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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an intensive reading and 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 AND LANGUAGE INTERVENTION |
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PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "pilot program" means the |
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intensive reading and language intervention pilot 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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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 and language intervention. The criteria must |
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include neuroscience-based, scientifically validated methods, |
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interventions, or instructional tools that have been proven to |
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accelerate learning, cognitive ability, and language proficiency. |
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A participating campus shall submit a summary of the campus's |
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proposed intensive intervention program to the commissioner for |
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approval. The commissioner may approve only a program that follows |
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the minimum criteria adopted 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. A participating |
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campus shall assess each selected student before the student enters |
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and after the student transfers out of the pilot program to measure |
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the student's 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. |