HOUSE BILL 1 101

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HOUSE BILL 1101

• Texas Education Agency

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Research and Data
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Public Access to PEIMS Data Adam Jones,
Associate Commissioner for Finance and Operations
for TEA

• Agency Web Site Renovation Project
• Goals
• Improved navigation
• Improved organization
• Transparency of reporting
• Ease of use for researchers
• Update
• Commissioners Advisory Panel appointed and met,
  November 2006
• Focus groups underway
• Request for Proposal under review
• Initial website redesign Summer 2007

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School District Expenditure Targets

• Sec. 44.011.  SPENDING TARGETS FOR DISTRICT
  EXPENDITURES.
• (1)  instructional expenditures
• (2)  central administrative expenditures
• (3)  district operations and
• (4)  any other category designated by the
  commissioner.
• If the board of trustees of a school district
  intends to exceed the proposed expenditures
  established by the commissioner under this
  section, the board must adopt and publish a
  resolution that includes an explanation
  justifying the board's actions.

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Best Practices ClearinghouseDr. Susan Barnes,
Associate Commissioner for Standards and Programs
for TEA

• Provide examples of best practices of
  high-performing and highly-efficient schools
• Main topic areas covered
• Instruction
• Public school finance
• Resource allocation
• Business practices
• Update
• Proposals due to TEA by January 18, 2007
• Clearinghouse work expected to begin on February
  1, 2007

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Measure of Annual Improvement

• HB 1 requires the Commissioner of Education to
  determine a method for measuring annual
  improvement in student achievement
• Requirements
• The measure needs to be tied to preparation to
  pass the exit level assessment instrument
  required for graduation
• The agency is required to report to the district
  a comparison of a students expected annual
  improvement to actual improvement
• Districts are required to report results to
  teachers who taught the student in the subject
  assessed and to parents
• Update
• The measure must be implemented beginning with
  the 2007-2008 school year

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Additional Information

• TEA has developed a measure which could be used
  to meet the annual improvement in student
  achievement reporting requirement in HB 1. This
  measure is the product of a model called Reaching
  the Standard.
• The agency will continue to investigate
  value-added growth models as an option for the HB
  1 requirement as well.

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Electronic Student Records Transfer SystemDr.
Criss Cloudt, Associate Commissioner for
Accountability and Data Quality for TEA

• HB 1 requires the agency to create a system for
  the exchange of student records between Texas
  public school districts as well as the submission
  of electronic transcripts to Texas institutions
  of higher education.
• Benefits
• Cost and time savings for institutions
• Increased security of information
• Expediency of records exchange
• Update
• RFO was posted in November 2006. Final vendor
  selection will occur in January with
  implementation by 2007-2008 school year.

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Sanctions and Interventions
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Identifying Technical Assistance Team
CampusesDr. Criss Cloudt, TEA

• HB 1 provides for Technical Assistance Teams
  (TAT) to be selected and assigned to campuses
  rated Academically Acceptable (AA) in the current
  year, if those campuses would be rated
  Academically Unacceptable (AU) using the
  accountability standards for the subsequent year.
• Parameters
• The Commissioner of Education has the authority
  to waive the requirement to assign a TAT based on
  specific improvement criteria.
• In 2006, the AA standards were 60 for
  Reading/ELA, Writing, and Social Studies 40 for
  Math and 35 for Science. These standards will
  all increase by 5 in 2007.
• Proposed Commissioner of Education rules were
  filed on December 11, 2006.

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Accountability Interventions Gene
Lenz, Deputy Associate Commissioner,
Special Programs, Monitoring and Interventions
for TEA Status of Implementation of HB 1
Accountability Provisions
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School Interventions

• Other interventions and sanctions
• Status of Rule-Making
• Pending Issues

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Educator Excellence
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Principal Leadership Pilot ProgramDr. LeeAnn
Dumas, Director of Educator Excellence for TEA

• HB 1 requires TEA to develop and implement a
  school leadership pilot program for principals in
  cooperation with a nonprofit corporation
• Emphasis on developing business and management
  skills.
• Required for principals of AU campuses.
• Open to interested principals or persons becoming
  a principal.
• RFQ has been completed to seek qualified
  applicants. The grantee will be selected and
  begin program design this month.

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Teacher Mentoring

• HB 1 allows each school district to assign a
  mentor teacher to each classroom teacher with
  less than two years teaching experience
• Parameters
• Selection of districts/schools receiving funds
  will be based on teacher retention and number of
  beginning teachers
• Teacher mentors must
• Teach in the same school
• Same subject or grade level to the extent
  practicable
• Meet qualifications established by Commissioner
  of Education

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Proposed Rules by Commissioner of Education

• Complete a research-based mentor and induction
  training program approved by Commissioner
• Complete at least three years of teaching
  experience and a superior history of improving
  student performance

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Where are we now?

• An RFQ to approve for mentor training programs
  for school districts and charter schools will be
  published in January 2007.
• TEA has included 15 million for participating
  districts. This will fund approximately 7,000
  mentor teachers across the state.

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Teacher IncentivesRobin Gelinas, Director of
Policy Initiatives for TEA

• Student Achievement Program (Subchapter N)
• 100 million annually in state funds
• Eligible campuses are in top half of
  educationally disadvantaged
• Half of the campuses are high performing half
  are improving
• 75 of grant must be used on teacher awards
• 25 of grant may be spent on recruitment and
  retention activities

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Grant Update

• CYCLE 1
• 1,163 campuses were eligible
• 97 participation rate
• Campuses were selected using 2004-2005 data

• CYCLE 2
• Preliminary eligibility published in November
  2006
• These campuses will be selected using future data

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Educator Excellence Program (Subchapter O)

• Teacher incentive program is open to all
  districts
• 60 of grant is used for teacher awards
• 40 of grant is used for stipends and mentoring
• Approximately 163 million to be appropriated in
  FY 2008
• Approximately 230 million total to be annually
  appropriated when fully funded in FY 2009
• Cycle 1 to be rolled out in Fall 2007
• Rules for the program to be published in March
  2007 Texas Register Notice

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Teacher Pay Raise and Health Insurance
StipendDr. Lisa Dawn-Fisher, Director of School
Finance for TEA

• HB 1 authorized a pay raise for school employees
  subject to the minimum salary schedule of
  2,500/year to
• Classroom teachers
• Full-time nurses, counselors, and librarians
• HB 1 converted supplemental compensation for
  health insurance into a wage supplement
• Full-time employees not subject to the minimum
  salary schedule, except administrators receive
  500/year
• Part-time employees receive 250/year

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Update

• Districts are currently receiving payments for
  both the pay raise and the wage supplement
• Payments are based on monthly reports of their
  eligible employees
• Monthly reporting is done electronically through
  a web-based application
• Current estimates of annual expenditures
• Pay raise 812.3 million
• Wage supplement 137 million

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College Readiness
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High School AllotmentBarbara Knaggs, Senior
Director for Secondary School Initiatives for TEA

• What is it?
• HB 1 provides an allotment to each district in
  the amount of 275 for each student in grades
  9-12 based on Average Daily Attendance
• For what purpose?
• For grades 6 - 12
• Enhance college readiness
• Encourage advanced academic opportunities
• Expand rigorous course work
• Strengthen alignment with postsecondary
• Implement success initiatives

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What are some examples of how districts are using
their funds?

• Summer high school readiness programs for 8th
  graders
• Newcomer Academies for Limited English Proficient
  students
• Pre-engineering programs such as Project Lead the
  Way
• Incentives to recruit and retain math and science
  teachers
• Tuition, textbooks, and transportation for dual
  credit courses
• Programs to support students taking challenging
  courses AVID and AP Strategies
• Professional development
• SAT/ACT and AP test preparation and exam fees

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Texas High School ProjectBarbara Knaggs

• What is the THSP?
• The Texas Education Agency is a partner in a
  public-private initiative that is dedicated to
  improving graduation and college- readiness rates

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THSP A Public/Private Partnership

• Texas Education Agency, Governors Office and the
  Texas Legislature
• 148 million
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) 57
  million
• Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
• 55 million
• Communities Foundation of Texas (serves as the
  fiscal agent for the BMGF funding)
• National Instruments
• 1 million

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THSP Vision and Guiding Principles

• THSP Vision
• All Texas students will graduate high school
  ready for college and career success and prepared
  to be contributing members of the community.
• Guiding Principles
• Challenge students with rigorous coursework
• Make coursework relevant to their lives
• Ensure students are taught by committed educators
  who develop relationships with them

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THSP Work

• In Classrooms
• Reform efforts are underway at various levels in
  more than 600 schools, impacting more than
  200,000 students by
• Implementing intervention programs for at-risk
  students
• Expanding AVID programs
• Increasing access to college-level courses
• In Schools
• Creating new models to address 21st century
  student educational needs through
• Redesigned high schools
• Early College High Schools
• New and charter schools
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
  (T-STEM) Academies
• In Districts
• Empowering local school leaders
• Providing resources for district-level redesign
• Facilitating communication between local
  education stakeholders
• In People
• Leadership training for current principals
• Principal certification programs
• Professional development for teachers

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Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
Initiative

• What?
• 71 million in public/private funding initiative
  to pilot innovative ways to increase the number
  of students who enter math, science, and
  engineering specific career fields
• Goals?
• Create 35 T-STEM Academies
• Establish 5-6 T-STEM Centers supporting schools
  throughout Texas
• Develop statewide best practices Network
• Increase pool of highly qualified STEM teachers
  and leaders
• Enhance math/science instruction statewide
• Increase college graduates in STEM fields
• Align high school exit and college entrance
  standards with STEM subjects

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Texas High School Project/TEA Major Grant
Programs (Representational Map)
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Early
Innovators, Academies and Centers
(22) Postsecondary Success Initiative Pilot
Program (6) Middle College/Early College High
School Expansion Grant (10) TX High School
Redesign and Restructuring (12) TX High School
Redesign and Restructuring Cycle 2 (17)
Early College High School Grants (9) Texas Grants
to Reduce Academic Dropouts (12) TX High School
Completion and Success Grant (128) TX High School
Completion and SuccessCycle 2 (105) Comprehensive
School ReformTX High School Initiative Grant
(84) High Schools That Work Enhanced Design
Network (14)
Does Not Reflect Exact Numbers of Grantees for
Each Program
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Privately Funded Projects
Center in Texas A M
Lubbock
Ft Worth
Dallas
Waco
El Paso
Austin
San Antonio
Houston
Early College High Schools (13)
High School Redesigned Schools (6)
New/Charter Schools (13)
T-STEM Academies (17)
Leadership Investments (6)
Brownsville
T-STEM Centers (5)
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4 x 4 High School CurriculumDr. Sharon Jackson,
Deputy Associate Commissioner for Standards and
Alignment at TEA

• History
• Prior to passage of HB 1, students on the RHSP
  and DAP were required to have four years of
  English language arts and social studies, but
  only 3 years of math and science
• Now
• HB 1 requires the completion of four years of
  both math and science beginning with the 2007
  freshman class
• The intent of this legislation is to create more
  rigor in math and science for the Senior year
  which facilitates college readiness
• Districts must include a research writing
  component in one or more courses

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Recommended High School Plan

• MATH
• Three required courses Algebra I, Algebra II,
  and Geometry
• Fourth credit chosen from Mathematical models
  with Applications, Pre-calculus, Independent
  Study, AP and IB courses, AP Computer Science,
  College courses

• SCIENCE
• Integrated physics and chemistry option will be
  phased out in 2012-2013
• Upon phase out, students will be required to take
  a course in Biology, Chemistry and Physics or
  Principles of Technology.
• Fourth credit chosen from a list of approved
  options

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Distinguished Achievement Plan

• MATH
• Three required courses Algebra I, Algebra II,
  and Geometry
• Fourth credit will be chosen from a list of
  options that are State Board of Education
  approved and for which Algebra II will be a
  prerequisite

• SCIENCE
• Three required courses Biology, Chemistry, and
  Physics
• Fourth credit course will be chosen from approved
  list of laboratory-based science courses
• Integrated Physics and Chemistry will not satisfy
  requirements as of 2007-2008

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Vertical TeamsDr. Sharon Jackson, TEA

• The Commissioners will establish vertical teams
  consisting of public school educators and
  institution of higher education faculty to ensure
  that students are able to perform college-level
  course work in higher education
• Requirements
• Recommend for approval by Commissioners
• Evaluate TEKS and other instructional
  requirements
• Recommendation for alignment
• Develop instructional strategies
• Minimum standards
• College readiness standards

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Strategic Action Plan

• In November 2006, the State P-16 Council
  submitted recommendations to the Commissioner of
  Education and the Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board that outline a list of joint
  objectives to assist in clearly defining
  expectations for postsecondary student success
  and to support a seamless P-16 transition.

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Recommended Objectives

• Define standards and expectations for college
  readiness.
• Align public education exit-level assessments
  with higher education and workforce expectations.
  
• Provide high school graduation requirements that
  ensure postsecondary success.
• Establish sound accountability measures in public
  and higher education.

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Objectives Continued

• Create a college going culture in every school in
  Texas.
• Prepare education professionals in public and
  higher education.
• Coordinate college readiness objectives with
  higher education Closing the Gaps objectives.
• Provide greater access to student academic
  preparation programs.

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Update

• In December 2006, TEA and THECB submitted a
  progress report to the 80th Legislature on the
  implementation of the plan
• Commissioner Neeley has adopted the
  recommendations and THECB will consider them for
  adoption at their quarterly meeting on January
  25, 2007

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Twelve Hours of College Credit

• No later than fall of 2008, HB 1 requires all
  school districts to offer students the equivalent
  of 12 semester hours of college credit while in
  high school
• Requirements
• Dual credit partnerships are subject to the THECB
  rules regarding articulation agreements
• Courses taken at institutions of higher education
  for high school credit must meet and exceed the
  TEKS for the courses they replace

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SINE DIE
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For further information please contact the Texas
Education Agency Office of Governmental Relations
at 512-463-9682