Passed the Senate:
SB 213
by Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) would extend the sunset date from September 1, 2019 to September 1, 2023 on statutes authorizing the use of individual graduation committees and alternative methods to satisfy high school graduation requirements. The committee substitute was adopted and it passed the Senate on the Local & Uncontested calendar. The companion, HB 851, is set on the House calendar on Monday, April 15, 2019.
SB 364
by Kirk Watson (D-Austin) would require Texas Education Agency to develop model policies on the recess period during the school day that encourages constructive, age-appropriate outdoor playtime that maximizes the effectiveness of outdoor physical activity; and would require school districts to adopt a recess policy based on the model policies. The committee substitute was adopted and it passed the Senate on the Local & Uncontested calendar. The companion, HB 455, is set on the House calendar on April 15, 2019.
SB 1276
by Beverly Powell (D-Burleson) would specify requirements for agreements between school districts and institutions of higher education to provide a dual credit program. It passed the Senate unanimously.
On Tuesday, the House Public Education Committee took up:
HB 139
by Mary Gonzalez (D-El Paso) would require the Commissioner of Education to provide notice of a new charter or charter expansion amendment to school districts from which the proposed open-enrollment charter or campus is likely to draw students and each member of the legislature that represents the geographic area to be served at least 18 months before the date the charter or campus is anticipated to open. It was left pending.
HB 228
by Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth) would require the Commissioner of Education to adopt objective eligibility standards for a school district seeking designation as a district of innovation, including academic performance eligibility and financial accountability eligibility standards; and would require the standards to be posted on the Texas Education Agency's website. It was left pending.
HB 2824
by Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston) would extend the writing assessment pilot program through September 1, 2023 (instead of 2019). It was voted out favorably as substituted.
HB 2983
by Dan Huberty (R-Humble) would eliminate the math assessments in grades four, six and seven; eliminate the reading assessments in grades four, six and seven; and eliminate the writing, spelling and grammar assessments in grade four and seven and require them in grades five and eight. It was voted out favorably as substituted.
On Wednesday, the House Public Health Committee took up:
HB 1335
by Four Price (R-Amarillo) would allow a school district to establish a school-based behavioral health center. It was left pending.
On Thursday, the Senate Education Committee took up:
SB 686
by Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) would require school districts to provide a one-half credit course in personal financial literacy that includes instruction on completing the application for federal student aid (current law requires school districts to offer it as an elective). It was left pending. The companion, HB 1182, is set on the House calendar on Monday, April 15, 2019.
SB 2282
by Royce West (D-Dallas) would add mental health services to the list of services that a school district can provide through a cooperative health care program and school-based health centers. It was left pending. The companion, HB 198, has been heard and left pending in the House Public Education Committee.
Voted and Reported From Committee:
HB 233
by Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth) would prohibit school districts from having a school start date before Labor Day and require school districts to end the school year between May 15th and Memorial Day, unless the district operates a year-round system. It was voted out favorably as substituted from the House Public Education Committee.
SB 11
by Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) would establish several new programs and requirements related to improving public school safety and student mental health. It was voted out favorably as substituted from the Senate Education Committee.
SB 2018
by Royce West (D-Dallas) would abolish dissolution committees established to abolish county boards of education and transfer the duties to the commissioners court of the county in which the county board of education is located. It was reported favorably as substituted from the Senate Education Committee and recommended for the Local & Uncontested calendar. The companion, HB 3387, is set for a hearing in the House Public Education Committee on Tuesday, April 16, 2019.
SB 2244
by Angela Paxton (R-McKinney) would delete several Education Code provisions restricting access to electronic courses through the Virtual School Network. It was reported favorably from the Senate Education Committee and recommended for the Local & Uncontested calendar.
This Week
:
Monday's House Calendar:
HB 18
by Four Price (R-Amarillo) would add positive behavior interventions and support into each school district's improvement plan; increase training and curriculum requirements on mental health issues; and expand school counseling programs for students with mental health conditions.
HB 19
by Four Price (R-Amarillo) would require local mental health authorities to employ a non-physician mental health professional to serve as a mental health and substance use resource for school districts; and would require the authority to collaborate with local regional education service centers.
HB 55
by Mary Gonzalez (D-El Paso) would limit the pre-kindergarten instructor/student ratio to 11-1 for classes of 16 students or more or at least one certified teacher or teacher's aide per class for smaller classes.
HB 663
by Ken King (R-Canadian) would require the State Board of Education (SBOE) to review and revise the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) to narrow the number and scope of student expectations for each subject and grade level; and would provide that for any biennium, the State Board of Education could only issue instructional materials proclamations in which the total estimated cost does not exceed 75 percent of the total amount used to fund technology and instructional materials in that biennium.
HB 1182
by Vikki Goodwin (D-Austin) would require school districts to provide a one-half credit course in personal financial literacy that includes instruction on completing the application for federal student aid (current law requires school districts to offer it as an elective).
Tuesday's House Calendar:
HB 953
by Ken King (R-Canadian) would require charter schools to pay into the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
Monday's Senate Intent Calendar:
SB 1114
by Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) would allow a school district to authorize the sale, at less than fair market value, or donate property held in a trust for public school purposes to the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation or another nonprofit organization to develop affordable housing for school district personnel.
SB 1569
by Pat Fallon (R-Prosper) would prohibit school board members, school employees, or contractors of a school district from distributing a communication that advocates for or against a candidate, measure, political party or political philosophy.
SB 1679
by Royce West (D-Dallas) would clarify that a child that is eligible for enrollment in a pre-kindergarten class at the age of three remains eligible for enrollment at the age of four.
SB 2073
by Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) would require school districts that reduce the number of instruction days for students to give a corresponding reduction of teacher in-service days.
The House Public Education Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. in E2.036 of the capitol extension to take up:
HB 3009
by James Talarico (D-Round Rock) would require the social studies curriculum to include civics instruction; and would require the State Board of Education to develop a civics curriculum.
HB 3387
by Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) would abolish dissolution committees established to abolish county boards of education and transfer the duties to the commissioners court of the county in which the county board of education is located. (the companion is SB 2018)
The Senate Education Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. in E1.028 to take up:
HB 3
by Dan Huberty (R-Humble) and Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) is a comprehensive school finance reform bill.
The House Pubic Education Committee will meet on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. in E2.036 of the capitol extension to take up:
HB 2002
by Jeff Leach (R-Plano) would require school districts to report the costs associated with administering state-required assessments.
HB 2691
by Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston) would require any operator conducting business with the Texas Education Agency, a school district, charter, regional education service center, or other local education agency to adhere to a state required student data sharing agreement that includes an established data masking standard for all operators; and would require them to use the unique identifier system established by the Texas Student Data System for any account creation, data upload, data transmission, analysis, or re to mask all personally identifiable student information.
HB 3638
by Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) would expand the master teacher grant program from reading teachers only to include reading, mathematics, technology, and science teachers; and would make some other non-substantive changes in reporting requirements.
HB 3820
by Carl Sherman (D-De Soto) would require students to be given one of the valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced college-readiness assessment instruments used by colleges and universities as part of their undergraduate admissions process after the student has taken Algebra I or English I and English II.
HB 3846
by Giovanni Capriglione (R-Keller) would require the State Board of Education to develop and make available to school districts and charters additional instruction intended for use after completion of state assessments including personal financial literacy, computer coding, and cyber security.
HB 3906
by Dan Huberty (R-Humble) would make several changes regarding student assessments by changing references from "reading" to "language arts" in statutes.
HB 4454
by Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) would require the State Board of Education to adopt developmentally appropriate, evidence-based standards for social and emotional learning including standards regarding the development of competency in self-management, self-awareness, and social awareness and responsible decision-making.