By Sadler H.B. No. 2963 75R9031 CAS-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the diagnosis of reading development and comprehension 1-3 at certain grade levels in public school. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 28.006 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 28.006. READING DIAGNOSIS. (a) The commissioner shall 1-8 develop recommendations for school districts for: 1-9 (1) administering reading instruments to diagnose 1-10 student reading development and comprehension; 1-11 (2) training educators in administering the reading 1-12 instruments; and 1-13 (3) applying the results of the reading instruments to 1-14 the instructional program. 1-15 (b) The commissioner shall adopt a list of reading 1-16 instruments that a school district may use to diagnose student 1-17 reading development and comprehension. District- and campus-level 1-18 committees established under Subchapter F, Chapter 11, may adopt a 1-19 list of reading instruments in addition to the reading instruments 1-20 on the commissioner's list. Each reading instrument adopted by the 1-21 commissioner or a district- and campus-level committee must be 1-22 based on scientific research concerning reading skills development 1-23 and reading comprehension. 1-24 (c) Each school district shall administer, at the 2-1 kindergarten and first and second grade levels, a reading 2-2 instrument on the list adopted by the commissioner or by the 2-3 district- and campus-level committees. The district shall 2-4 administer the reading instrument in accordance with the 2-5 commissioner's recommendations under Subsection (a)(1). 2-6 (d) The superintendent of each school district shall report 2-7 to the board of trustees of the district the results of the reading 2-8 instruments. 2-9 (e) The results of reading instruments administered under 2-10 this section may not be used for purposes of appraisals and 2-11 incentives under Chapter 21 or accountability under Chapter 39. 2-12 (f) This section may be implemented only if state funds are 2-13 appropriated for administering the reading instruments. State 2-14 funds may be used to pay the cost of administering a reading 2-15 instrument only if the instrument is on the list adopted by the 2-16 commissioner. 2-17 (g) The commissioner shall adopt a list of reading 2-18 instruments and recommendations concerning those reading 2-19 instruments in accordance with this section not later than August 2-20 1, 1998. Each school district shall implement a reading diagnosis 2-21 program in accordance with this section, and recommendations 2-22 adopted under this section, beginning with the 1998-1999 school 2-23 year. This subsection expires January 1, 1999. 2-24 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-25 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-26 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-27 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.