BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3132

By: Allen

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been recently reported that an alarmingly high number of students at the third grade level in Texas did not meet reading benchmark standards and that students at the fourth grade level ranked among the lowest in the nation in reading. There are concerns that a reduction in staff development training has left many teachers without the necessary resources to effectively teach literacy. H.B. 3132 seeks to address these concerns by ensuring that classroom teachers who provide reading instruction to students at the kindergarten or first, second, or third grade level are receiving adequate staff development to help these students meet reading benchmark standards.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3132 amends the Education Code to require the staff development provided by a public school district for a classroom teacher who provides reading instruction to students at the kindergarten or first, second, or third grade level to include training in effective and systematic instructional practices in reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, and the use of empirically validated instructional methods that are appropriate for assisting struggling readers. The bill applies beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.