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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to improvement of reading skills of students enrolled in |
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public middle and junior high schools and use of certain federal |
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funds to provide accelerated instruction to certain public school |
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students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 21.4551 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.4551. TEACHER READING ACADEMIES. (a) The |
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commissioner shall develop and make available reading academies for |
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teachers who provide instruction to students at the sixth through |
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eighth grade levels. |
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(b) A reading academy developed under this section must |
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include training in: |
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(1) for a teacher providing instruction in reading to |
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students at the seventh or eighth grade level: |
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(A) administration of the reading instrument |
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required by Section 28.006(c-1); and |
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(B) interpretation of the results of the reading |
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instrument required by Section 28.006(c-1) and strategies, based on |
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scientific research regarding effective reading instruction, for |
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long-term intensive intervention to target identified student |
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needs in word recognition, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension; |
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(2) for a teacher providing instruction in reading to |
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students at the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level: |
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(A) strategies to be implemented in English |
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language arts and other subject areas for multisyllable word |
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reading, vocabulary development, and comprehension of expository |
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and narrative text; |
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(B) an adaptation framework that enables |
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teachers to respond to differing student strengths and needs, |
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including adaptations for students of limited English proficiency |
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or students receiving special education services under Subchapter |
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A, Chapter 29; |
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(C) collaborative strategies to increase active |
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student involvement and motivation to read; and |
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(D) other areas identified by the commissioner as |
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essential components of reading instruction; and |
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(3) for a teacher providing instruction in |
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mathematics, science, or social studies to students at the sixth, |
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seventh, or eighth grade level: |
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(A) strategies for incorporating reading |
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instruction into the curriculum for the subject area taught by the |
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teacher; and |
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(B) other areas identified by the commissioner. |
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(c) The commissioner by rule shall require a teacher to |
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attend a reading academy if the teacher provides instruction in |
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reading, mathematics, science, or social studies to students at the |
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sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level at a campus that is considered |
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academically unacceptable under Section 39.132 on the basis of |
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student performance on the reading assessment instrument |
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administered under Section 39.023(a) to students in any grade level |
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at the campus. |
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(d) The commissioner shall adopt criteria for selection of |
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teachers, other than teachers described by Subsection (c), who may |
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attend a reading academy. |
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(e) From funds appropriated for that purpose, a teacher who |
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attends a reading academy is entitled to receive a stipend in the |
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amount determined by the commissioner. A stipend received under |
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this subsection is not considered in determining whether a district |
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is paying the teacher the minimum monthly salary under Section |
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21.402. |
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(f) On request of the commissioner, regional education |
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service centers shall assist the commissioner and agency with |
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training and other activities relating to the development and |
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operation of reading academies. |
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(g) From funds appropriated for purposes of this section, |
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the commissioner shall conduct or contract with a public or private |
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entity to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the reading |
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academies developed under this section. The evaluation must: |
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(1) use qualitative, quantitative, and expert review |
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methodologies, including: |
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(A) direct observations; |
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(B) follow-up interviews and surveys with |
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participating teachers and administrators; and |
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(C) analysis of student data submitted through |
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the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) and |
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student assessment results to measure reading progress achieved by |
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students receiving instruction from teachers who attended a reading |
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academy in comparison to: |
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(i) reading progress achieved by those |
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students in preceding years; and |
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(ii) reading progress achieved by students |
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receiving instruction from teachers who did not attend a reading |
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academy; and |
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(2) include an analysis of financial data to assess |
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the cost-effectiveness of the reading academies. |
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(h) Not later than December 1, 2010, the commissioner shall |
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prepare and deliver to each member of the legislature a report |
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describing the results of the evaluation required by Subsection |
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(g). Subsection (g) and this subsection expire September 1, 2011. |
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SECTION 2. Section 28.006, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (c-1) and (g-1) to read as follows: |
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(c-1) Each school district shall administer at the |
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beginning of the seventh grade a reading instrument adopted by the |
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commissioner to each student whose performance on the assessment |
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instrument in reading administered under Section 39.023(a) to the |
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student in grade six did not demonstrate reading proficiency, as |
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determined by the commissioner. The district shall administer the |
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reading instrument in accordance with the commissioner's |
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recommendations under Subsection (a)(1). |
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(g-1) A school district shall provide additional reading |
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instruction and intervention to each student in seventh grade |
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assessed under Subsection (c-1), as appropriate to improve the |
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student's reading skills in the relevant areas identified through |
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the assessment instrument. Training and support for activities |
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required by this subsection shall be provided by regional education |
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service centers and teacher reading academies established under |
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Section 21.4551. |
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SECTION 3. Section 28.0211, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (l-1) and amending Subsection (m) to read as |
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follows: |
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(l-1) The commissioner may adopt rules requiring a school |
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district that receives federal funding under Title I of the |
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Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section |
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6301 et seq.) to use that funding to provide supplemental |
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educational services under 20 U.S.C. Section 6316 in conjunction |
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with the accelerated instruction provided under this section, |
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provided that the rules may not conflict with federal law governing |
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the use of that funding. |
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(m) The commissioner shall certify, not later than July 1 of |
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each school year or as soon as practicable thereafter, whether |
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sufficient funds have been appropriated statewide for the purposes |
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of this section. A determination by the commissioner is final and |
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may not be appealed. For purposes of certification, the |
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commissioner may not consider Foundation School Program funds. |
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This section may be implemented only if the commissioner certifies |
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that sufficient funds have been appropriated during a school year |
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for administering the accelerated instruction programs specified |
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under this section, including teacher training for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. Subsection (l), Section 28.0211, Education Code, |
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is repealed. |
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SECTION 5. For purposes of Subsection (c-1), Section |
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28.006, Education Code, as added by this Act, the commissioner of |
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education shall adopt the reading instrument developed by the Texas |
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Education Agency under the Adolescent Literacy Initiative |
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established in accordance with Rider 48b, page III-14, Chapter |
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1369, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005 (General |
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Appropriations Act). |
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SECTION 6. The commissioner of education shall establish |
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the teacher reading academies required by Section 21.4551, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than June 1, 2008, |
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and require teachers to begin attending the academies in accordance |
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with that section on the basis of student performance data for the |
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2007-2008 school year. |
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SECTION 7. This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 8. 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. |