Bill Text: TX SB925 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to providing training academies for public school teachers who provide reading instruction to students in kindergarten through grade three.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2015-05-21 - Effective immediately [SB925 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB925-Enrolled.html
S.B. No. 925 |
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relating to providing training academies for public school teachers | ||
who provide reading instruction to students in kindergarten through | ||
grade three. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 21.4552 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 21.4552. TEACHER LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT ACADEMIES. | ||
(a) The commissioner shall develop and make available literacy | ||
achievement academies for teachers who provide reading instruction | ||
to students at the kindergarten or first, second, or third grade | ||
level. | ||
(b) A literacy achievement academy developed under this | ||
section: | ||
(1) must include training in: | ||
(A) effective and systematic instructional | ||
practices in reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics, | ||
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; and | ||
(B) the use of empirically validated | ||
instructional methods that are appropriate for struggling readers; | ||
and | ||
(2) may include training in effective instructional | ||
practices in writing. | ||
(c) The commissioner shall adopt criteria for selecting | ||
teachers who may attend a literacy achievement academy. In | ||
adopting selection criteria under this subsection, the | ||
commissioner shall: | ||
(1) require granting a priority to teachers employed | ||
by a school district at a campus at which 50 percent or more of the | ||
students enrolled are educationally disadvantaged; and | ||
(2) provide a process through which a teacher not | ||
employed at a campus described by Subdivision (1) may attend the | ||
academy if the academy has available space and the school district | ||
employing the teacher pays the costs of the teacher's attendance. | ||
(d) From funds appropriated for that purpose, a teacher who | ||
attends a literacy achievement academy is entitled to receive a | ||
stipend in the amount determined by the commissioner. A stipend | ||
received under this subsection is not considered in determining | ||
whether a school district is paying the teacher the minimum monthly | ||
salary under Section 21.402. | ||
(e) On request of the commissioner, regional education | ||
service centers shall assist the commissioner and agency with | ||
training and other activities relating to the development and | ||
operation of literacy achievement academies. | ||
(f) This section expires September 1, 2027. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 925 passed the Senate on | ||
April 23, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 925 passed the House on | ||
May 7, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 125, Nays 13, two | ||
present not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
Approved: | ||
______________________________ | ||
Date | ||
______________________________ | ||
Governor |