Bill Text: TX HB1918 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to providing grants for professional development training for certain public school teachers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-05 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB1918 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB1918-Introduced.html
| 85R5885 PAM-F | ||
| By: Guillen | H.B. No. 1918 | |
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| relating to providing grants for professional development training | ||
| for certain public school teachers. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 21.0542 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 21.0542. GRANT PROGRAM FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | ||
| COURSES FOR CERTAIN TEACHERS. (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Authorized provider" means an institution of | ||
| higher education or private or independent institution of higher | ||
| education as those terms are defined by Section 61.003 that: | ||
| (A) is approved to offer an educator preparation | ||
| program; and | ||
| (B) offers online through an Internet portal at | ||
| least 100 subject-specific professional development courses that | ||
| comply with the requirements of Subsection (c) at levels | ||
| prekindergarten through grade 12. | ||
| (2) "Eligible teacher" means a classroom teacher who | ||
| is providing instruction at any level of prekindergarten through | ||
| grade 12: | ||
| (A) during the teacher's first year of teaching; | ||
| (B) in a subject for which the teacher does not | ||
| possess a bachelor's degree with an academic major or minor in that | ||
| subject; or | ||
| (C) at a campus assigned an overall performance | ||
| rating of D or F under Section 39.054. | ||
| (b) From funds appropriated for the purpose, the | ||
| commissioner shall make available to an authorized provider grants | ||
| as provided by this section to pay the tuition and any required fees | ||
| for eligible teachers who enroll in an online professional | ||
| development course that complies with the requirements of | ||
| Subsection (c) and is provided through the authorized provider. | ||
| (c) To qualify for a grant under this section, a | ||
| professional development course offered by an authorized provider | ||
| must: | ||
| (1) cover the subject and level of student instruction | ||
| for which the eligible teacher enrolled provides instruction; | ||
| (2) require enrollment for the fall and spring | ||
| semesters; | ||
| (3) require the teacher to be administered a | ||
| preliminary assessment instrument and, on completion of the course, | ||
| a final assessment instrument; | ||
| (4) provide a printed and electronic version of a | ||
| teacher manual for student instruction that includes: | ||
| (A) a course syllabus; | ||
| (B) a daily pacing guide; | ||
| (C) detailed daily lesson plans; | ||
| (D) editable class notes; | ||
| (E) a student activity book or lab manual, as | ||
| appropriate; and | ||
| (F) editable student assessment instruments; and | ||
| (5) be provided in conjunction with the assignment as | ||
| a mentor a teacher who has experience in: | ||
| (A) teaching the subject and grade level of the | ||
| course in which the eligible teacher is enrolled; and | ||
| (B) using the same student instruction materials | ||
| provided by the course. | ||
| (d) An authorized provider shall determine when a teacher | ||
| applies for enrollment in a course described by Subsection (c) | ||
| whether the teacher is an eligible teacher. The authorized | ||
| provider may enroll each teacher the authorized provider determines | ||
| is an eligible teacher and submit a request for grant money to the | ||
| commissioner in the amount of the tuition and any required fees for | ||
| both semesters of the course. | ||
| (e) The commissioner shall distribute grant money to | ||
| authorized providers based on the date on which each individual | ||
| request is received by the commissioner. If the commissioner | ||
| receives more requests for grant money than the amount of money | ||
| appropriated, the commissioner shall select the requests to be paid | ||
| on the last date for which grant money is available based on a | ||
| policy adopted by rule by the commissioner. A decision of the | ||
| commissioner under this subsection is final and may not be | ||
| appealed. The commissioner may not apportion among the requests | ||
| grant money distributed under this section. | ||
| (f) The commissioner may audit the records of an authorized | ||
| provider to ensure compliance with this section. On request by the | ||
| commissioner, an authorized provider shall provide the | ||
| commissioner with all relevant records necessary to conduct a | ||
| compliance audit. | ||
| (g) A teacher who successfully completes a professional | ||
| development course under this section, including performing | ||
| satisfactorily on the final assessment instrument under Subsection | ||
| (c)(3), earns the equivalent of one-half of the continuing | ||
| education credit hours required for certification renewal of the | ||
| class of certificate the teacher holds. | ||
| (h) The commissioner and the Texas Higher Education | ||
| Coordinating Board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement and | ||
| administer this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
