HB123 - Relating to measures to support kindergarten readiness and early literacy and numeracy skills for public school students and to funding to support those measures.

      By: Dutton, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Creighton) H.B. No. 123          (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2025;   May 16, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on   Education K-16; May 27, 2025, reported favorably by the following   vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 27, 2025, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT     relating to measures to support kindergarten readiness and early   literacy and numeracy skills for public school students and to   funding to support those measures.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 12.104(b), Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (b)  An open-enrollment charter school is subject to:                (1)  a provision of this title establishing a criminal   offense;                (2)  the provisions in Chapter 554, Government Code;   and                (3)  a prohibition, restriction, or requirement, as   applicable, imposed by this title or a rule adopted under this   title, relating to:                      (A)  the Public Education Information Management   System (PEIMS) to the extent necessary to monitor compliance with   this subchapter as determined by the commissioner;                      (B)  criminal history records under Subchapter C,   Chapter 22;                      (C)  reading and mathematics instruments and   reading interventions [ accelerated reading instruction programs ]   under Sections [ Section ] 28.006 , 28.0063, and 28.0064 ;                      (D)  accelerated instruction under Section   28.0211;                      (E)  high school graduation requirements under   Section 28.025;                      (F)  special education programs under Subchapter   A, Chapter 29;                      (G)  bilingual education under Subchapter B,   Chapter 29;                      (H)  prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E   or E-1, Chapter 29, except class size limits for prekindergarten   classes imposed under Section 25.112, which do not apply;                      (I)  extracurricular activities under Section   33.081;                      (J)  discipline management practices or behavior   management techniques under Section 37.0021;                      (K)  health and safety under Chapter 38;                      (L)  the provisions of Subchapter A, Chapter 39;                      (M)  public school accountability and special   investigations under Subchapters A, B, C, D, F, G, and J, Chapter   39, and Chapter 39A;                      (N)  the requirement under Section 21.006 to   report an educator's misconduct;                      (O)  intensive programs of instruction under   Section 28.0213;                      (P)  the right of a school employee to report a   crime, as provided by Section 37.148;                      (Q)  bullying prevention policies and procedures   under Section 37.0832;                      (R)  the right of a school under Section 37.0052   to place a student who has engaged in certain bullying behavior in a   disciplinary alternative education program or to expel the student;                      (S)  the right under Section 37.0151 to report to   local law enforcement certain conduct constituting assault or   harassment;                      (T)  a parent's right to information regarding the   provision of assistance for learning difficulties to the parent's   child as provided by Sections 26.004(b)(11) and 26.0081(c) and (d);                      (U)  establishment of residency under Section   25.001;                      (V)  school safety requirements under Sections   37.0814, 37.108, 37.1081, 37.1082, 37.1083, 37.1084, 37.1085,   37.1086, 37.109, 37.113, 37.114, 37.1141, 37.115, 37.207, and   37.2071 and Subchapter J, Chapter 37;                      (W)  the early childhood literacy and mathematics   proficiency plans under Section 11.185;                      (X)  the college, career, and military readiness   plans under Section 11.186; and                      (Y)  parental options to retain a student under   Section 28.02124.          SECTION 2.  The heading to Section 21.4552, Education Code,   is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 21.4552.  TEACHER LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT AND READING   INTERVENTION ACADEMIES.          SECTION 3.  Section 21.4552, Education Code, is amended by   amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsections (d-1), (g),   (h), and (i) to read as follows:          (b)  A literacy achievement academy developed under this   section:                (1)  for teachers who provide reading instruction to   students at the kindergarten or first, second, or third grade   level:                      (A)  must include training in:                            (i)  effective and systematic instructional   practices in reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics,   fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; and                            (ii)  the use of empirically validated   instructional methods that are appropriate for struggling readers;   and                      (B)  may include training in effective   instructional practices in writing;                (2)  for teachers who provide reading instruction to   students at the fourth or fifth grade level:                      (A)  must include effective instructional   practices that promote student development of reading   comprehension and inferential and critical thinking;                      (B)  must provide training in the use of   empirically validated instructional methods that are appropriate   for struggling readers; and                      (C)  may include material on writing instruction;                (3)  for teachers who provide reading instruction to   students at the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level, must include   training in:                      (A)  strategies to be implemented in English   language arts and other subject areas for multisyllable word   reading, vocabulary development, and comprehension of expository   and narrative text;                      (B)  an adaptation framework that enables   teachers to respond to differing student strengths and needs,   including adaptations for students of limited English proficiency   or students receiving special education services under Subchapter   A, Chapter 29;                      (C)  collaborative strategies to increase active   student involvement and motivation to read; and                      (D)  other areas identified by the commissioner as   essential components of reading instruction; and                (4)  [ for teachers who provide reading instruction to   students at the seventh or eighth grade level, must include   training in:                      [ (A)     administration of the reading instrument   required by Section 28.006(c-1); and                      [ (B)     interpretation of the results of the reading   instrument required by Section 28.006(c-1) and strategies, based on   scientific research regarding effective reading instruction, for   long-term intensive intervention to target identified student   needs in word recognition, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension;   and                [ (5) ]  for teachers who provide instruction in   mathematics, science, or social studies to students at the sixth,   seventh, or eighth grade level, must include training in:                      (A)  strategies for incorporating reading   instruction into the curriculum for the subject area taught by the   teacher; and                      (B)  other areas identified by the commissioner.          (d)   Except as provided by Subsection (d-1), from funds   provided under Section 48.108 or other available [ From ] funds   [ appropriated for that purpose ], a classroom teacher who provides   instruction to students in kindergarten through third grade and   completes  [ attends ] a literacy achievement academy is entitled to   receive a stipend from the school district in the amount determined   by the commissioner. From funds appropriated for that purpose, a   district may provide a stipend to a classroom teacher who provides   instruction to students in a grade level above third grade.  A   stipend received under this subsection is not considered in   determining whether a school district is paying the classroom   teacher the minimum monthly salary under Section 21.402.           (d-1)     A school district is not required to provide a stipend   under Subsection (d) to a classroom teacher if the teacher:                 (1)     attends the literacy achievement academy as part   of an educator preparation program in which the teacher is   enrolled; [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]