experience of
25	25	teaching in a nationally accredited child care program or a Texas
26	26	Rising Star Program;
27	27	(E) [(D)] be employed as a prekindergarten
28	28	teacher in a school district that has received approval from the
29	29	commissioner for the district's prekindergarten-specific
30	30	instructional training plan that the teacher uses in the teacher's
31	31	prekindergarten classroom; or
32	32	(F) [(E)] an equivalent qualification.
33	33	(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), each teacher for a
34	34	prekindergarten class provided by an entity with which a school
35	35	district contracts to provide a prekindergarten program must:
36	36	(1) be supervised by a person who meets the
37	37	requirements under Subsection (b); and
38	38	(2) have one of the following qualifications:
39	39	(A) at least two years' experience of teaching in
40	40	a nationally accredited child care program or a Texas Rising Star
41	41	Program and:
42	42	(i) a Child Development Associate (CDA)
43	43	credential or another early childhood education credential
44	44	approved by the agency; or
45	45	(ii) certification offered through a
46	46	training center accredited by Association Montessori
47	47	Internationale or through the Montessori Accreditation Council for
48	48	Teacher Education; or
49	49	(B) a qualification described by Subsection
50	50	(b)(2)(A), (D), (E), or (F).
51	51	(b-2) A person who supervises a prekindergarten program
52	52	provided by an entity with which a school district contracts for
53	53	that purpose may supervise multiple prekindergarten classrooms to:
54	54	(1) ensure programmatic compliance; and
55	55	(2) support:
56	56	(A) classroom instruction;
57	57	(B) the developmental needs of students; and
58	58	(C) continuous quality improvement, including
59	59	professional development.
60	60	(b-3) Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) and this subsection
61	61	expire September 1, 2029.
62	62	(d) A school district or an entity with which the district
63	63	contracts to provide a prekindergarten program must attempt to
64	64	maintain an average ratio in any prekindergarten program class of
65	65	not less than one qualified [certified] teacher or teacher's aide
66	66	for each 11 students.
67	67	SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024
68	68	school year.
69	69	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
70	70	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
71	71	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
72	72	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
73	73	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
74	74	______________________________ ______________________________
75	75	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
76	76	I certify that H.B. No. 2729 was passed by the House on May 2,
77	77	2023, by the following vote: Yeas 95, Nays 48, 2 present, not
78	78	voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to
79	79	H.B. No. 2729 on May 25, 2023, and requested the appointment of a
80	80	conference committee to consider the differences between the two
81	81	houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report
82	82	on H.B. No. 2729 on May 28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 93,
83	83	Nays 47, 2 present, not voting.
84	84	______________________________
85	85	Chief Clerk of the House
86	86	I certify that H.B. No. 2729 was passed by the Senate, with
87	87	amendments, on May 17, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 20, Nays
88	88	11; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference
89	89	committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and
90	90	that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No.
91	91	2729 on May 28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 20, Nays 11.
92	92	______________________________
93	93	Secretary of the Senate
94	94	APPROVED: __________________
95	95	Date
96	96	__________________
97	97	Governor