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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a literacy center pilot program by the |
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Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.0621 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.0621. LITERACY CENTER PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The board |
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shall establish a pilot program to establish a literacy center as a |
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model for institutions of higher education. To implement and |
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administer the program, the board shall choose a public junior |
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college campus that: |
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(1) is located in a county with a population of at |
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least 300,000 and has a high need for literacy services; |
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(2) is considered to be a center for intellectual |
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activity in the region of the state in which the junior college |
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district that operates the campus is located; and |
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(3) has an established reading committee on the campus |
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that has participated in literacy and reading projects with other |
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entities in the community. |
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(b) The literacy center pilot program shall: |
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(1) emphasize advanced literacy, enhance reading |
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skills, and encourage voluntary reading; |
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(2) imbed reading throughout the curriculum; |
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(3) provide training to faculty concerning the |
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purposes of the program; |
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(4) have a primary focus on students of the |
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institution of higher education; |
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(5) provide outreach to local schools and the |
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community; and |
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(6) incorporate and coordinate with other national |
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efforts and programs in literacy, which may include those that |
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focus on science, health and wellness, civics, business and |
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finance, technology, sustainability and the environment, |
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philosophy, ethics, religion, and literature and the arts. |
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(c) The public junior college campus chosen by the board |
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shall cooperate with community libraries, local school districts, |
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and other local entities to implement and administer the program. |
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(d) The board shall allocate funds appropriated for |
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purposes of this section to support the pilot program. |
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(e) Not later than January 1, 2011, the governing board of |
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the junior college district that operates the campus selected to |
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administer the literacy center pilot program shall report to the |
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chairs of the standing committees of each house of the legislature |
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with jurisdiction over education. The report must include |
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information regarding the progress made in improving the literacy |
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of students on the campus that participated in the program and in |
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the community, and include recommendations for establishing |
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similar programs at other institutions of higher education. |
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(f) This section expires September 1, 2011. |
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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, 2009. |