Bill Text: TX SB1752 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to prekindergarten programs in public schools.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-24 - Referred to Education [SB1752 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB1752-Introduced.html
By: West | S.B. No. 1752 | |
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relating to prekindergarten programs in public schools. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Amend Subsection 29.153(c), Education Code, to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(c) A prekindergarten class under this section shall be | ||
operated on a half-day basis or on a full-day basis as provided by | ||
section 29.1541. A district is not required to provide | ||
transportation for a prekindergarten class, but transportation, if | ||
provided, is included for funding purposes as part of the regular | ||
transportation system. | ||
SECTION 2. Amend Section 29.1532, Education Code, as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec 29.1532. PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. (a) A | ||
school district's prekindergarten program shall be designed to | ||
develop skills necessary for success in the regular public school | ||
curriculum, including language, mathematics, and social skills. | ||
(b) The commissioner shall develop appropriate early | ||
childhood learning standards for all half-day and full-day | ||
prekindergarten programs. Districts and charter schools must | ||
select curricula that align with the commissioner's standards. | ||
(b-1) Until the commissioner develops early childhood | ||
learning standards, pre-kindergarten programs shall use existing | ||
guidelines adopted by the commissioner for purposes of | ||
instructional materials. This subsection expires September 1, | ||
2016. | ||
(c)[( |
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entity for the operation of the district's prekindergarten program, | ||
the program must at a minimum comply with the applicable child-care | ||
licensing standards adopted by the Department of Protective and | ||
Regulatory Services under Section 42.042, Human Resources Code. | ||
(d)[( |
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class shall complete 30 hours of early childhood-specific education | ||
every five years. | ||
(e) A school district that offers prekindergarten classes | ||
shall include the following information in the district's Public | ||
Education Information Management System (PEIMS) report: | ||
(1) demographic information, as determined by the | ||
commissioner, on students enrolled in district prekindergarten | ||
classes, including the number of students who are eligible for | ||
classes under Section 29.153; | ||
(2) the numbers of half-day and full-day | ||
prekindergarten classes offered by the district; [ |
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(3) the number of students enrolled in each half-day | ||
and full-day prekindergarten class offered by the district; | ||
(4) the number of teachers and aides assigned to each | ||
half-day and full-day prekindergarten class; | ||
(5) the number of hours per week and hours per year for | ||
each half-day and full-day program offered by the district; and | ||
(6) [ |
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prekindergarten classes. | ||
(f) The commissioner may make rules to implement this | ||
section. | ||
SECTION 3. Add new Section 29.1541, Education Code, to read | ||
as follows: | ||
Section 29.1541 Full-day Prekindergarten Programs (a) A | ||
school district or charter school may receive funding for a | ||
full-day prekindergarten program for four year old students | ||
eligible under Section 29.153 as provided by this section. | ||
(b) A teacher at a prekindergarten program funded as a | ||
full-day program under this section must meet the requirements | ||
developed by the State Board for Educator Certification under | ||
Section 21.1530. | ||
(c) A full-day prekindergarten program funded under this | ||
section must maintain a ratio of no more than ten students to a | ||
teacher or aide and must assign at least one teacher to each | ||
classroom. | ||
(d) A district or charter operating a full-day | ||
prekindergarten program funded under this section must implement a | ||
local system approved by the commissioner to monitor the progress | ||
of prekindergarten students through the school year and evaluate | ||
program effectiveness. The commissioner shall provide multiple | ||
options to comply with this subsection. | ||
(e) A district or charter operating a full-day | ||
prekindergarten program funded under this section must adopt an | ||
instrument approved by the commissioner to evaluate the readiness | ||
of all students entering kindergarten and report information | ||
required by the commissioner through the Public Education | ||
Information Management System. | ||
(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a | ||
district or charter to operate a full-day prekindergarten program, | ||
or to require compliance with this section in programs funded on a | ||
half-time basis or full-time programs for ineligible students | ||
funded with tuition under section 29.1531. | ||
(g) A school district or charter may contract with a private | ||
entity to provide a program under this section. A contract for | ||
services may include the district or charter providing facilities, | ||
teachers and aides or other services to a private provider. A | ||
contract for services must ensure that all requirements of this | ||
section for a full-day prekindergarten program are met by the | ||
district or charter or the contracting private provider. | ||
(h) The commissioner may make rules to implement this | ||
section. | ||
(i) The commissioner shall evaluate the effectiveness of | ||
programs operated under this section and report to the legislature | ||
no later than December 1, 2018. This subsection expires January 1, | ||
2019. | ||
(j) A district or charter must apply to the commissioner for | ||
permission to receive funding for a full-day program operated | ||
during the 2016-2017 school year. The commissioner may not approve | ||
applications in an amount that exceeds a total additional state | ||
cost set by appropriation. The commissioner shall adopt | ||
application deadlines and prioritize districts with the greatest | ||
percentage of students who meet the eligibility criteria in section | ||
29.153 if applications for funding exceed the amount set by | ||
appropriation. A decision by the commissioner under this | ||
subsection is final and may not be appealed. This subsection | ||
expires September 1, 2017. | ||
SECTION 4. Add new Section 21.1530, Education Code, to read | ||
as follows: | ||
Section 21.1530 Prekindergarten requirements. (a) The | ||
board shall determine appropriate education and professional | ||
development requirements for teachers and aides in full-day | ||
prekindergarten programs under Section 29.1541. | ||
(b) The board may fulfill the requirements of this section | ||
for teachers by: | ||
(1) developing an early childhood education | ||
certificate applicable to prekindergarten and kindergarten, which | ||
may also apply to grades one through three; or | ||
(2) developing an endorsement for existing | ||
certificates that is based on appropriate education requirements to | ||
enable a teacher to succeed in early childhood education; or | ||
(3) adopting appropriate education or training | ||
requirements for early childhood teachers, which may include a | ||
Child Development Associate Certificate. | ||
(c) The board may fulfill the requirements of this section | ||
for aides by adopting appropriate education or training | ||
requirements for early childhood staff, which may include a Child | ||
Development Associate Certificate. | ||
(d) This section only applies to a teacher or aide providing | ||
instruction to students in a full-day prekindergarten program that | ||
receives funding under Section 29.1530. | ||
SECTION 5. Amend Section 25.001(a), Education Code, to read | ||
as follows: | ||
Sec. 25.001. ADMISSION. (a) A person who, on the first day | ||
of September of any school year, is at least five years of age and | ||
under 21 years of age, or is at least 21 years of age and under 26 | ||
years of age and is admitted by a school district to complete the | ||
requirements for a high school diploma is entitled to the benefits | ||
of the available school fund for that year. Any other person | ||
enrolled in a prekindergarten class under Section 29.153 or 29.1541 | ||
is entitled to the benefits of the available school fund. | ||
SECTION 6. Amend Section 42.003(b), Education Code, to read | ||
as follows: | ||
Sec 42.003(b) A student to whom Subsection (a) does not | ||
apply is entitled to the benefits of the Foundation School Program | ||
if the student is enrolled in a prekindergarten class under Section | ||
29.153 or 29.1541. | ||
SECTION 7. Implementation. (a) Except as provided in this | ||
section, this act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
(b) The requirement that teachers and aids assigned to | ||
prekindergarten programs complete 30 hours of early | ||
childhood-specific professional education in Section 29.1532(d) as | ||
added by this act applies: | ||
(1) to programs funded under Section 29.0541 beginning | ||
with the 2017-2018 school year; and | ||
(2) to all other prekindergarten programs beginning | ||
with the 2019-2020 school year. | ||
(c) The State Board for Educator Certification shall adopt | ||
standards under Section 21.1530 as soon as practicable. Standards | ||
for prekindergarten staff under Section 21.1530 apply beginning | ||
with the 2018-19 school year. | ||
(d) Students enrolled in full-day pre-kindergarten programs | ||
under Section 29.1541, Education Code, as added by this Act, shall | ||
be included in funding for the Foundation School Program beginning | ||
with the 2017-18 school year. | ||
SECTION 8. 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 votes necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |