By Howard H.B. No. 1966
76R5034 CAS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to certification and training of teachers who teach at
1-3 elementary grade levels.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 21.044, Education Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 21.044. EDUCATOR PREPARATION. (a) The board shall
1-8 propose rules establishing the training requirements a person must
1-9 accomplish to obtain a certificate, enter an internship, or enter
1-10 an induction-year program. The board shall specify the minimum
1-11 academic qualifications required for a certificate.
1-12 (b) The rules proposed by the board under Subsection (a)
1-13 must require that for a person to obtain a certificate under which
1-14 the person may teach at an elementary grade level, the person must
1-15 complete training in reading instruction, including training in:
1-16 (1) phonemic awareness;
1-17 (2) systematic, explicit phonics;
1-18 (3) sound-symbol relationship;
1-19 (4) decoding words;
1-20 (5) word-attack skills;
1-21 (6) spelling;
1-22 (7) vocabulary development;
1-23 (8) grammar, punctuation, and capitalization skills;
1-24 (9) the diagnosis of reading deficiencies;
2-1 (10) strategies for early intervention in reading
2-2 deficiencies;
2-3 (11) the scientific research on the manner in which
2-4 children learn to read;
2-5 (12) the scientific research on the manner in which
2-6 proficient readers read;
2-7 (13) the structure of the English language;
2-8 (14) the relationships among reading, writing, and
2-9 spelling;
2-10 (15) planning and delivering appropriate reading
2-11 instruction based on assessment and evaluation; and
2-12 (16) independent student reading of high quality books
2-13 and the relationship of that reading to improved reading
2-14 performance.
2-15 SECTION 2. Section 21.048(a), Education Code, is amended to
2-16 read as follows:
2-17 (a) The board shall propose rules prescribing comprehensive
2-18 examinations for each class of certificate issued by the board.
2-19 The examination for a certificate under which a person may teach at
2-20 an elementary grade level must assess mastery of reading
2-21 instruction for which training is required under Section 21.044.
2-22 SECTION 3. Section 21.451(a), Education Code, is amended to
2-23 read as follows:
2-24 (a) The staff development provided by a school district must
2-25 be conducted in accordance with minimum standards developed by the
2-26 commissioner for program planning, preparation, and improvement.
2-27 The staff development:
3-1 (1) must include technology training and training in
3-2 conflict resolution and discipline strategies; [and]
3-3 (2) must include, for teachers who teach kindergarten,
3-4 grade one, two, or three, or special education, at least five days
3-5 of training in reading instruction, including training in:
3-6 (A) phonemic awareness;
3-7 (B) systematic, explicit phonics;
3-8 (C) sound-symbol relationship;
3-9 (D) decoding words;
3-10 (E) word-attack skills;
3-11 (F) spelling;
3-12 (G) vocabulary development;
3-13 (H) grammar, punctuation, and capitalization
3-14 skills;
3-15 (I) the diagnosis of reading deficiencies;
3-16 (J) strategies for early intervention in reading
3-17 deficiencies;
3-18 (K) the scientific research on the manner in
3-19 which children learn to read;
3-20 (L) the scientific research on the manner in
3-21 which proficient readers read;
3-22 (M) the structure of the English language;
3-23 (N) the relationships among reading, writing,
3-24 and spelling;
3-25 (O) planning and delivering appropriate reading
3-26 instruction based on assessment and evaluation; and
3-27 (P) independent student reading of high quality
4-1 books and the relationship of that reading to improved reading
4-2 performance; and
4-3 (3) may include instruction as to what is permissible
4-4 under law, including opinions of the United States Supreme Court,
4-5 in regard to prayers in public school.
4-6 SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000
4-7 school year.
4-8 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
4-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-13 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-14 passage, and it is so enacted.