Addressing the requirements in House Bill 3 as they pertain to early elementary literacy achievement.

Rationale for bill: Only 4 out of 10 students met grade 3 reading standards in 2018; in 2017, Texas children ranked 46th in the nation in grade 4 reading proficiency; since 2007, Texas’ reading scores have flatlined and declined compared to national averages as measured by NAEP.

The school finance bill, House Bill 3 (HB 3) was passed by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019 and signed by Governor Greg Abbott. According to the Office of Government Relations of Texas Education Agency (TEA), the bill can be viewed through the lens of four major policy areas:

• Supports Teachers and Rewards Teacher Excellence
• Focuses on Learning and Improving Student Outcomes
• Increases Funding and Equity
• Reduces and Reforms Property Taxes and Recapture

HB 3 invests a funding increase in proven initiatives that result in academic achievement for all students. The public education component receives $6.5 billion dedicated to Texas classrooms, increased teacher compensation, reduced recapture, and reductions in local property taxes. Examples of other topics affected by HB 3 include Pre-K funding, Special Education, Teacher Retirement System, Extended Year Incentives, and Transportation.

TEA recognizes that reading and writing are foundational to school success. A direct impact of HB 3 for Texas public schools is in English Language Arts and Reading. The bill emphasizes that all students will be provided high-quality reading and writing instruction and have access to highly effective teachers. With essential reading practices being addressed by House Bill 3, teachers must be equipped with instructional materials and the skills necessary for students to acquire a sound foundation in reading and writing.

For specific information, visit https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/HB3_Bill_Summary.pdf.

ThinkUp! ELAR equips Mentoring Minds customers with a rich resource to facilitate a strong instructional focus for your students.

The student edition and teacher edition provide your students multiple opportunities for quality learning experiences that promote the development of literacy skills. ThinkUp! ELAR builds confidence and stamina as students comprehend and analyze literary and informational texts and respond using a variety of formats that mirror assessment situations. In addition, students are offered intensive practice in vocabulary development and language skills, and they make reading-writing connections and utilize speaking/listening, research, and thinking skills as they complete Performance Task Assessments. ThinkUp! ELAR features a variety of components and instructional approaches that focus on working within a strand or across multiple strands in order to support students as they apply and demonstrate mastery of the TEKS.

According to HB 3, resources and supporting materials should demonstrate support for reading improvement practices as required by the Texas Education Agency.

Download the PDF below to view our full evidence documentation.

This document will show the alignment of ThinkUp! ELAR with the requirements and evidence-based reading methods that support the development of skilled readers. More specifically, the intent of Mentoring Minds is to convey how the identified resource addresses the bulleted requirements in HB 3 as they pertain to early elementary literacy achievement.