Bill Text: TX HB159 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to improving training and staff development for primary and secondary educators to enable them to more effectively serve all students.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-04 - Effective on 9/1/21 [HB159 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB159-Engrossed.html
Bill Title: Relating to improving training and staff development for primary and secondary educators to enable them to more effectively serve all students.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-04 - Effective on 9/1/21 [HB159 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB159-Engrossed.html
87R636 CAE-F | ||
By: González of El Paso, Harris | H.B. No. 159 |
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relating to improving training and staff development for primary | ||
and secondary educators to enable them to more effectively serve | ||
all students. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 21.001, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subdivision (4) to read as follows: | ||
(4) "Student with a disability" means a student who | ||
is: | ||
(A) eligible to participate in a school | ||
district's special education program under Section 29.003; | ||
(B) covered by Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of | ||
1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794); or | ||
(C) covered by the Individuals with Disabilities | ||
Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400 et seq.). | ||
SECTION 2. Section 21.044, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsections (a), (b), (c-1), and (g) and adding Subsection | ||
(a-1) to read as follows: | ||
(a) The board shall propose rules: | ||
(1) specifying what each educator is expected to know | ||
and be able to do, particularly with regard to students with | ||
disabilities; | ||
(2) establishing the training requirements a person | ||
must accomplish to obtain a certificate, enter an internship, or | ||
enter an induction-year program; and | ||
(3) specifying[ |
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academic qualifications required for a certificate. | ||
(a-1) Any training requirements for a certificate specified | ||
under Subsection (a) must require that the person demonstrate: | ||
(1) basic knowledge of: | ||
(A) each disability category under the | ||
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400 | ||
et seq.) and how each category can affect student learning and | ||
development; and | ||
(B) conditions that may be considered a | ||
disability under Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. | ||
Section 794), and how a condition covered by that section can affect | ||
student learning and development; | ||
(2) competence in the use of proactive instructional | ||
planning techniques that: | ||
(A) provide flexibility in the ways: | ||
(i) information is presented; | ||
(ii) students respond or demonstrate | ||
knowledge and skills; and | ||
(iii) students are engaged; | ||
(B) reduce barriers in instruction; | ||
(C) provide appropriate accommodations, | ||
supports, and challenges; and | ||
(D) maintain high achievement expectations for | ||
all students, including students with disabilities and students of | ||
limited English proficiency; and | ||
(3) competence in the use of evidence-based inclusive | ||
instructional practices, including: | ||
(A) general and special education collaborative | ||
and co-teaching models and approaches; | ||
(B) multitiered systems of support, including | ||
response to intervention strategies, classroom and school level | ||
data-based collaborative structures, and evidence-based strategies | ||
for intervention and progress monitoring systems in academic areas; | ||
(C) classroom management techniques using | ||
evidence-based behavioral intervention strategies and supports; | ||
and | ||
(D) appropriate adaptation strategies, including | ||
accommodations, modifications, and instruction in the use of | ||
assistive technology for instruction. | ||
(b) The [ |
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certificate specified under Subsection (a) [ |
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receive, as part of the training required to obtain that | ||
certificate, instruction in detection and education of students | ||
with dyslexia. | ||
(c-1) The [ |
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certificate specified under Subsection (a) [ |
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receive, as part of the training required to obtain that | ||
certificate, instruction regarding mental health, substance abuse, | ||
and youth suicide. The instruction required must: | ||
(1) be provided through: | ||
(A) a program selected from the list of | ||
recommended best practice-based programs and research-based | ||
practices established under Section 38.351; or | ||
(B) a course offered by any accredited public or | ||
private postsecondary educational institution as part of a degree | ||
program; and | ||
(2) include effective strategies, including | ||
de-escalation techniques and positive behavioral interventions and | ||
supports, for teaching and intervening with students with mental | ||
health conditions or who engage in substance abuse. | ||
(g) Each educator preparation program must provide | ||
information regarding: | ||
(1) the skills that educators are required to possess, | ||
the responsibilities that educators are required to accept, and the | ||
high expectations for all students, including students with | ||
disabilities, in this state; | ||
(2) the effect of supply and demand forces on the | ||
educator workforce in this state; | ||
(3) the performance over time of the educator | ||
preparation program; | ||
(4) the importance of building strong classroom | ||
management skills; | ||
(5) the framework in this state for teacher and | ||
principal evaluation, including the procedures followed in | ||
accordance with Subchapter H; and | ||
(6) appropriate relationships, boundaries, and | ||
communications between educators and students. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 21.0443(b), Education Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(b) To be eligible for approval or renewal of approval, an | ||
educator preparation program must: | ||
(1) incorporate proactive instructional planning | ||
techniques throughout course work and across content areas using a | ||
framework that: | ||
(A) provides flexibility in the ways: | ||
(i) information is presented; | ||
(ii) students respond or demonstrate | ||
knowledge and skills; and | ||
(iii) students are engaged; | ||
(B) reduces barriers in instruction; | ||
(C) provides appropriate accommodations, | ||
supports, and challenges; and | ||
(D) maintains high achievement expectations for | ||
all students, including students with disabilities and students of | ||
limited English proficiency; | ||
(2) integrate inclusive practices for all students, | ||
including students with disabilities, and evidence-based | ||
instruction and intervention strategies throughout course work, | ||
clinical experience, and student teaching; | ||
(3) adequately prepare candidates for educator | ||
certification; and | ||
(4) meet the standards and requirements of the board. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 21.045(a), Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) The board shall propose rules necessary to establish | ||
standards to govern the continuing accountability of all educator | ||
preparation programs based on the following information that is | ||
disaggregated with respect to race, sex, and ethnicity: | ||
(1) results of the certification examinations | ||
prescribed under Section 21.048(a); | ||
(2) performance based on the appraisal system for | ||
beginning teachers adopted by the board; | ||
(3) achievement, including improvement in | ||
achievement, of all students, including students with | ||
disabilities, taught by beginning teachers for the first three | ||
years following certification, to the extent practicable; | ||
(4) compliance with board requirements regarding the | ||
frequency, duration, and quality of structural guidance and ongoing | ||
support provided by field supervisors to candidates completing | ||
student teaching, clinical teaching, or an internship; and | ||
(5) results from a teacher satisfaction survey, | ||
developed by the board with stakeholder input, of new teachers | ||
performed at the end of the teacher's first year of teaching. | ||
SECTION 5. Section 21.0453(a), Education Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) The board shall require an educator preparation program | ||
to provide candidates for teacher certification with information | ||
concerning the following: | ||
(1) skills and responsibilities required of teachers | ||
with regard to all students, including students with disabilities; | ||
(2) expectations for student performance, including | ||
students with disabilities, based on state standards; | ||
(3) the current supply of and demand for teachers in | ||
this state; | ||
(4) the importance of developing classroom management | ||
skills; and | ||
(5) the state's framework for appraisal of teachers | ||
and principals. | ||
SECTION 6. Section 21.046(b), Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) The qualifications for certification as a principal | ||
must be sufficiently flexible so that an outstanding teacher may | ||
qualify by substituting approved experience and professional | ||
training for part of the educational requirements. Supervised and | ||
approved on-the-job experience in addition to required internship | ||
shall be accepted in lieu of classroom hours. The qualifications | ||
must emphasize: | ||
(1) instructional leadership, including the ability | ||
to create an inclusive school environment and to foster parent | ||
involvement; | ||
(2) administration, supervision, and communication | ||
skills; | ||
(3) curriculum and instruction management, including | ||
curriculum and instruction management for students with | ||
disabilities; | ||
(4) performance evaluation; | ||
(5) organization; and | ||
(6) fiscal management. | ||
SECTION 7. Section 21.047(c), Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(c) A center may develop and implement a comprehensive | ||
field-based educator preparation program to supplement the | ||
internship hours required in Section 21.050. This comprehensive | ||
field-based teacher program must: | ||
(1) be designed on the basis of current research into | ||
state-of-the-art teaching practices applicable to all students, | ||
including students with disabilities, curriculum theory and | ||
application within diverse student populations, evaluation of | ||
student outcomes, and the effective application of technology; and | ||
(2) have rigorous internal and external evaluation | ||
procedures that focus on content, delivery systems, and teacher and | ||
student outcomes. | ||
SECTION 8. Sections 21.051(b) and (f), Education Code, are | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(b) Before a school district may employ a candidate for | ||
certification as a teacher of record and, except as provided by | ||
Subsection (b-1), after the candidate's admission to an educator | ||
preparation program, the candidate must complete at least 15 hours | ||
of field-based experience in which the candidate is actively | ||
engaged in instructional or educational activities involving a | ||
diverse student population that, to the greatest extent | ||
practicable, includes students with disabilities under supervision | ||
at: | ||
(1) a public school campus accredited or approved for | ||
the purpose by the agency; or | ||
(2) a private school recognized or approved for the | ||
purpose by the agency. | ||
(f) The board shall propose rules providing flexible | ||
options for persons for any field-based experience or internship | ||
required for certification. The options must, to the greatest | ||
extent practicable, involve interaction with a diverse student | ||
population, including students with disabilities. | ||
SECTION 9. Section 21.451, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (a-2) to read as follows: | ||
(a-2) In designing the staff development described by | ||
Subsection (a), a school district must use procedures that, to the | ||
greatest extent possible, ensure the training included in the staff | ||
development: | ||
(1) incorporates proactive instructional planning | ||
techniques using a framework that: | ||
(A) provides flexibility in the ways: | ||
(i) information is presented; | ||
(ii) students respond or demonstrate | ||
knowledge and skills; and | ||
(iii) students are engaged; | ||
(B) reduces barriers in instruction; | ||
(C) provides appropriate accommodations, | ||
supports, and challenges; and | ||
(D) maintains high achievement expectations for | ||
all students, including students with disabilities and students of | ||
limited English proficiency; and | ||
(2) integrates inclusive and evidence-based | ||
instructional practices for all students, including students with | ||
disabilities. | ||
SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |