H.B. No. 123 is a legislative bill aimed at improving kindergarten readiness and enhancing early literacy and numeracy skills among public school students in Texas. The bill amends the Education Code to introduce new requirements for open-enrollment charter schools regarding early childhood literacy and mathematics proficiency plans. It establishes reading intervention academies and mandates school districts to evaluate their effectiveness. Key changes include the redefinition of "accelerated reading instruction programs" to "reading interventions," and the introduction of stipends for teachers attending these academies, which will not affect minimum salary requirements. The bill also emphasizes the importance of clear communication with parents about their child's performance and ensures that interventions are delivered by trained personnel.

Additionally, the bill allows the commissioner to approve alternative reading instruments for assessing foundational literacy skills and requires school districts to administer these instruments by the 60th day of the school year. It ensures that student performance on these assessments is not used for accountability purposes, focusing instead on student development. The bill mandates that at-risk students receive reading interventions until they are no longer deemed at risk, while also allowing parents to opt their children out of these interventions. Furthermore, it introduces funding provisions for reading interventions and supplementary supports, establishes qualifications for teachers in prekindergarten programs, and sets a timeline for implementation, with most provisions taking effect in the 2025-2026 school year.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 12.104, Education Code 21.4552, Education Code 21.4553, Education Code 25.085, Education Code 37.008, Education Code 28.006, Education Code 29.1543, Education Code 29.161, Education Code 29.167, Education Code 29.934, Education Code 39.333, Education Code 48.0051, Education Code 48.108, Education Code 48.257, Subchapter G, Chapter , Education Code 48.0051 (Education Code 29, Subchapter G, Chapter , Education Code 48, Education Code 37, Education Code 21, Education Code 12, Education Code 39, Education Code 25, Education Code 28, Education Code 48)
House Committee Report: Education Code 12.104, Education Code 21.4552, Education Code 21.4553, Education Code 25.085, Education Code 37.008, Education Code 28.006, Education Code 29.0031, Education Code 29.1543, Education Code 29.161, Education Code 29.167, Education Code 38.003, Education Code 39.333, Education Code 48.108 (Education Code 29, Subchapter G, Chapter , Education Code 48, Education Code 37, Education Code 21, Education Code 12, Education Code 38, Education Code 39, Education Code 25, Education Code 28, Education Code 48)
Engrossed: Education Code 12.104, Education Code 21.4552, Education Code 21.4553, Education Code 25.085, Education Code 37.008, Education Code 28.006, Education Code 29.0031, Education Code 29.1543, Education Code 29.161, Education Code 29.167, Education Code 38.003, Education Code 39.333, Education Code 48.108 (Education Code 29, Subchapter G, Chapter , Education Code 48, Education Code 37, Education Code 21, Education Code 12, Education Code 38, Education Code 39, Education Code 25, Education Code 28, Education Code 48)
Senate Committee Report: Education Code 12.104, Education Code 21.4552, Education Code 21.4553, Education Code 25.085, Education Code 37.008, Education Code 28.006, Education Code 29.0031, Education Code 29.1543, Education Code 29.161, Education Code 29.167, Education Code 38.003, Education Code 39.333, Education Code 48.108 (Education Code 29, Subchapter G, Chapter , Education Code 48, Education Code 37, Education Code 21, Education Code 12, Education Code 38, Education Code 39, Education Code 25, Education Code 28, Education Code 48)