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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 section |
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must: |
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(1) include effective instructional practices that |
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promote student development of reading comprehension and |
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inferential and critical thinking; and |
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(2) provide participating teachers with access to the |
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academy training materials through the Internet after the teachers |
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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. |
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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 to cover expenses of |
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attending the academy. A stipend received under this subsection is |
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not considered in determining whether a district is paying the |
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teacher the minimum monthly salary under Section 21.402. |
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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. |