Sec. 21.451. STAFF DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS. (a) The staff development provided by a school district to an educator other than a principal must be:
(1) conducted in accordance with standards developed by the district; and
(2) designed to improve education in the district.
(a-1) Section 21.3541 and rules adopted under that section govern the professional development provided to a principal.
(b) The staff development described by Subsection (a) must be predominantly campus-based, related to achieving campus performance objectives established under Section 11.253, and developed and approved by the campus-level committee established under Section 11.251.
(c) For staff development under Subsection (a), a school district may use district-wide staff development developed and approved through the district-level decision process under Section 11.251.
(d) The staff development:
(1) may include training in:
(A) technology;
(B) conflict resolution;
(C) discipline strategies, including classroom management, district discipline policies, and the student code of conduct adopted under Section 37.001 and Chapter 37; and
(D) preventing, identifying, responding to, and reporting incidents of bullying;
(2) subject to Subsection (e) and to Section 21.3541 and rules adopted under that section, must include training based on scientifically based research, as defined by Section 9101, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Section 7801), that:
(A) relates to instruction of students with disabilities; and
(B) is designed for educators who work primarily outside the area of special education; and
(3) must include suicide prevention training that must be provided:
(A) on an annual basis, as part of a new employee orientation, to all new school district and open-enrollment charter school educators; and
(B) to existing school district and open-enrollment charter school educators on a schedule adopted by the agency by rule.
(d-1) The suicide prevention training required by Subsection (d)(3) must use a best practice-based program recommended by the Department of State Health Services in coordination with the agency under Section 161.325, Health and Safety Code.
(d-2) The suicide prevention training required by Subsection (d)(3) may be satisfied through independent review of suicide prevention training material that:
(1) complies with the guidelines developed by the agency; and
(2) is offered online.
(e) A school district is required to provide the training described by Subsection (d)(2) to an educator who works primarily outside the area of special education only if the educator does not possess the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the individualized education program developed for a student receiving instruction from the educator. A district may determine the time and place at which the training is delivered.
(f) In developing or maintaining the training required by Subsection (d)(2), a school district must consult with persons with expertise in research-based practices for students with disabilities. Persons who may be consulted under this subsection include colleges, universities, private and nonprofit organizations, regional education service centers, qualified district personnel, and any other persons identified as qualified by the district. This subsection applies to all training required by Subsection (d)(2), regardless of whether the training is provided at the campus or district level.
(g) The staff development may include instruction as to what is permissible under law, including opinions of the United States Supreme Court, regarding prayer in public school.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 396, Sec. 2.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 766, Sec. 1, eff. June 13, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 495, Sec. 1.
Amended by:
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 740 (S.B. 451), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 776 (H.B. 1942), Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1093 (S.B. 1383), Sec. 4, eff. June 17, 2011.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1064 (H.B. 2186), Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2015.
Section: Previous 21.409 21.410 21.411 21.412 21.413 21.414 21.415 21.451 21.4511 21.4513 21.452 21.453 21.454 21.4541 21.455 NextLast modified: September 28, 2016