HBA-PDH H.B. 726 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 726 By: Delisi Public Education 4/20/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Many teachers find that there is a disparity between teacher preparation programs and actual classroom experience. H.B. 726 creates a grant program supporting applied research by classroom teachers to develop measures to improve student performance on state accountability standards. The bill also sets forth eligibility criteria a school district must meet in order to receive such a grant and provides that districts selected for grants must establish local advisory committees to oversee research projects. 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 F, Chapter 39, Education Code, by adding Section 39.113, as follows: Sec. 39.113. GRANTS FOR RESEARCH ON IMPROVEMENT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE. (a) Requires the commissioner of education (commissioner) to develop an application and evaluation process for awarding grants to a public school district (district) to support research by classroom teachers on improvement of student performance. Authorizes the commissioner to award a grant to an eligible district if appropriated funds are available from the state lottery account or other resources. Requires the commissioner to give preference to a research project (project) addressing broad student performance. (b) Requires a district, to be eligible for such a grant, to submit before January 1 of a school year, an objective proposal to the Texas Education Agency (agency) containing the details of a project including: the process for the selection of teachers, the purpose and methodology of the research, and the process for setting standards for the project, including the appointment of a local advisory committee; a schedule of projected costs including teacher stipends, expert technical support costs, and administrative costs; and a process for reporting the results to the local community, the regional education service, and the agency. (c) Prohibits a grant under this section from exceeding the total cost specified in the schedule of projected costs required by Subsection (b). (d) Provides that a local advisory committee established in accordance with Subsection is required to provide oversight to a district receiving a grant and to include parents of students currently enrolled in the district, classroom teachers, and administrators. Authorizes a local advisory committee to include persons able to provide expert technical support in collection, analysis, and presentation of research data. (e) Authorizes a district to use resources available through regional education service centers, institutions of higher learning, and centers for professional development of teachers when developing and conducting a project. (f) Requires a district receiving a grant to report the results of the project in compliance with the process described in the district's application. Provides that a district is ineligible for a grant the following year if the district fails to report the results of a project. SECTION 2. Amends the heading to Subchapter F, Chapter 39, Education Code, as follows: New Title: SUBCHAPTER F. ADDITIONAL REWARDS AND GRANTS SECTION 3. Amends Section 466.355 (b), Government Code, to include a transfer to the Texas Education Agency of any amount appropriated for the current state fiscal year for grants for research on improvement of student performance under Section 39.113, Education Code, among the purposes for which the state lottery account may be used and distributed. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 4. Makes application of this Act prospective beginning with the 1999-2000 school year. SECTION 5.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.