1-1 By: Bivins S.B. No. 1480 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 20, 1997, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 8, 1997, 1-4 reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 8, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1480 By: Bivins 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to the diagnosis of reading development and comprehension 1-10 at certain grade levels in public school. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is 1-13 amended by adding Sections 28.006 and 28.007 to read as follows: 1-14 Sec. 28.006. READING DIAGNOSIS. (a) The commissioner shall 1-15 develop recommendations for school districts for: 1-16 (1) administering reading instruments to diagnose 1-17 student reading development and comprehension; 1-18 (2) training educators in administering the reading 1-19 instruments; and 1-20 (3) applying the results of the reading instruments to 1-21 the instructional program. 1-22 (b) The commissioner shall adopt a list of reading 1-23 instruments that a school district may use to diagnose student 1-24 reading development and comprehension. District-level and 1-25 campus-level committees established under Subchapter F, Chapter 11, 1-26 may adopt a list of reading instruments in addition to the reading 1-27 instruments on the commissioner's list. Each reading instrument 1-28 adopted by the commissioner or a district-level or campus-level 1-29 committee must be based on scientific research concerning reading 1-30 skills development and reading comprehension. A list of reading 1-31 instruments adopted under this subsection must provide for 1-32 diagnosing the reading development and comprehension of students 1-33 participating in a program under Subchapter B, Chapter 29. 1-34 (c) Each school district shall administer, at the 1-35 kindergarten and first and second grade levels, a reading 1-36 instrument on the list adopted by the commissioner or by the 1-37 district-level and campus-level committees. The district shall 1-38 administer the reading instrument in accordance with the 1-39 commissioner's recommendations under Subsection (a)(1). 1-40 (d) The superintendent of each school district shall report 1-41 to the board of trustees of the district the results of the reading 1-42 instruments. 1-43 (e) The results of reading instruments administered under 1-44 this section may not be used for purposes of appraisals and 1-45 incentives under Chapter 21 or accountability under Chapter 39. 1-46 (f) This section may be implemented only if state funds are 1-47 appropriated for administering the reading instruments. State 1-48 funds may be used to pay the cost of administering a reading 1-49 instrument only if the instrument is on the list adopted by the 1-50 commissioner. 1-51 (g) The commissioner shall adopt a list of reading 1-52 instruments and recommendations concerning those reading 1-53 instruments in accordance with this section not later than August 1-54 1, 1998. Each school district shall implement a reading diagnosis 1-55 program in accordance with this section, and recommendations 1-56 adopted under this section, beginning with the 1998-1999 school 1-57 year. This subsection expires January 1, 1999. 1-58 Sec. 28.007. READING DIAGNOSIS INSTRUMENTS. (a) The 1-59 commissioner shall withhold from the total amount of funds 1-60 appropriated for allotments under Section 28.006 an amount 1-61 sufficient to finance reading diagnosis instruments as described in 1-62 that section. 1-63 (b) In arriving at the total amount of funds to be withheld 1-64 under this section, the commissioner shall reduce each district's 2-1 tier one allotments in the same manner described for a reduction in 2-2 allotments under Section 42.253. 2-3 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-4 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-5 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 2-9 * * * * *