HBA-MPM H.B. 728 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 728 By: Delisi Public Education 3/11/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas classroom teachers are paid according to a single salary schedule. Because this salary schedule focuses solely on years of service, it may not adequately reward teachers for developing their professional knowledge and skills through such measures as certification or for advanced degrees, or teaching in subject areas lacking in quality teachers. H.B. 728 creates the Lone STAR Teacher Incentive Program to recognize classroom teachers for continuous acquisition of knowledge and skills relating to teaching and to give them a certain monetary award. 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 H, Chapter 21, Education Code, by adding Section 21.358, as follows: Sec. 21.358. LONE STAR TEACHER INCENTIVE PROGRAM. (a) Requires the Commissioner of Education (commissioner) to administer the Lone STAR Teacher Incentive Program (program) to recognize and reward classroom teachers (teachers) for continuous acquisition of knowledge and teaching skills. (b) Outlines and describes a visual representation of the color-coded, nine-tier State Teacher Advancement and Remuneration (STAR) credit system, which the program uses to measure teacher advancement. (c) Sets forth conditions under which a teacher may participate in the program. (d) Sets forth terms under which a teacher may earn STAR credits (STARs). (e) Specifies that any hours of continuing professional education and college credit hours earned in the completion of a master's or doctoral degree may not be counted toward STARs. (f) Entitles a teacher to a STAR earned during certain year-long assignments under Subsection (d) only for the year in which the STAR is earned, and for any other STAR as long as the teacher complies with this subsection. Requires a teacher to advance at least one tier every five years during the teacher's participation in the program. Specifies that a teacher who does not meet this requirement falls back to, or remains at, the lower STAR within the teacher's current tier. Requires the commissioner to allow a teacher additional time to meet this continuous advancement requirement under certain circumstances. (g) Specifies that a certification other than that for a teacher, such as for a principal, superintendent, counselor, or educational aide, may not be counted toward STARs. (h) Requires the commissioner to compile and publicize a list of critical teaching shortage areas for the following school year no later than June 1 of each year using information obtained from the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) and the State Board for Educator Certification (board). Requires the commissioner to annually compute the number and distribution of STARs to which teachers are entitled for that school year using information from PEIMS and the board, and to report this information to the teachers, school districts, State Board of Education, and governor. Requires the commissioner to annually determine the monetary value of a STAR based on the appropriations available and total number of STARs to which teachers were entitled to for the preceding school year, provided that each STAR has an equal value, and to annually award each district with an amount of money equal to the STARs to which the district's teachers were entitled for the preceding school year, multiplied by the monetary value for that year, subject to available money. Requires the commissioner to annually provide each district a list specifying the monetary value of a STAR, the number of STARs to which each participating teacher in the district is entitled, and the amount of money awarded. Requires the commissioner to develop and publicize guidelines determining which continuing professional education programs, college courses, and advanced degrees are considered to be in the areas of teacher certification. (i) Requires a district receiving grants under this section to pay each teacher an amount of money equal to the number of STARs they are entitled to for the preceding school year, multiplied by the monetary value of a STAR. Requires the district to pay each teacher one-half of the teacher's money on the last payday of the fall semester or December 15, whichever is later, and the remainder on the last payday of the spring semester or June 15, whichever is later. (j) Sets forth specific documentation a teacher is responsible for maintaining and updating. Requires the teacher to notify the commissioner of any errors or omissions in the teacher's record. (k) Specifies that a teacher is not required to participate in the program as a condition of continued certification. (l) Specifies that the program is funded by money appropriated from the state lottery account or from other available resources, including gifts, grants and donations. SECTION 2. Amends Section 466.355(b), Government Code, to include the transfer of money from the state lottery account to the Texas Education Agency for the Lone STAR Teacher Incentive Program among a list of purposes for which the money is to be distributed. Redesignates existing Subdivision (b)(4) to Subdivision (b)(5). Makes nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 3. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2000-2001 school year. Provides that a teacher is entitled to credit for an advanced degree, an additional certification, continuing education, or college credit under the Lone STAR Teacher Incentive Program regardless of when the degree or certification was obtained or the continuing professional education or college credit was completed. Entitles a teacher to credit under this program for an assignment to teach a course specified by Section 21.358(d)(1)(C), Education Code, only for an assignment for the 2000-2001 school year or subsequent school year. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.