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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to training academies for public school teachers who |
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provide reading comprehension instruction to students in grades |
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four and five. |
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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 21.4554 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.4554. READING-TO-LEARN ACADEMIES. (a) The |
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commissioner shall develop and make available reading-to-learn |
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academies for teachers who provide reading comprehension |
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instruction to students at the fourth or fifth grade level. |
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(b) A reading-to-learn academy developed under this |
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section: |
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(1) must include effective instructional practices |
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that promote student development of reading comprehension and |
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inferential and critical thinking; |
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(2) must provide training in the use of empirically |
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validated instructional methods that are appropriate for |
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struggling readers; |
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(3) may include material on writing instruction; and |
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(4) must provide participating teachers with access to |
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the academy training materials through the Internet after the |
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teachers attend the academy. |
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(c) The commissioner shall adopt criteria for selecting |
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teachers who may attend a reading-to-learn academy. In adopting |
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selection criteria under this subsection, the commissioner shall: |
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(1) require granting a priority to teachers employed |
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by a school district at a campus at which 50 percent or more of the |
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students enrolled are educationally disadvantaged; and |
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(2) provide a process through which a teacher not |
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employed at a campus described by Subdivision (1) may attend the |
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academy if the academy has available space and the school district |
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employing the teacher pays the costs of the teacher's attendance. |
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(d) From funds appropriated for that purpose, a teacher who |
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attends a reading-to-learn academy is entitled to receive a stipend |
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in the amount determined by the commissioner. A stipend received |
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under this subsection is not considered in determining whether a |
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district is paying the teacher the minimum monthly salary under |
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Section 21.402. |
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(e) 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-to-learn academies. |
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(f) This section expires September 1, 2027. |
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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, 2015. |