By: Shapiro S.B. No. 1697

(In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2007; March 21, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 12, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 12, 2007, sent to printer.)

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 1965 (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. Subsection (l), Section 28.0211, Education Code, is repealed.

SECTION 5. For purposes of Subsection (c-1), Section 28.006, 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.

* * * * *