80R10817 KKA-D
 
  By: Shapiro S.B. No. 1697
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to improvement of reading skills of students enrolled in
public middle and junior high schools and use of certain federal
funds to provide accelerated instruction to certain public school
students.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 21.4551 to read as follows:
       Sec. 21.4551.  TEACHER READING ACADEMIES. (a) The
commissioner shall develop and make available reading academies for
teachers who provide instruction to students at the sixth through
eighth grade levels.
       (b)  A reading academy developed under this section must
include training in:
             (1)  for a teacher providing instruction in reading to
students at the seventh or eighth grade level:
                   (A)  administration of the reading instrument
required by Section 28.006(c-1); and
                   (B)  interpretation of the results of the reading
instrument required by Section 28.006(c-1) and strategies, based on
scientific research regarding effective reading instruction, for
long-term intensive intervention to target identified student
needs in word recognition, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension;
             (2)  for a teacher providing instruction in reading to
students at the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level:
                   (A)  strategies to be implemented in English
language arts and other subject areas for multisyllable word
reading, vocabulary development, and comprehension of expository
and narrative text;
                   (B)  an adaptation framework that enables
teachers to respond to differing student strengths and needs,
including adaptations for students of limited English proficiency
or students receiving special education services under Subchapter
A, Chapter 29;
                   (C)  collaborative strategies to increase active
student involvement and motivation to read; and
                   (D)  other areas identified by the commissioner as
essential components of reading instruction; and
             (3)  for a teacher providing instruction in
mathematics, science, or social studies to students at the sixth,
seventh, or eighth grade level:
                   (A)  strategies for incorporating reading
instruction into the curriculum for the subject area taught by the
teacher; and
                   (B)  other areas identified by the commissioner.
       (c)  The commissioner by rule shall require a teacher to
attend a reading academy if the teacher provides instruction in
reading, mathematics, science, or social studies to students at the
sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level at a campus that is considered
academically unacceptable under Section 39.132 on the basis of
student performance on the reading assessment instrument
administered under Section 39.023(a) to students in any grade level
at the campus.
       (d)  The commissioner shall adopt criteria for selection of
teachers, other than teachers described by Subsection (c), who may
attend a reading academy.
       (e)  From funds appropriated for that purpose, a teacher who
attends a reading academy is entitled to receive a stipend in the
amount determined by the commissioner. A stipend received under
this subsection is not considered in determining whether a district
is paying the teacher the minimum monthly salary under Section
21.402.
       (f)  On request of the commissioner, regional education
service centers shall assist the commissioner and agency with
training and other activities relating to the development and
operation of reading academies.
       (g)  From funds appropriated for purposes of this section,
the commissioner shall conduct or contract with a public or private
entity to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the reading
academies developed under this section. The evaluation must:
             (1)  use qualitative, quantitative, and expert review
methodologies, including:
                   (A)  direct observations;
                   (B)  follow-up interviews and surveys with
participating teachers and administrators; and
                   (C)  analysis of student data submitted through
the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) and
student assessment results to measure reading progress achieved by
students receiving instruction from teachers who attended a reading
academy in comparison to:
                         (i)  reading progress achieved by those
students in preceding years; and
                         (ii)  reading progress achieved by students
receiving instruction from teachers who did not attend a reading
academy; and
             (2)  include an analysis of financial data to assess
the cost-effectiveness of the reading academies.
       (h)  Not later than December 1, 2010, the commissioner shall
prepare and deliver to each member of the legislature a report
describing the results of the evaluation required by Subsection
(g). Subsection (g) and this subsection expire September 1, 2011.
       SECTION 2.  Section 28.006, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (c-1) and (g-1) to read as follows:
       (c-1)  Each school district shall administer at the
beginning of the seventh grade a reading instrument adopted by the
commissioner to each student whose performance on the assessment
instrument in reading administered under Section 39.023(a) to the
student in grade six did not demonstrate reading proficiency, as
determined by the commissioner. The district shall administer the
reading instrument in accordance with the commissioner's
recommendations under Subsection (a)(1).
       (g-1)  A school district shall provide additional reading
instruction and intervention to each student in seventh grade
assessed under Subsection (c-1), as appropriate to improve the
student's reading skills in the relevant areas identified through
the assessment instrument. Training and support for activities
required by this subsection shall be provided by regional education
service centers and teacher reading academies established under
Section 21.4551.
       SECTION 3.  Section 28.0211, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (l-1) and amending Subsection (m) to read as
follows:
       (l-1)  The commissioner may adopt rules requiring a school
district that receives federal funding under Title I of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1964 (20 U.S.C. Section
6301 et seq.) to use that funding to provide supplemental
educational services under 20 U.S.C. Section 6316 in conjunction
with the accelerated instruction provided under this section,
provided that the rules may not conflict with federal law governing
the use of that funding.
       (m)  The commissioner shall certify, not later than July 1 of
each school year or as soon as practicable thereafter, whether
sufficient funds have been appropriated statewide for the purposes
of this section. A determination by the commissioner is final and
may not be appealed. For purposes of certification, the
commissioner may not consider Foundation School Program funds.
This section may be implemented only if the commissioner certifies
that sufficient funds have been appropriated during a school year
for administering the accelerated instruction programs specified
under this section, including teacher training for that purpose.
       SECTION 4.  Section 28.0211(l), Education Code, is repealed.
       SECTION 5.  For purposes of Section 28.006(c-1), Education
Code, as added by this Act, the commissioner of education shall
adopt the reading instrument developed by the Texas Education
Agency under the Adolescent Literacy Initiative established in
accordance with Rider 48b, page III-14, Chapter 1369, Acts of the
79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005 (General Appropriations
Act).
       SECTION 6.  The commissioner of education shall establish
the teacher reading academies required by Section 21.4551,
Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than June 1, 2008,
and require teachers to begin attending the academies in accordance
with that section on the basis of student performance data for the
2007-2008 school year.
       SECTION 7.  This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008
school year.
       SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2007.