SRC-DPW S.B. 955 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 955
76R8449 KKA-DBy: Bivins
Education
4/6/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Last session, Governor George W. Bush launched the Texas Reading
Initiative.  The Ready to Read Initiative complements the Texas Reading
Initiative by targeting low-income preschool children and equipping them
with pre-reading skills needed for long-term academic success.  This bill
would establish a competitive grant program designed to allow a public or
private preschool to provide scientific, research-based pre-reading
instruction designed to improve student's pre-reading skills and also to
identify cost-effective models for pre-reading instruction. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 955 requires the commissioner of education to make grants
in support of prereading instruction. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION
1 (Sections 29.155(c) and (f), Chapter 29E, Education Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 29E, Education Code, by adding Section 29.155, as
follows: 

Sec. 29.155. READY TO READ GRANTS. Requires the commissioner of education
(commissioner) to make grants in support of pre-reading instruction.
Requires the commissioner to establish a competitive grant program for the
distribution of at least 95 percent of the available appropriated funds.
Requires grants to be used to provide prereading instruction for certain
purposes.  Requires the commissioner to distribute grants to be used for
certain purposes in amounts no less than $50,000 and no more than $150,000.
Provides entities that provide preschool instruction, meet qualifications
prescribed by the commissioner, and have a student body of which 75 percent
of students enrolled are lowincome students as determined by rule of the
commissioner, and are entitled to apply for a grant.  Requires the
commissioner to develop and implement performance measures which must
correlate with other reading assessments used in public schools for
kindergarten through the second grade, for evaluating the effectiveness of
grants under this section. Authorizes the commissioner to adopt rules for
the administration of this section.  Authorizes the commissioner to expend
from funds appropriated, no more than three percent the first fiscal year
and one percent each fiscal year thereafter for the administration of the
program. Authorizes the commissioner to expend from funds appropriated, no
more than two percent the first fiscal year and four percent in each fiscal
year thereafter for evaluating the program.  

SECTION 2. Requires the commissioner of education to administer the grant
program in a manner consistent with other reading programs identified as
components of the governor's reading program. 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.