Bill Text: TX HB4004 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a study on improving educational outcomes for public school students of limited English proficiency.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-21 - Referred to Public Education [HB4004 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB4004-Introduced.html
86R13815 MP-D | ||
By: Allen | H.B. No. 4004 |
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relating to a study on improving educational outcomes for public | ||
school students of limited English proficiency. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 29, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 29.068 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 29.068. STUDY ON IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR | ||
STUDENTS OF LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY. (a) In this section, | ||
"coordinating board" means the Texas Higher Education Coordinating | ||
Board. | ||
(b) The agency and the coordinating board jointly shall | ||
conduct a study on improving educational outcomes for students of | ||
limited English proficiency. | ||
(c) The study must analyze: | ||
(1) current practices of screening and placing | ||
students of limited English proficiency in a bilingual education or | ||
special language program under this subchapter; | ||
(2) the ability of students of limited English | ||
proficiency to access high quality prekindergarten programs | ||
operated under Subchapter E-1, including how the prekindergarten | ||
guidelines established by the agency may be better used to support | ||
learning for those students; | ||
(3) current practices for assessing English | ||
proficiency, including the effectiveness of assessing English | ||
proficiency: | ||
(A) under the assessment system developed by the | ||
commissioner under Section 39.027(e); | ||
(B) with a reading instrument included on the | ||
list adopted by the commissioner for use in diagnosing the reading | ||
development and comprehension of kindergarten students under | ||
Section 28.006(b); | ||
(C) with the tools used by a language proficiency | ||
assessment committee under Section 29.063 to monitor a student's | ||
progress; and | ||
(D) with a reading assessment instrument | ||
administered under Section 39.023(a); | ||
(4) the extent to which students of limited English | ||
proficiency who are also eligible for a special education program | ||
under Subchapter A are being provided equitable and quality early | ||
learning experiences through early childhood special education | ||
services; | ||
(5) any difference in educational outcomes for | ||
students of limited English proficiency enrolled in each | ||
classification of bilingual education or special language program | ||
under Section 29.066, including an analysis of any demographic | ||
differences between the students primarily enrolled in each | ||
classification of program; | ||
(6) any barriers to or limitations on the | ||
implementation by school districts of higher quality programming | ||
for students of limited English proficiency; | ||
(7) teacher preparation programs at public | ||
institutions of higher education, including an analysis of: | ||
(A) the course work and professional development | ||
requirements associated with teaching certificates appropriate for | ||
bilingual education instruction or for teaching English as a second | ||
language issued under Section 29.061; and | ||
(B) methods for recruiting classroom teachers | ||
from diverse backgrounds to teach in bilingual education or special | ||
language programs; and | ||
(8) the feasibility of improving publicly available | ||
data used to track the educational outcomes of students of limited | ||
English proficiency. | ||
(d) Not later than September 1, 2020, the agency and the | ||
coordinating board jointly shall submit to the legislature a report | ||
on the results of the study and any recommendations for legislative | ||
or other action. | ||
(e) This section expires September 1, 2021. | ||
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, 2019. |