86th Legislative Session

You can obtain the PowerPoint and other material on the TEPSA Summer Conference App here:

http://bit.ly/scap19

Not increasing the amount of standardized testing by adding assessment of writing to grade 3, 5, 6, and 8 to STAAR reading tests.

Instead, the final bill leaves the STAAR reading tests in grades 3-8 as is.

Effective September 2021, the state is no longer required to develop STAAR stand-alone grade 4 and 7 writing tests, including spelling and grammar.

Maintaining provisions for classroom portfolio methods to assess writing performance.

Note: Provisions were maintained that require tests to not have more than 75 percent of questions in multiple choice format and all tests to be administered electronically by the 2022-23 school year. With these provisions in place, although not stated explicitly in the bill, it

appears that the state intends to allow short answer responses on STAAR tests in grades 3-8 and/or classroom portfolio methods as a new means to assess writing performance. [See previous slide]

Maintaining the provisions that require the commissioner to appoint a technical advisory committee to advise the commissioner and the agency regarding the development of valid and reliable tests. Requiring members to be experts on educational assessments and

psychometrics. Maintaining provisions that require the commissioner to appoint an educator

advisory committee to advise the commissioner and the agency regarding the development of academically appropriate tests. Members must include experts in curriculum and instruction.

Removing language that would have transferred all authority over the state assessment program from the SBOE, an elected body, to the commissioner.

The biggest change in the Legislature this session was the shift in who the lawmakers fear most.

More voters showed up last November, and while Texas remained red, it was less red than recent history led people to expect. Republicans nervous about Democratic advances were looking over their shoulders and thinking about the 2020 election cycle.

Noisy suburban Republicans demanded more attention on the public education systems that drew many of them to the suburbs in the first place; some Republican incumbents had unexpected turbulence in their elections. That turned heads, too. - Ross Ramsey, Texas Tribune

TEPSA partnered with Raise Your Hand Texas and ATPE to

sponsor ‘principal teams’ visiting the Capitol

throughout the session.

Sherrie Warren & Seminole ISD Team

Brian Sparks & San Antonio ISD Team

Dara Richardson & Wimberley ISD Team

Not pictured:

Wes Corzine & Huckabay ISDJay Fischer & Midway ISD

Basic Allotment Increases the current $5,140 basic allotment to $6,160 .

Full-day Pre-Kindergarten Requires districts to provide full-day pre-K to eligible 4-year-old students but

they may seek a waiver to the requirement for up to six years if seat availability is an issue. Provides sufficient funding for full-day pre-K through the Early Education

Allotment. Weight for each economically disadvantaged and/or Limited English Proficiency student in K-3 is 0.1.

Teacher Compensation, Incentives, and ACE Program Requires districts to use 30% of revenue gain for compensation increases for full-time

employees other than administrators. 75% must be used for full-time teachers, counselors, nurses, and librarians, prioritizing for classroom teachers with more than five years of experience. The other 25% of the gain may be used for increased compensation paid to full-time district employees.

Creates a Teacher Incentive Allotment for high-needs or rural school campuses. Allotment is based on an evaluation of the effectiveness of the educator.

Creates a Local Optional Teacher Designation System in which a school may designate a certified teacher as exemplary, master, or recognized. Commissioner to develop standards, with Texas Tech to monitor quality and fairness. Commissioner may not require a district to use STAAR to evaluate teacher performance.

Creates a mentor program allotment. The commissioner shall adopt a formula to determine the amount awarded to each district.

Recapture The increase in the basic allotment and other formula changes will mitigate recapture by

approximately $3.6 billion over the next biennium.

Compensatory Education Allotment Directs the Commissioner to create an index for a compensatory education allotment

based on census block groups. The index must contain five tiers categorized according to the relative severity of economically-disadvantaged students. Weights range from0.225 to 0.275. Creates a Compensatory Education Allotment Committee.

Reading Standards for Kindergarten through Third Grade Creates reading standards for kindergarten through third grade for school

districts and charters. Schools shall provide for the use of a phonics curriculum that uses systematic

direct instruction in kindergarten through third grade to ensure all students obtain necessary early literacy skills. Schools shall ensure that no later than the 2021-22 school year, each classroom

teacher K-3 and each principal at a campus attended a teacher literacy achievement academy.

Gifted and Talented Allotment Repeals the gifted and talented allotment to increase the basic allotment. Each

school district shall annually certify it has a program for gifted and talented students. Allows the Commissioner to reduce funding if a district has failed to comply. Each school district shall adopt a policy regarding the use of funds to support the

district's gifted and talented program.

Blended Learning Establishes a grant program to assist school districts and open-enrollment charter

schools in developing and implementing effective blended learning models. Priority is given to schools with a higher enrollment of economically disadvantaged students.

Weights and Allotments Small and mid-sized adjustments are stand-alone allotments, except for special

education. Creates dyslexia (0.1) and dual language weights. Increases mainstream special education weight. Creates an additional supplemental allotment for students with dyslexia. Creates a fast-growth school district allotment. Creates a Special Education Allotment Advisory Committee.

Other Creates an extended year program for pre-K-5

Assessment Related Requires the Commissioner to enter into a memorandum of understanding with

an institution of higher education to conduct a study to determine if the STAAR is written at the appropriate reading level for students. The commissioner may approve an alternative reading instrument for use in

diagnosing the reading development and comprehension of kindergarten students.

Legislators hearing your stories turned the conversation at the

State Capitol!

Jamie Munoz, Jill Morphis, Kim Jones of

the Clyde ISD Team

Carroll ISD School Board

H-E-B and like-minded organizations speaking up for prekindergarten and early

learning on the South Steps of the State Capitol

HB 18 (F. Price) Training regarding mental health of students which includes teacher preparation programs, principal, counselor, and principal continuing education

HB 961 (Howard) Training in concussion protocol in public and charter schools

HB 1386 (Thompson) Training and development activities for persons who may interact with an individual with autism or another pervasive developmental disorder in the course of their employment, including school, medical, and [or] law enforcement personnel

HB 111 (M. Gonzalez) Training for public/charter schools on prevention of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other maltreatment of children

HB 403 (Thompson) Ditto for superintendents and board members

HB 811 (White) Discipline of public school students who are homeless or in foster care (must consider status of student) [see also HB 692]

HB 1597 (Lambert) Allows a parent or guardian who is an active-duty member of the armed forces of the United States, including the state military forces or a reserve component of the armed forces, to establish residency for purposes of admission to a public school or charter by providing a copy of a military order requiring the parent's or guardian’s transfer to a military installation in or adjacent to the district’s attendance zone

HB 2243 (Oliverson) Each school district, open-enrollment charter school, and private school may adopt and implement a policy authorizing a school nurse to maintain and administer asthma medicine at each campus in the district or school. “A school nurse may administer the prescription asthma medicine only at a school campus”

HCR 59 (Guillen) Designates the second week of November as School Psychologist Appreciation Week

oSB 1707 (Lucio, Jr.) Prohibits Resource Officers with contact with students unrelated to the law enforcement duties of the peace officer, resource officer, or security personnel….This section does not prohibit a school district peace officer, a school resource officer, or security personnel from informal contact with a student [Signed into law]

oHB 233 (Krause) Would restrict start – end dates of schools [Failed: Y – 41, N – 99]

oHB 455 (Allen) Will require suggested policies on recess periods [Signed into law]

oHB 1133 (Stickland) School class size limits [Failed: Y – 44, N – 97]

oHB 4310 (Dutton) Must give teachers time to teach the TEKS…cannot discipline a teacher based only on him/her NOT following adopted scope & sequence [On Governor’s Desk]

Huh?

Huh?

When TEPSA testifies in front of the House Public Education Committee and/or the Senate Public Education Committee it’s often to a portion of the CommitteeMost of our work on your behalf takes place in the offices of legislators with their legislative aides…and, sometimes with the legislator.

SB 29 (Bob Hall) Framed as an effort to protect taxpayers from large city and county lobbying interests, drawing opposition from Austin and other cities. Yet an amendment added by Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin, would have limited the restriction to counties with more than 250,000 residents and the cities within those counties

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticized the Republicans that voted against the bill, adding that lobbyists cheered its defeat.

“That is one of the reasons next session that we will pass that bill.” Patrick said. - Austin American Statesman, May 21, 2019

SB 426 (Lucio, Jr) Would designate that a counselor would spend 80% of her/his time on ‘counseling duties’ and could be assigned other duties for the remaining 20%. Although, that 20% would include the counselor’s ‘paperwork, records, etc.’

SB 1989 (Zaffirini), Relating to the use of restraint, seclusion, and time-out in public schools.

A person may not use restraint or time-out:

(1) to discipline, punish, coerce, or retaliate against a student; (2) for the purpose of convenience, including to ease the performance of a person's duties;

or (3) to manage a physical, intellectual, or developmental disability as a replacement for

effective treatment for the disability.

It is considered a restraint under this subchapter to coerce or force a student into time-out or prevent the student from leaving time-out.

As soon as practicable but not later than the end of the same day an incident involving the use of restraint or time-out occurs, the principal or another appropriate administrator shall notify verbally and in writing the parent or the person standing in parental relation to the student who was restrained or placed in time-out of the incident.

SB 2432 (Taylor) Added “engages in conduct that contains the elements of the offense of harassment under Section 42.07(a)(1), (2), (3), 17 or (7), Penal Code, against an employee of the school district.” (one of offenses that require automatic removal of student)

SB 2293 (Fallon) Common application for admission to charter schools

SB 2283 (Campbell) Cannot serve on school board if convicted of a felony

SB 1679 (West) Prekindergartner who enrolls at three years of age can automatically enroll again at four

SB 1451 (Taylor) Teacher may not receive lower evaluation based solely on student discipline referrals

HB 3012 (Talarico) Must include ‘foundation course work’ instruction to student who have been suspended in/out of school

HB 3007 (C. Turner) Before release of ratings, TEA must give to districts how ratings were determined

HB 3435 (Bowers) Establishing and celebrating Texas Girls in STEM Day

HB 1143 (Hefner) Transportation and storage of a handgun/firearm by CHL holder in school parking area

HB 1026 (Bohac) Requires instruction in positive character traits in public schools

HB 391 (Blanco) Provide student access to public school instructional materials and technology if she/he doesn’t have access to technology*

TEPSA Advocacy at work

for you in Austin, in Washington, with

principals, and with teachers!

@tepsamark

mark.terry.923

mark@tepsa.org

512.650.6286