Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB925 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Kolkhorst, et al. S.B. No. 925
2		-	(Aycock)
	1	+	S.B. No. 925
3	2
4	3
5		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	4		AN ACT
7	5		relating to providing training academies for public school teachers
8	6		who provide reading instruction to students in kindergarten through
9	7		grade three.
10	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	9		SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
12	10		amended by adding Section 21.4552 to read as follows:
13	11		Sec. 21.4552. TEACHER LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT ACADEMIES.
14	12		(a) The commissioner shall develop and make available literacy
15	13		achievement academies for teachers who provide reading instruction
16	14		to students at the kindergarten or first, second, or third grade
17	15		level.
18	16		(b) A literacy achievement academy developed under this
19	17		section:
20	18		(1) must include training in:
21	19		(A) effective and systematic instructional
22	20		practices in reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics,
23	21		fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; and
24	22		(B) the use of empirically validated
25	23		instructional methods that are appropriate for struggling readers;
26	24		and
27	25		(2) may include training in effective instructional
28	26		practices in writing.
29	27		(c) The commissioner shall adopt criteria for selecting
30	28		teachers who may attend a literacy achievement academy. In
31	29		adopting selection criteria under this subsection, the
32	30		commissioner shall:
33	31		(1) require granting a priority to teachers employed
34	32		by a school district at a campus at which 50 percent or more of the
35	33		students enrolled are educationally disadvantaged; and
36	34		(2) provide a process through which a teacher not
37	35		employed at a campus described by Subdivision (1) may attend the
38	36		academy if the academy has available space and the school district
39	37		employing the teacher pays the costs of the teacher's attendance.
40	38		(d) From funds appropriated for that purpose, a teacher who
41	39		attends a literacy achievement academy is entitled to receive a
42	40		stipend in the amount determined by the commissioner. A stipend
43	41		received under this subsection is not considered in determining
44	42		whether a school district is paying the teacher the minimum monthly
45	43		salary under Section 21.402.
46	44		(e) On request of the commissioner, regional education
47	45		service centers shall assist the commissioner and agency with
48	46		training and other activities relating to the development and
49	47		operation of literacy achievement academies.
50	48		(f) This section expires September 1, 2027.
51	49		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
52	50		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
53	51		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
54	52		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
55	53		Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
	54	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	55	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	56	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 925 passed the Senate on
	57	+	April 23, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
	58	+	______________________________
	59	+	Secretary of the Senate
	60	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 925 passed the House on
	61	+	May 7, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 125, Nays 13, two
	62	+	present not voting.
	63	+	______________________________
	64	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	65	+	Approved:
	66	+	______________________________
	67	+	Date
	68	+	______________________________
	69	+	Governor