TEA News

Charter Rules Adopted
The TEA adopted (with changes made based on public comments from the versions as initially proposed) these two much anticipated charter rules:
  • Adopting the 2019 Charter School Performance Frameworks (CSPF) to incorporate changes from 201
    CharterGraphic21.04
    8.

    The CSPF annually assigns a single score to charters based on a number of indicators. The adopted CSPF puts a greater weighted emphasis on academic indicators and lessens the weight for the framework’s other two components (financial and operational) — see graphic above.

    Tiers

    The framework, for the first time, will group charters into “Tiers” based on how well they score on the framework, ranging from best to worst:

    -- Tier 1/high-quality performance,

    -- Tier 2/average performance and

    -- Tier 3/deficient performance/watch list status.

    The Tier system will play a part in the second rule to be adopted (see next "bullet point").

    Effective June 11.

  • Revising the criteria to be used by the education commissioner in granting charter amendments.

    The commissioner rejected claims — mostly made by the state’s traditional ISDs and their supporters — that the rule would have allowed charters earning Tier I or Tier II designations on the CSPF to receive automatic approvals for their submitted charter expansion requests (such as to add grades served, open new campuses, expand their geographic areas, etc.).

    TEA: Approvals Won’t Be “Automatic”

    The TEA “clarified” that while the rule allows only Tier I and II designated charters to be eligible for expansion amendments, approvals won’t be automatic because the commissioner will consider several factors — and approval will not be dependent on any one factor.

    The rule, which also incorporates charter amendment approval revisions required under 2019’s SB668, is effective June 18 and will apply to charter amendments submitted starting Jan. 1, 2021.


Click here for more info about both charter rules that were adopted.


Teacher Incentive Allotment
The TEA posted (June 5) info about the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) authorized by HB3 that provides a pathway for districts to receive up to $32,000 per year, per designated teacher.

The TEA reported that more than 800 districts have applied for the allotment.

The TEA also posted a list of allotment amounts by campus and district, and by TIA teacher designation (Recognized, Exemplary and Master).

The TEA is in the final stages of adopting rules implementing the TIA.

There’s also a new website that gives details about the program at: https://tiatexas.org/

Health/PE TEKS News
The TEA is accepting public comments (info here) on the near-final drafts of work groups that are separately charged with making recommendations to the State Board of Education (SBOE) on TEKS (curriculum) revisions to Health Education and to Physical Education (PE).

The comment deadline was not available.

The “Work Group E” for Health Education and the “Work Group E” for PE were each tasked with reviewing the work of four other work groups to ensure the recommendations are “vertically aligned” from grade to grade and to eliminate any redundancies or gaps in content.

Sex Ed
The “reproductive and sexual health strand” in Health Education will likely receive the most attention by the public and the SBOE.

The SBOE will discuss the two work group recommendations at the June 29-July 2 meeting. First reading is scheduled for the board’s September meeting, and final adoption is set for November.

  • Update: The SBOE will hold a public hearing, virtually, on both the Health Education and PE draft TEKS on Monday, June 29, and has announced that registration for the public hearing will occur on Thursday, June 25 and Friday, June 26. See the SBOE info page for further details.

Recently Announced
  • Application info, under a newly adopted SBEC rule, that allows high school students who are at least 18 and have completed specified courses, to obtain Educational Aide 1 certification.

  • Info for ISDs and charters to receive HB3 authorized reimbursements for students taking the SAT or ACT during the spring of their junior year or during their senior year.

  • An updated dual-credit FAQ.