Amend CSSB 1 (house committee printing), by adding the below Article IX rider:

____.____.  Proven Strategies to Address COVID-19 Learning Loss. It is the intent of the legislature that funds appropriated to the Texas Education Agency by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, 2021 and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, 2021 for distribution to or to otherwise support Local Education Agencies along with local and state funds made available for COVID-19 relief, be utilized, to the extent allowable, for targeted, proven educational programs and supports to reduce, mitigate and eliminate academic learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic disruption to public education.

The commissioner of education shall work with school districts and open enrollment charter schools to assist them in prioritizing the following strategies:

(1)  Grants/services/tools to launch changes in practice:

(a)  Curricular Rigor, including High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM)

(b)  Teacher Support

(c)  Extended Learning Time

(d)  Diagnosing Student Mastery

(e)  Strong Foundations

(2)  Rigorous career-focused high schools, including integrated curricula

(3)  Local school system parent engagement initiatives

(4)  Quality high-dose tutoring

(5)  Initiatives to support high-speed broadband access at home

In the administration of any grants and supports provided by the receipt of federal, state, and local funding for COVID-19 relief, the commissioner shall consider schools with high percentages of students who do not perform satisfactorily on relevant state assessments or have a student body that has historically experienced an academic achievement gap that is assumed to have widened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In line with the ARP Act, the commissioner shall set aside a portion of the funds for:

(1)  State level activities and interventions that address students' academic, social, and emotional needs and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented student subgroups.

(2)  At least five percent of the total ARP ESSER allocation shall be used for the implementation of evidence-based interventions aimed specifically at addressing learning loss, such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended school year programs.

(3)  At least one percent of the total ARP ESSER allocation for evidence-based summer enrichment programs.

(4)  At least one percent of the total ARP ESSER allocation for evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs.

The commissioner may require any entity with which the Texas Education Agency contracts for purposes of administering the programs under this rider to provide any expenditure and performance data deemed necessary to assess the success of the program.