Texas Senate Bill SB1362

Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

• Out of Senate Committee: 4/7/09
• Voted on by Senate: 4/15/09
• Out of House Committee: 5/15/09

Caption

Relating to a Texas Youth Commission comprehensive plan to improve student reading skills and behavior.

Impact

The proposed changes under SB1362 would require significant adjustments within the Texas Youth Commission’s current educational framework. By instituting periodic assessments and focused reading instruction, the bill seeks to diminish recidivism rates among youths by promoting a stronger educational foundation. The educational model would emphasize the necessity of scientifically proven instructional methods, thereby aligning the commission's practices with contemporary educational research and strategies designed to efficiently address the needs of struggling adolescent readers.

Summary

SB1362 aims to enhance the educational services provided by the Texas Youth Commission by implementing a comprehensive plan to improve student reading skills and behavior. Recognizing the correlation between learning and behavior, the bill mandates that the commission not only comply with existing educational laws but actively adopt strategies that boost literacy among students in its programs. This involves establishing reliable reading assessments tailored for these students, ensuring that instruction is individually crafted based on performance data, and requiring that trained educators provide specialized reading intervention.

Contention

Despite the overall supportive intentions behind SB1362, there may be points of contention regarding its implementation. Opponents might raise concerns about the potential resource allocation challenges, suggesting that without adequate funding and trained staff, the bill’s initiatives may falter in their execution. Additionally, there could be debate over the perceived effectiveness of mandated assessments and whether the enforcement of these new standards genuinely leads to meaningful improvements in educational outcomes for youths within the commission's programs.