HBA-MPM H.B. 1740 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1740
By: Salinas
Public Education
3/5/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, there is no system in place to encourage individual school
districts and campuses to establish a uniform system of time management for
classroom teachers. Because teachers are increasingly engaged in activities
during the school day that are not directly related to classroom teaching
(paperwork, etc.), effective time management may allow them to maximize the
time they do spend in the classroom.  H.B. authorizes the commissioner of
education (commissioner) to develop and implement a program to evaluate and
reward school districts for time-management improvement programs, and
requires districts and campuses to develop such programs.  Furthermore, it
authorizes the commissioner to provide monetary awards to these school
districts from appropriated monies. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 7, Education Code, by adding
Section 7.058, as follows: 

Sec. 7.058. TIME-MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT AWARDS.  (a)  Authorizes the
commissioner of education (commissioner) to develop and implement a program
to evaluate and reward school districts (districts) and school campuses
(campuses) for time-management improvement plans developed under Section
21.404(b) (Planning and Preparation Time), Education Code. 

(b) Authorizes a district- or campus-level planning and decision-making
committee under Subchapter F (District-Level and Site-Based
Decision-Making), Chapter 11 (School Districts), Education Code, to
nominate a district or campus for an award.  Requires the committee to use
the procedure and form prescribed by the commissioner in doing so. 

(c)  Authorizes the commissioner to use no more than $25 million each year
from funds appropriated for that purpose to distribute to districts and
campuses that have earned awards under this section. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 21.404, Education Code, as follows:

Sec. 21.404.  New title:  PLANNING AND PREPARATION.  Deletes "time" from
title. Creates Subsection (a) from existing text.  Requires the district
and campus administrators of each district, in collaboration with the
appropriate district- or campus-level planning and decision-making
committees prescribed under Subchapter F, Chapter 11, to develop a plan to
increase the amount of time available during a teacher's regular work day
for preparation and collaboration with other teachers through the use of
certain strategies. 

SECTION 3.  Makes Section 21.404, Education Code, as amended by this Act
applicable beginning with the 1999-2000 school year.  Requires the
commissioner to implement a time-management  improvement plan award program
as required by Section 7.058, Education Code, as added by this Act, no
later than September 1, 2000. 

SECTION 4.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.