Bill Text: TX SB892 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to educator preparation programs and teacher certification examinations.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-05-24 - Committee report sent to Calendars [SB892 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB892-Comm_Sub.html
84R31160 KKA-D | ||
By: Seliger, et al. | S.B. No. 892 | |
(Huberty) | ||
Substitute the following for S.B. No. 892: No. |
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relating to educator preparation programs and teacher | ||
certification examinations. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 21.0441, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read | ||
as follows: | ||
(a) Rules of the board proposed under this subchapter must | ||
provide that a person, other than a person seeking career and | ||
technology education certification, is not eligible for admission | ||
to an educator preparation program, including an alternative | ||
educator preparation program, unless the person: | ||
(1) except as provided by Subsection (b), satisfies | ||
the following minimum grade point average requirements [ |
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(A) an overall grade point average of at least | ||
2.50 [ |
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work previously attempted at a public or private institution of | ||
higher education; or | ||
(B) a grade point average of at least 2.50 [ |
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on a four-point scale or the equivalent for the last 60 semester | ||
credit hours attempted at a public or private institution of higher | ||
education; and | ||
(2) if the person is seeking initial certification: | ||
(A) has successfully completed at least: | ||
(i) 15 semester credit hours in the | ||
subject-specific content area in which the person is seeking | ||
certification, if the person is seeking certification to teach | ||
mathematics or science at or above grade level seven; or | ||
(ii) 12 semester credit hours in the | ||
subject-specific content area in which the person is seeking | ||
certification, if the person is not seeking certification to teach | ||
mathematics or science at or above grade level seven; or | ||
(B) has achieved a satisfactory level of | ||
performance on a content certification examination, which may be a | ||
content certification examination administered by a vendor | ||
approved by the commissioner for purposes of administering such an | ||
examination for the year for which the person is applying for | ||
admission to the program. | ||
(c) The overall grade point average of each incoming class | ||
admitted by an educator preparation program, including an | ||
alternative educator preparation program, may not be less than 3.00 | ||
on a four-point scale or the equivalent or a higher overall grade | ||
point average prescribed by the board. In computing the overall | ||
grade point average of an incoming class for purposes of this | ||
subsection, a program may: | ||
(1) include the grade point average of each person in | ||
the incoming class based on all course work previously attempted by | ||
the person at a public or private institution of higher education; | ||
or | ||
(2) include the grade point average of each person in | ||
the incoming class based only on the last 60 semester credit hours | ||
attempted by the person at a public or private institution of higher | ||
education. | ||
(d) A person seeking career and technology education | ||
certification is not included in determining the overall grade | ||
point average of an incoming class under Subsection (c). | ||
SECTION 2. Section 21.045(b), Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) Each educator preparation program shall submit data | ||
elements as required by the board for an annual performance report | ||
to ensure access and equity. At a minimum, the annual report must | ||
contain: | ||
(1) the performance data from Subsection (a), other | ||
than the data required for purposes of Subsection (a)(3), and the | ||
following information, disaggregated by sex and ethnicity: | ||
(A) [ |
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(B) [ |
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(C) [ |
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(D) [ |
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the program; | ||
(E) [ |
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beginning teachers under standard teaching certificates by not | ||
later than the first anniversary of [ |
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completing the program; | ||
(F) the amount of time required by candidates | ||
employed as beginning teachers under probationary teaching | ||
certificates to be issued standard teaching certificates; | ||
(G) [ |
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the profession; and | ||
(H) [ |
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federal law; | ||
(2) the ratio of field supervisors to candidates | ||
completing student teaching, clinical teaching, or an internship; | ||
and | ||
(3) any other information necessary to enable the | ||
board to assess the effectiveness of the program on the basis of | ||
teacher retention and success criteria adopted by the board. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 21.048, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsections (a-1) and (c-1) and adding Subsection (a-2) to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a-1) The board may not require that more than 45 days | ||
elapse before a person may retake an examination. A person may not | ||
retake an examination more than four times, unless the board waives | ||
the limitation for good cause as prescribed by the board. | ||
(a-2) For purposes of the limitation imposed by Subsection | ||
(a-1) on the number of administrations of an examination, a person | ||
who initially took an examination before September 1, 2015, may | ||
retake the examination up to four times after that date, regardless | ||
of the number of times that the person attempted to perform | ||
satisfactorily on the examination before that date. This | ||
subsection expires September 1, 2018. | ||
(c-1) The results of an examination administered under this | ||
section are confidential and are not subject to disclosure under | ||
Chapter 552, Government Code, unless[ |
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parent of the assignment of an uncertified teacher to a classroom as | ||
required by Section 21.057[ |
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SECTION 4. Not later than January 1, 2016, the State Board | ||
for Educator Certification shall develop criteria for evaluation of | ||
educator preparation programs based on teacher retention and | ||
success as required by Section 21.045(b)(3), Education Code, as | ||
added by this Act. The State Board for Educator Certification shall | ||
consult with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in | ||
developing the criteria, and the Texas Higher Education | ||
Coordinating Board shall participate and provide recommendations | ||
regarding the criteria. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |