| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | |
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| 5 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 9 | | relating to the requirement for certain public school teachers and |
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| 8 | 10 | | principals to attend a literacy achievement academy or otherwise |
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| 9 | 11 | | demonstrate proficiency in reading instruction. |
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| 10 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Section 28.0062(a), Education Code, is amended |
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| 12 | 14 | | to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 15 | | (a) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school |
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| 14 | 16 | | shall: |
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| 15 | 17 | | (1) provide for the use of a phonics curriculum that |
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| 16 | 18 | | uses systematic direct instruction in kindergarten through third |
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| 17 | 19 | | grade to ensure all students obtain necessary early literacy |
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| 18 | 20 | | skills; |
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| 19 | 21 | | (2) ensure that: |
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| 20 | 22 | | (A) not later than the 2023-2024 [2021-2022] |
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| 21 | 23 | | school year, each classroom teacher in kindergarten or first, |
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| 22 | 24 | | second, or third grade and each principal at a campus with |
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| 23 | 25 | | kindergarten or first, second, or third grade has: |
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| 24 | 26 | | (i) attended a teacher literacy achievement |
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| 25 | 27 | | academy developed under Section 21.4552; or |
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| 26 | 28 | | (ii) demonstrated proficiency in the |
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| 27 | 29 | | science of teaching reading on a certification examination in |
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| 28 | 30 | | accordance with rules adopted under Section 21.048(a-2); and |
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| 29 | 31 | | (B) each classroom teacher and each principal |
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| 30 | 32 | | initially employed in a grade level or at a campus described by |
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| 31 | 33 | | Paragraph (A) for the 2023-2024 [2021-2022] school year or a |
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| 32 | 34 | | subsequent school year has attended a teacher literacy achievement |
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| 33 | 35 | | academy developed under Section 21.4552 before the teacher's or |
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| 34 | 36 | | principal's first year of placement in that grade level or campus; |
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| 35 | 37 | | and |
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| 36 | 38 | | (3) certify to the agency that the district or school: |
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| 37 | 39 | | (A) prioritizes placement of highly effective |
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| 38 | 40 | | teachers in kindergarten through second grade; and |
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| 39 | 41 | | (B) has integrated reading instruments used to |
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| 40 | 42 | | diagnose reading development and comprehension to support each |
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| 41 | 43 | | student in prekindergarten through third grade. |
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| 42 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 43 | 45 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 44 | 46 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 45 | 47 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 46 | 48 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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