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.