TEACHER LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT AND READING INTERVENTION ACADEMIES.

(a) The commissioner shall develop and make available literacy achievement academies for teachers who provide reading instruction to students at any grade level.

(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 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.

(b-1) The completion of a literacy achievement academy under this section by an educator who teaches students with dyslexia satisfies:

(1) the training requirement under Section 21.054(b); and

(2) a training requirement adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to Section 38.003 related to the screening or treatment of a student for dyslexia or a related disorder.

(c) The commissioner shall adopt criteria for selecting teachers who may attend a literacy achievement academy. In adopting selection criteria under this subsection, the commissioner shall:

(1) require a teacher to attend a literacy achievement academy if the teacher provides instruction in reading, mathematics, science, or social studies to students at the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level at a campus that fails to satisfy any standard under Section 39.054(e) on the basis of student performance on the reading language arts assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(a) to students in any grade level at the campus;

(2) grant priority to teachers employed by a school district at a campus at which 50 percent or more of the students enrolled are educationally disadvantaged; and

(3) provide a process through which a teacher not employed at a campus described by Subdivision (2) may attend the academy if the academy has available space and the school district employing the teacher pays the costs of the teacher's attendance.

(d) Except as provided by Subsection (d-1), from funds provided under Section 48.108 or other available funds, a classroom teacher who provides instruction to students in kindergarten through third grade and completes 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;

(2) attends the literacy achievement academy on a day or during hours of service included in the term of the teacher's contract; or

(3) is not directed or approved by the school district at which the teacher is employed to attend the literacy achievement academy.

(e) On request of the commissioner, regional education service centers shall assist the commissioner and agency with training and other activities relating to the development and operation of literacy achievement academies.

(f) From money appropriated or otherwise available for the purpose, including an allotment under Section 48.108, a school district shall provide to an educator preparation program for each teacher enrolled in the educator preparation program who holds an intern with preservice experience certificate under Section 21.0412(a)(3) and completes a literacy achievement academy under this section while employed by the district a one-time payment of $1,000 or another amount set by the agency.

(g) The agency shall develop a method for evaluating a literacy achievement academy to determine the effectiveness of the academy, including whether the academy improves teaching practices and student literacy proficiency. A school district or open-enrollment charter school shall provide any information requested by the agency for purposes of evaluating literacy achievement academies under this subsection.

(h) In addition to the literacy achievement academies developed under Subsection (a), the commissioner shall develop and make available reading intervention academies for teachers or other professionals who provide reading interventions to students who require targeted instruction in foundational reading skills.

(i) The commissioner may establish an advisory board to assist the agency in fulfilling the agency's duties under this section. A recommendation of the advisory board shall be made available to the public. Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to an advisory board established under this subsection.