| 1 | 1 | | 89R956 TSS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guerra H.B. No. 1581 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to public school bilingual education programs, dual |
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| 10 | 10 | | language immersion programs, and special language programs. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 21.4572 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 21.4572. TRAINING FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS: |
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| 15 | 15 | | BILINGUAL EDUCATION AND DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION. The commissioner, |
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| 16 | 16 | | in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, shall develop and make |
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| 17 | 17 | | available training materials and other training resources to |
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| 18 | 18 | | increase school administrators' understanding of and improve |
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| 19 | 19 | | student outcomes for: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) bilingual education programs offered under |
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| 21 | 21 | | Section 29.053; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) dual language immersion programs described by |
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| 23 | 23 | | Section 28.0051. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Section 29.066(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 25 | 25 | | read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) A school district that is required to offer bilingual |
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| 27 | 27 | | education or special language programs shall include the following |
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| 28 | 28 | | information in the district's Public Education Information |
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| 29 | 29 | | Management System (PEIMS) report: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) demographic information, as determined by the |
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| 31 | 31 | | commissioner, on students enrolled in district bilingual education |
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| 32 | 32 | | or special language programs; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) the number and percentage of students enrolled in |
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| 34 | 34 | | each instructional model of a bilingual education or special |
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| 35 | 35 | | language program offered by the district; [and] |
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| 36 | 36 | | (3) the number and percentage of students identified |
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| 37 | 37 | | as emergent bilingual students who do not receive specialized |
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| 38 | 38 | | instruction; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (4) any other information required by the agency under |
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| 40 | 40 | | Section 29.068(b). |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 42 | 42 | | amended by adding Section 29.068 to read as follows: |
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| 43 | 43 | | Sec. 29.068. AGENCY MONITORING. (a) The agency shall adopt |
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| 44 | 44 | | rules providing for robust monitoring of bilingual education and |
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| 45 | 45 | | special language programs. The rules must require the agency to: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (1) review bilingual education and special language |
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| 47 | 47 | | program requirements to ensure those requirements prioritize |
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| 48 | 48 | | meeting student needs and closing learning gaps for emergent |
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| 49 | 49 | | bilingual students; and |
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| 50 | 50 | | (2) engage directly with school districts offering |
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| 51 | 51 | | bilingual education or special language programs to improve |
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| 52 | 52 | | outcomes for emergent bilingual students, including by identifying |
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| 53 | 53 | | districts offering programs with deficiencies and providing |
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| 54 | 54 | | technical assistance to those districts. |
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| 55 | 55 | | (b) Rules adopted under Subsection (a) may include |
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| 56 | 56 | | requiring school districts that offer bilingual education or |
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| 57 | 57 | | special language programs to provide additional information |
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| 58 | 58 | | relevant to the programs through the Public Education Information |
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| 59 | 59 | | Management System (PEIMS) under Section 29.066. |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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