“I think the first thing we’ve got to all agree on is that we’ve got a problem. ... Between pre-K and third grade, you learn to read, and after that, you read to learn. And so if you never learn to read, learning is going to become next to impossible,” bill author Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, said on the House floor May 6.
Dutton’s House Bill 123 would require public school districts to track students’ literacy and numeracy skills from kindergarten through third grade. Proponents of the legislation have said it would help educators catch students who are falling behind.
The Texas Senate passed a similar proposal, Senate Bill 2252, in April. Bills must be approved by both chambers before they can become law.
What you need to know
Under HB 123, schools would administer math and reading “screeners,” which measure comprehension and development, up to three times per school year for K-3 students.
Students throughout Texas currently take reading screeners at the beginning of kindergarten, though there is not a similar requirement for math. All students begin taking the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness in third grade, but experts have said it is important for schools to catch literacy and numeracy deficiencies earlier.
“The importance of foundational skills in math and reading cannot be overstated,” said Trista Bishop-Watts, the government relations director for the education nonprofit Good Reason Houston, during an April 1 hearing on the Senate proposal. “Research shows third grade is a critical juncture for a student's academic trajectory, making high-quality instruction in grades pre-K through [second] critical to career and academic success.”
Districts would be required to provide intervention and support, such as small-group instruction or individual tutoring, for students who fail the screeners at least twice in a row. The assessments would be free for schools to provide and students’ results would be shared with their parents, according to the bill.
“We don't have a choice but to do something about the number of children we have that are failing to read by third grade and failing [in] math,” Dutton said May 6.
During the April 1 hearing, Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, asked witnesses what would happen if Texas does not invest in early literacy and numeracy.
“We’re going to continue to see an illiterate society,” said Audrey Young, a member of the State Board of Education and a former educator.
More details
On the House floor, some lawmakers expressed concerns that HB 123 would create more testing requirements for young students.
“I've got five children myself, and what I'm concerned about is, I've seen what all the standardized testing does. ... I've seen the stress it puts on my children from the time they were in kindergarten,” Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, said May 6. “My question is, how many tests are we adding under the bill?”
Dutton said the screeners differ from exams in that they would be used to identify potential learning deficiencies and students would not be graded on their performance. The screeners would take students about 15-20 minutes to complete, he said.
Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, amended HB 123 to prohibit the screening assessments from factoring into schools’ annual accountability ratings.
“I am okay with tests being given to assess where kids are at and to figure out how to give them the help they need,” she said May 6. “I am not okay with testing or assessments being used for high-stakes accountability.”
Zooming in
State data shows students have struggled to return to pre-coronavirus pandemic test scores in math. Across Texas, the percentage of students approaching grade level, or passing, the math State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness declined for every grade from spring 2023 to spring 2024, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
“I've always considered myself a math person, but I know that is not true for everyone,” Gabe Grantham, an education policy adviser for the nonpartisan think tank Texas 2036, said during the April 1 hearing. “In conversations about literacy and numeracy over the past year, I've noticed that no one is really saying they're not a reading person. We universally recognize literacy as essential, and math is often treated as an option.”
Grantham said Texas must improve math proficiency to set students up for success and meet future workforce needs.
HB 123 would also require kindergarten through third grade teachers to attend professional development academies to refine their instructional skills in math and reading. Teachers who complete the academies would receive stipends, Dutton said.
Over half of Texas math teachers have less than 10 years of experience in the subject, according to a Texas 2036 report, and about one-fourth of math teachers have three years of experience or less.
