AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Reading is a critically important skill and serves as the foundation on which all other learning is built. Many students in Texas are not reading at a satisfactory level, which limits their ability to excel in other subjects. According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), nationally, only 35 percent of fourth graders were at or above proficiency level in reading.

 

Under current law, each school district is required to administer a reading instrument at the kindergarten, first, and second grade levels. Chronically low performing schools are required to take actions to improve academic outcomes, or else risk closure or reconstitution.

 

S.B. 935 provides schools with unsatisfactory scores on early reading assessments the option of inviting highly trained reading instruction specialists into K-3 classrooms to teach alongside existing staff. This model of professional development provides teachers with training they can immediately apply in their own classes.

 

As proposed, S.B. 935 amends current law relating to the establishment of reading excellence teams.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 39, Education Code, by adding Section 39.1031, as follows:

 

Sec. 39.1031. READING EXCELLENCE TEAMS. (a) Requires the commissioner of education (commissioner) to establish and make available reading excellence teams to school campuses rated academically unacceptable under Section 39.054 (Methods and Standards for Evaluating Performance) on the basis of student performance on the reading assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(a) (requiring that the Texas Education Agency adopt or develop appropriate criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess essential knowledge and skills in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science) to students in grade three.

 

(b) Provides that a reading excellence team assigned to a specific campus will work with that campus and review the results of the campus's reading instruments administered under Section 28.006 (Reading Diagnosis) from the two previous school years to determine which campus classrooms the reading excellence team will assist.

 

(c) Requires the commissioner to adopt criteria for selecting highly trained reading instruction specialists to serve on the reading excellence teams.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2015.