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AN ACT
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relating to an intensive reading or language intervention pilot |
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program at certain public school campuses. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 29.094, Education Code, is reenacted and |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.094. INTENSIVE READING OR [AND] LANGUAGE |
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INTERVENTION PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "pilot program" |
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means the intensive reading or [and] language intervention pilot |
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program. |
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(b) The commissioner by rule shall [may] establish a pilot |
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program in which a participating campus provides intensive reading |
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or [and] language intervention to participating students. |
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(c) A [If the commissioner establishes the pilot program, a] |
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campus may apply to the commissioner to participate in the pilot |
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program. The commissioner may select for participation in the |
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pilot program only campuses that have failed to improve student |
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performance in reading according to standards established by the |
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commissioner. The standards established by the commissioner for |
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purposes of this subsection must be based on reading performance |
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standards required for student promotion under Section 28.0211. |
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(d) The [If the commissioner establishes the pilot program,
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the] commissioner shall adopt minimum criteria that a program must |
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meet to be selected by a participating campus for use in providing |
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intensive reading or [and] language intervention. The criteria |
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must include neuroscience-based, scientifically validated methods, |
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scientifically based reading interventions, or instructional tools |
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that have been proven to accelerate language acquisition and |
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reading proficiency for struggling readers [learning, cognitive
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ability, and language proficiency]. A participating campus shall |
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submit a summary of the campus's proposed intensive intervention |
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program to the commissioner for approval. The commissioner may |
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approve only a program that follows the minimum criteria adopted |
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under this subsection. |
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(e) The principal of a participating campus, in |
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consultation with classroom teachers at the campus, shall select |
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students to participate in the pilot program based on assessment |
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data. Benchmark measures shall be administered at the beginning |
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and end of the program [A participating campus shall assess each
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selected student before the student enters and after the student
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transfers out of the pilot program to measure the student's
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progress]. |
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(f) Not later than December 31, 2008 [2006], any vendor of |
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an intensive intervention program approved under Subsection (d), in |
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consultation with the agency and each school district with which |
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the vendor contracts under this section, shall provide the |
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legislature with a report describing student progress under the |
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assessments administered to participating students under |
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Subsection (e). |
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(g) Notwithstanding any other law, the commissioner shall |
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[may] provide funding for the pilot program using not more than $6 |
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million of funding appropriated for purposes of Section 28.0211. |
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(h) The [If the commissioner establishes the pilot program,
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the] commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to implement this |
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section. |
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(i) The [If the commissioner establishes the pilot program,
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the] commissioner shall make the pilot program available to |
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participating campuses during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 |
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[2005-2006 and 2006-2007] school years. |
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[(j) This section expires July 1, 2007.] |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 1270 was passed by the House on April |
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17, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 0, 1 present, not |
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voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to |
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H.B. No. 1270 on May 10, 2007, and requested the appointment of a |
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conference committee to consider the differences between the two |
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houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report |
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on H.B. No. 1270 on May 21, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 128, |
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Nays 13, 3 present, not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 1270 was passed by the Senate, with |
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amendments, on May 7, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1; |
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at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference |
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committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and |
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that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. |
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1270 on May 26, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |