What is HB4545 and How Does it Affect Accelerated Learning?

Texas schools have new requirements that ensure their students achieve specific learning targets. These requirements are laid out in House Bill (HB) 4545.

Now that this new bill has been passed, you may find yourself wondering how it’ll affect your classroom. Specifically, you may wonder how it’ll affect accelerated learning.

How HB 4545 Affects Accelerated Learning

There are new requirements set forth according to HB 4545. These are being implemented in schools that offer accelerated instruction, and will have an impact on your students’ education in several different ways.

Implications for Scheduling and Staffing

Staffing and scheduling are the areas that’ll require the most changes. There are several reasons for this:

• Parents can choose their student’s teacher each school year.
• One tutor per three or less students. 
• Schools will require additional staff to ensure that students receive supplemental instruction throughout their school day. Hiring additional staff will be even more vital if this instruction takes place at a secondary campus. 
• Balancing the instructional time for each class period will require shortening some class periods throughout the week. These adjustments will also be necessary on the elementary level. Here foundation and enrichment curriculum will most likely be shortened to make the necessary room in the schedule.
• Students who don’t need supplemental instruction will still need to be taken into consideration. These students will need to have some type of foundational or enrichment curriculum (e.g., club participation, personal skill-building, extracurricular activities) offered during supplemental instruction periods. Some schools may also use this time to offer a peer tutoring program for students who need help but don’t need specialized intervention. For this to work it’s necessary to look at students’ interests and staff’s talents. Unfortunately, students in need of help would miss out on these types of activities. 

Implications for High Impact Tutoring 

HB 4545 will also have implications in regards to high-impact skill-building tutoring. These tutoring programs are necessary because they result in substantial learning gains. 

In this tutoring, well-trained, consistent tutors focus on each student’s individual needs. They achieve this by keeping the groups to (at most) three students. During these sessions, tutors utilize materials that complement the curriculum that’s already in place. 

Although the Texas Education Agency (TEA) highly recommends these programs, many school districts will find it challenging to staff them. Senate Bill (SB) 288 and SB 1356 have been introduced to ensure such staffing is made available. These Senate Bills allow school districts to hire retired teachers to help here.

Overall Implications

The Accelerated Learning Committee (ALC) will replace the Grade Placement Committee (GPC). The ALC is responsible for developing individualized educational plans for any student who didn’t pass the STAAR test for math or reading starting in spring 2021. They’ll also be responsible for communicating with the child’s parents and monitoring these students’ progress.

Under HB 4545, parents are also given the ability to choose a teacher for their child in the applicable subject matter for the following year. Furthermore, parents must also have a way in which to file a formal grievance.

Once established that the child meets the accelerated learning requirements, schools are responsible for stepping up. They must provide students with 30 hours of specialized instruction throughout the 2021 – 2022 school year or in the summer of 2022. A certified teacher must lead this instruction in the applicable subject matter. If this education occurs throughout the summertime, it must still meet the requirements outlined in HB 4545.

Students who require accelerated learning also have certain rights. Schools can’t remove them from any of the following:

• Instruction in English, math, science, or social studies that are appropriate for their grade level
• Instruction in enrichment curriculum that’s deemed appropriate for the student’s grade level
• Recess or physical education that’s provided to other students in their grade level

Coping with the Effects of HB 4545 on Accelerated Learning

Some things are bound to change because of this bill. It’ll be an adjustment for everyone who’s involved. If you need some help making these adjustments in your classroom, De Alba Math Center is here for you. 

We have a wide array of materials to choose from for use when offering accelerated learning instruction. These materials won’t only serve to make your life easier, they’ll also give your students the additional support they need.. 

Our solutions allow access through Microsoft Teams, Summit Learning, and Google Classroom, where students can access our instructional videos and print De Alba Math-handouts and foldables. We also provide printed resources like workbooks for students to use as consumables.

Contact us today and find out how we can support your classroom learning experience, no matter where it takes you.