(a) Training required. Unless exempted under subsection (g) or (h) of this section, a chief executive officer or a central administrative officer, including persons providing management services that include the functions of a chief executive officer or central administrative officer, must complete a training course consisting of 30 instructional hours, excluding breaks, administrative tasks, and other non-instructional time, delivered by a course provider registered under §100.1107 of this title (relating to Course Providers). The training course may not use self-instructional materials, unless as otherwise provided.
(b) Timeline for completing training. Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a chief executive officer or a central administrative officer must complete the training course required by this section within one calendar year of beginning service in that capacity.
(c) Transition timeline. A person serving as a chief executive officer or central administrative officer on the effective date of this section must complete at least the first 15 hours of the training course required by this section within six months of the effective date of the curriculum outline approved under subsection (e) of this section, and must complete the remaining 15 hours of such training within one year of the effective date of the approved curriculum outline. Training completed prior to the effective date of this section and after September 1, 2001, may be counted toward the first 15 hours of the training course required by this section if it meets the requirements of the curriculum outline approved under subsection (e) of this section.
(d) Course content. The training course required by this section shall include the following modules, which accounts for 1,260 minutes (21 hours) of the required 30 hours. The remaining 540 minutes (nine hours) of the required 30 hours may be selected from any of these modules:
  (1) a module consisting of at least 240 minutes of instruction in school law, with special emphasis on Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 12, Subchapter D, and this subchapter;
  (2) a module consisting of at least 240 minutes of instruction in school finance, with special emphasis on accounting for public funds and property, student attendance accounting, fiduciary duties related to state and federal funding, federal funds and property management, grant administration, audit requirements, and capital financing;
  (3) a module consisting of at least 120 minutes of instruction in health and safety issues, with special emphasis on health and safety codes, ordinances, and other laws applicable to operating a Texas public school; student discipline; safe schools; required reporting of child abuse; and criminal background checks;
  (4) a module consisting of at least 240 minutes of instruction in accountability requirements related to the use of public funds, with special emphasis on the duties and liabilities of a trustee under Texas law, the shared use of real property for charter and non-charter business, bank depository contracts, capital financing, incidental use of public property by charter holder personnel, and recovery by the commissioner of education of the public property held by a former charter holder;
  (5) a module consisting of at least 240 minutes of instruction in other requirements relating to accountability to the public, with special emphasis on the administration of statewide assessments; student, staff, financial, and organizational data reporting; dropout reporting; statewide standards for acceptable student performance; charter-specific standards for acceptable student performance; accountability ratings and sanctions under TEC, Chapter 39; and the role of student performance in actions under TEC, §12.116 and §12.1162;
  (6) a module consisting of at least 60 minutes of instruction in open meetings requirements under Government Code, Chapter 551, with special emphasis on posting the agenda, executive sessions, accessibility of the meeting location to the public, employee board members, and civil and criminal sanctions; and
  (7) a module consisting of at least 120 minutes of instruction in requirements relating to public records, with special emphasis on the Public Information Act, the Records Retention Act, confidential student records, records in the possession of a management company, and other duties respecting public records.
(e) Required course curriculum outline. The commissioner shall approve and disseminate a curriculum outline that is consistent with the module topics and minimum durations identified in subsection (d) of this section. Training that does not conform to the curriculum outline does not satisfy the training requirements of this section. The entire duration of the training course must be dedicated to topics identified in the curriculum outline. The curriculum outline will be available on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website. The process for the development and/or revision of a curriculum outline under this section must include an opportunity for stakeholder comment.
(f) Continuing training. A chief executive officer or a central administrative officer who has completed the 30-hour training course required by this section must annually thereafter receive 15 hours of training, excluding breaks, administrative tasks, and other non-instructional time, delivered by a course provider registered under §100.1107 of this title. However, a chief executive or central administrative officer whose organization has operated charters that are all rated with an "academically acceptable" rating or higher, as defined in §100.1001(26) of this title (relating to Definitions), for at least two out of three of the most recent ratings may take any training that is documented by the provider and that applies to the achievement of the charter's academic mission and/or fulfillment of its responsibilities and/or accountabilities under the law. Continuing training under this subsection shall fulfill assessed training needs, including any training needs identified by TEA monitoring, and address update items identified in the curriculum outline approved under subsection (e) of this section as well as additional topics selected from the curriculum outline. Selected topics must be covered in greater depth than the curriculum outline indicates for initial training on those topics. With the exception of the chief executive or central administrative officers of a charter holder whose organization has operated campuses that are all rated with an "academically acceptable" rating or higher for at least two out of three of the most recent ratings, no individual may use self-instructional materials for more than three hours of continuing training. Twenty-five percent of hours earned by a chief executive officer or a central administrative officer in excess of the requirements set forth in this subsection may be carried over to meet the following year's requirement under this section.
(g) Exemptions. A central administrative officer is exempt from the training required by this section if the person is the holder in good standing of a Standard Superintendent Certificate, or its lifetime equivalent, issued by the State Board for Educator Certification and all other officers of the charter school comply with this division.
(h) Limited exemptions. A chief executive or central administrative officer whose organization has operated campuses that are all rated with an "academically acceptable" rating or higher for at least two out of three of the most recent ratings shall be subject to the requirements in paragraphs (1)-(5) of this subsection in lieu of those specified in subsections (a) and (d) of this section. For organizations that meet the requirements for this exception, the required amount of training is 21 hours. The training course required by this section shall include the following modules, which accounts for 1,140 minutes (19 hours) of the required 21 hours. The remaining 120 minutes (two hours) of the required 21 hours may be selected from any of the following modules, and can consist of self-study:
  (1) a module consisting of at least 210 minutes of instruction in school law, with special emphasis on TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter D, and this subchapter;
  (2) a module consisting of at least 210 minutes of instruction in school finance, with special emphasis on accounting for public funds and property, student attendance accounting, fiduciary duties related to state and federal funding, federal funds and property management, grant administration, audit requirements, and capital financing;
  (3) a module consisting of at least 270 combined minutes of instruction in the following:
    (A) health and safety issues, with special emphasis on health and safety codes, ordinances, and other laws applicable to operating a Texas public school; student discipline; and safe schools;
    (B) open meetings requirements under Government Code, Chapter 551, with special emphasis on posting the agenda, executive sessions, accessibility of the meeting location to the public, employee board members, and civil and criminal sanctions; and
Cont'd...