HBA-LCA H.B. 1966 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1966 By: Howard Public Education 4/20/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the State Board for Educator Certification is required to propose rules that establish the training requirements a person must accomplish in order to obtain a certificate, enter an internship, or enter an induction-year program. H.B. 1966 provides that those rules must require a person to complete intensive training involving reading instruction in order to obtain a certificate to teach at an elementary grade level. This bill also provides for staff development in reading instruction for teachers who teach kindergarten, grade one, two, or three, or special education. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority previously delegated to the State Board of Education is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 21.044, Education Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 21.044, Education Code, to require the State Board for Educator Certification (board) to propose rules establishing that a person must complete training in reading instruction before obtaining certification for teaching at an elementary grade level. Provides that the training must comprise phonics instruction; spelling and vocabulary skills; diagnosing and intervening in reading deficiencies; scientific research on the development of reading skills; the relationship between reading and other skills areas; teaching reading based on assessment, and other specified areas. Creates subsection from existing text. SECTION 2. Amends Section 21.048(a), Education Code, to provide that the examination for a certificate for an elementary grade level instructor must assess reading instruction skills. SECTION 3. Amends Section 21.451(a), Education Code, to provide that a school district must conduct, for teachers at the kindergarten through third grade levels or teachers of special education, staff development which includes: phonics instruction; spelling and vocabulary skills; diagnosing and intervening in reading deficiencies; scientific research on the development of reading skills; the relationship between reading and other skills areas; and teaching reading based on assessment. Redesignates existing Subdivision (2) to (3). SECTION 4. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000 school year. SECTION 5. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.