| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to the establishment of a reading excellence team pilot |
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| 8 | 6 | | program. |
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| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 9 | | amended by adding Section 28.0061 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 10 | | Sec. 28.0061. READING EXCELLENCE TEAM PILOT PROGRAM. |
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| 13 | 11 | | (a) Using funds appropriated for that purpose, the commissioner |
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| 14 | 12 | | shall establish a reading excellence team pilot program in |
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| 15 | 13 | | accordance with this section. |
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| 16 | 14 | | (b) A school district is eligible to participate in the |
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| 17 | 15 | | pilot program if, as determined by the commissioner, the district |
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| 18 | 16 | | has low student performance on: |
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| 19 | 17 | | (1) a reading instrument administered in accordance |
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| 20 | 18 | | with Section 28.006(c); or |
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| 21 | 19 | | (2) a third grade reading assessment instrument |
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| 22 | 20 | | administered under Section 39.023(a). |
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| 23 | 21 | | (c) The pilot program must: |
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| 24 | 22 | | (1) establish reading excellence teams composed of |
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| 25 | 23 | | reading instruction specialists; |
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| 26 | 24 | | (2) allow an eligible school district to request the |
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| 27 | 25 | | assistance of a reading excellence team; and |
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| 28 | 26 | | (3) provide a reading excellence team to a requesting |
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| 29 | 27 | | eligible school district to: |
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| 30 | 28 | | (A) review with the district the results of the |
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| 31 | 29 | | assessments described under Subsection (b) to determine campuses |
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| 32 | 30 | | and classrooms for kindergarten through third grade with the |
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| 33 | 31 | | greatest need of assistance; and |
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| 34 | 32 | | (B) work with teachers on campuses and in |
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| 35 | 33 | | classrooms identified under Paragraph (A) to provide training |
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| 36 | 34 | | necessary to improve student reading outcomes. |
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| 37 | 35 | | (d) The commissioner shall adopt rules to administer this |
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| 38 | 36 | | section, including rules establishing qualifications and criteria |
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| 39 | 37 | | for selecting reading instruction specialists for a reading |
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| 40 | 38 | | excellence team. |
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| 41 | 39 | | (e) This section expires September 1, 2021. |
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| 42 | 40 | | SECTION 2. The commissioner of education shall establish |
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| 43 | 41 | | the pilot program under Section 28.0061, Education Code, as added |
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| 44 | 42 | | by this Act, not later than September 1, 2016. |
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| 45 | 43 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 46 | 44 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 47 | 45 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 48 | 46 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 49 | 47 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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| 48 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 49 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 50 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 935 passed the Senate on |
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| 51 | + | April 23, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. |
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| 52 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 53 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 54 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 935 passed the House on |
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| 55 | + | May 23, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 128, Nays 11, two |
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| 56 | + | present not voting. |
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| 57 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 58 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 59 | + | Approved: |
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| 60 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 61 | + | Date |
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| 62 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 63 | + | Governor |
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