1-1 By: Bivins S.B. No. 955 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 5, 1999; March 8, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 7, 1999, 1-4 reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 7, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 955 By: Bivins 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to grants in support of pre-reading instruction. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 29, Education Code, is 1-12 amended by adding Section 29.155 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 29.155. READY TO READ GRANTS. (a) From funds 1-14 appropriated for the purpose, the commissioner shall make grants as 1-15 provided by this section in support of pre-reading instruction. 1-16 (b) The commissioner shall establish a competitive grant 1-17 program for distribution of at least 95 percent of the available 1-18 appropriated funds. Grants shall be used to provide scientific, 1-19 research-based pre-reading instruction for the purpose of directly 1-20 improving pre-reading skills and for identifying cost-effective 1-21 models for pre-reading intervention. The commissioner shall 1-22 distribute the grants in amounts not less than $50,000 or more than 1-23 $150,000 to eligible entities to be used for: 1-24 (1) professional staff development in pre-reading 1-25 instruction; 1-26 (2) pre-reading curriculum and materials; 1-27 (3) pre-reading skills assessment materials; and 1-28 (4) employment of pre-reading instructors. 1-29 (c) A public school operating a prekindergarten program, or 1-30 another eligible entity as defined in Section 12.101(a) that 1-31 provides a preschool instruction program and that meets 1-32 qualifications prescribed by the commissioner, is eligible to apply 1-33 for a grant if at least 75 percent of the children enrolled in the 1-34 program are low-income students, as determined by rule of the 1-35 commissioner. 1-36 (d) As a condition to receiving a grant, an applicant must 1-37 commit public or private funds matching the grant in a percentage 1-38 set by the commissioner. The commissioner shall determine the 1-39 required percentage of matching funds based on the demonstrated 1-40 economic capacity of the community served by the program to raise 1-41 funds for the purpose of matching the grant, as determined by the 1-42 commissioner. Matching funds must equal at least 30 percent, but 1-43 not more than 75 percent, of the amount of the grant. 1-44 (e) The commissioner shall develop and implement performance 1-45 measured for evaluating the effectiveness of grants under this 1-46 section. Those measures must correlate to other reading diagnostic 1-47 assessments used in public schools in kindergarten through the 1-48 second grade. 1-49 (f) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary for the 1-50 administration of this section. 1-51 SECTION 2. To the extent practical, the commissioner of 1-52 education shall administer the grant program established by Section 1-53 29.155, Education Code, as added by this Act, in a manner 1-54 consistent with other reading programs the commissioner identifies 1-55 as components of the governor's reading initiative. 1-56 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-57 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-58 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-59 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-60 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-61 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-62 * * * * *