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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the education of public school students with dyslexia, |
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the education and training of educators who teach students with |
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dyslexia, and the assessment of students with dyslexia attending an |
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institution of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.044, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.044. EDUCATOR PREPARATION. (a) The board shall |
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propose rules establishing the training requirements a person must |
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accomplish to obtain a certificate, enter an internship, or enter |
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an induction-year program. The board shall specify the minimum |
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academic qualifications required for a certificate. |
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(b) Any minimum academic qualifications for a certificate |
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specified under Subsection (a) that require a person to possess a |
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bachelor's degree must also require that the person receive, as |
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part of the curriculum for that degree, instruction in detection |
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and education of students with dyslexia. |
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(c) The instruction under Subsection (b) must: |
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(1) be developed by a panel of experts in the diagnosis |
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and treatment of dyslexia who are: |
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(A) employed by institutions of higher |
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education; and |
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(B) approved by the board; and |
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(2) include information on: |
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(A) characteristics of dyslexia; |
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(B) identification of dyslexia; and |
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(C) effective, multisensory strategies for |
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teaching students with dyslexia. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.054, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (b) and (c) to read as follows: |
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(b) Continuing education requirements for an educator who |
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teaches students with dyslexia must include training regarding new |
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research and practices in educating students with dyslexia. |
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(c) The training required under Subsection (b) may be |
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offered in an online course. |
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SECTION 3. Section 38.003, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Students enrolling in public schools in this state, |
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regardless of the grade level at which they enroll, shall be tested |
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for dyslexia and related disorders at appropriate times in |
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accordance with a program approved by the State Board of Education. |
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(b) In accordance with the program approved by the State |
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Board of Education, the board of trustees of each school district |
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shall provide for the treatment of any student determined to have |
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dyslexia or a related disorder, regardless of the grade level of the |
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student. |
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(b-1) Unless otherwise provided by law, a student |
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determined to have dyslexia during testing under Subsection (a) or |
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accommodated because of dyslexia may not be retested for dyslexia |
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for the purpose of reassessing the student's need for |
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accommodations until the district reevaluates the information |
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obtained from previous testing of the student. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 38.0031 and 38.0032 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 38.0031. DYSLEXIA INFORMATION. A school district |
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shall provide the parent or guardian of each student attending |
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kindergarten in the district with information describing |
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characteristics of and effective treatment for dyslexia. |
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Sec. 38.0032. CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY PLAN FOR STUDENTS WITH |
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DYSLEXIA. (a) The agency shall develop a plan for integrating |
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technology into the classroom to help accommodate students with |
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dyslexia. The plan must: |
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(1) determine the classroom technologies that are |
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useful and practical in assisting public schools in accommodating |
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students with dyslexia, considering budget constraints of school |
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districts; and |
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(2) develop a strategy for providing those effective |
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technologies to students. |
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(b) The agency shall provide the plan and information about |
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the availability and benefits of the technologies identified under |
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Subsection (a)(1) to school districts. |
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(c) The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring each |
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school district to provide the plan adopted under this section and |
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the information described by Subsection (b) to: |
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(1) educators in the district who teach students with |
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dyslexia; and |
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(2) students with dyslexia enrolled in the district. |
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SECTION 5. Section 42.006, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) The commissioner shall adopt rules to ensure that, |
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through the Public Education Information Management System, the |
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agency collects and maintains data regarding the number of students |
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with dyslexia enrolled in each school district or open-enrollment |
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charter school. |
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SECTION 6. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.9701 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.9701. ASSESSMENT FOR DYSLEXIA. Unless otherwise |
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provided by law, an institution of higher education as defined by |
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Section 61.003 may not reassess a student determined to have |
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dyslexia for the purpose of assessing the student's need for |
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accommodations until the institution of higher education |
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reevaluates the information obtained from previous assessments of |
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the student. |
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SECTION 7. (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and |
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(c) of this section, this Act applies beginning with the 2011-2012 |
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school year. |
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(b) Section 21.044(b), Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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applies beginning with persons who commence enrollment in an |
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institution of higher education during the 2011-2012 academic year. |
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(c) Section 42.006(e), Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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applies beginning with the 2012-2013 school year. |
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(d) Section 51.9701, Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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applies beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |