Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1315 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R1848 DIO-D
2	2	By: Eckhardt S.B. No. 1315
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of a computer science strategic
8	8	advisory committee and a grant program for the professional
9	9	development and training of computer science classroom teachers.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 21.466 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 21.466. COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
14	14	PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section,
15	15	"institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by
16	16	Section 61.003.
17	17	(b) The commissioner shall establish a competitive
18	18	professional development grant program to encourage teachers to:
19	19	(1) obtain computer science certification; and
20	20	(2) continue professional development in coding,
21	21	computational thinking, cybersecurity, and computer science
22	22	education.
23	23	(c) From money appropriated for the purpose, the
24	24	commissioner shall make grants to eligible providers that offer:
25	25	(1) professional development for classroom teachers
26	26	to ensure teachers maintain a working knowledge of current computer
27	27	industry standard tools and resources; and
28	28	(2) training for computer science certification for
29	29	teachers in accordance with certification requirements adopted by
30	30	the State Board for Educator Certification.
31	31	(d) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a
32	32	provider must:
33	33	(1) be an institution of higher education, regional
34	34	education service center, or school district or partnership of
35	35	multiple school districts or a nonprofit entity approved by the
36	36	commissioner that has demonstrated experience in providing
37	37	professional development through a statewide network; and
38	38	(2) meet eligibility standards established by
39	39	commissioner rule.
40	40	(e) An eligible provider receiving a grant under this
41	41	section must:
42	42	(1) provide the training or professional development
43	43	described by Subsection (c) and establish professional development
44	44	hubs in each education service center region;
45	45	(2) serve high-need campuses;
46	46	(3) have established partnerships with institution of
47	47	higher education faculty with expertise in cybersecurity,
48	48	computing, and computer science education; and
49	49	(4) develop partnerships with computer industry
50	50	professionals.
51	51	(f) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
52	52	implement this section.
53	53	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
54	54	amended by adding Section 28.0181 to read as follows:
55	55	Sec. 28.0181. COMPUTER SCIENCE STRATEGIC ADVISORY
56	56	COMMITTEE. (a) In this section, "advisory committee" means the
57	57	computer science strategic advisory committee established under
58	58	this section.
59	59	(b) The agency shall establish the computer science
60	60	strategic advisory committee as a permanent advisory committee to
61	61	the agency to develop and provide recommendations for increasing
62	62	computer science instruction and participation in public schools.
63	63	(c) The advisory committee is composed of at least 11
64	64	members. The members must include:
65	65	(1) two members appointed by the governor;
66	66	(2) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor;
67	67	(3) two members appointed by the speaker of the house
68	68	of representatives;
69	69	(4) one member appointed by the chair of the senate
70	70	committee with primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary
71	71	education;
72	72	(5) one member appointed by the chair of the senate
73	73	committee with primary jurisdiction over higher education;
74	74	(6) one member appointed by the chair of the house of
75	75	representatives committee with primary jurisdiction over primary
76	76	and secondary education;
77	77	(7) one member appointed by the chair of the house of
78	78	representatives committee with primary jurisdiction over higher
79	79	education;
80	80	(8) one member appointed by the chair of the State
81	81	Board of Education; and
82	82	(9) any other members added by the advisory committee
83	83	in a manner determined by the committee in the committee's
84	84	discretion.
85	85	(d) In appointing members to the advisory committee, the
86	86	governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of
87	87	representatives shall coordinate appointments to ensure that the
88	88	six individuals appointed to the advisory committee collectively by
89	89	those officers include:
90	90	(1) three educators who teach in a public school and
91	91	are certified in computer science;
92	92	(2) one parent or person standing in parental relation
93	93	to a student enrolled in a public school;
94	94	(3) one person employed in the technology industry;
95	95	and
96	96	(4) one faculty member of an institution of higher
97	97	education.
98	98	(e) The governor shall designate a member of the advisory
99	99	committee as the presiding officer of the advisory committee to
100	100	serve in that capacity at the pleasure of the governor.
101	101	(f) The advisory committee may hold public meetings.
102	102	(g) Members of the advisory committee are not entitled to
103	103	compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for actual and
104	104	necessary expenses incurred in fulfilling committee duties.
105	105	(h) The agency shall appoint an agency employee to support
106	106	the advisory committee.
107	107	(i) Not later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the
108	108	advisory committee shall submit to the governor and the legislature
109	109	a report that includes recommended changes to state law, including
110	110	funding proposals and timelines for the implementation of the
111	111	recommended changes. The report shall include recommendations that
112	112	are intended to:
113	113	(1) increase the number of certified computer science
114	114	teachers;
115	115	(2) increase the number of public high schools
116	116	offering computer science courses;
117	117	(3) increase the number of high school students
118	118	enrolled in computer science courses;
119	119	(4) encourage the enrollment of diverse student
120	120	populations in computer science courses; and
121	121	(5) expand computer science learning opportunities,
122	122	including computer programming, computer coding, cybersecurity,
123	123	and computational thinking, in public schools.
124	124	SECTION 3. Section 5, Chapter 1149 (H.B. 2984), Acts of the
125	125	86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019, is repealed.
126	126	SECTION 4. Not later than December 31, 2023, the
127	127	commissioner of education shall establish the grant program
128	128	required under Section 21.466, Education Code, as added by this
129	129	Act.
130	130	SECTION 5. As soon as practicable after the effective date
131	131	of this Act, the appropriate persons, as provided by Section
132	132	28.0181(c), Education Code, as added by this Act, shall appoint
133	133	members to the computer science strategic advisory committee.
134	134	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
135	135	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
136	136	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
137	137	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
138	138	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.