Educators and Families

Texas students have experienced academic growth post-Covid but learning acceleration is still critically needed, particularly in Math. On the 2022 STAAR, only 52% of students met grade level expectations in Reading Language Arts while only 40% of students met grade level in math.1 Opportunity: Evidence suggests that high impact tutoring can have a significant impact on outcomes for students.    

Accelerated Instruction Requirements

Texas law requires all students who do not achieve approaches or higher on STAAR grades 3 through 8 or EOC assessments be provided accelerated instruction. These requirements, modified by House Bill 4545 from the 87th legislature and recently updated with the passage of House Bill 1416 in the 88th legislature, provide that qualifying students must be: 

• Assigned a TIA designated teacher for the subsequent school year in the applicable subject area; OR  

• Provided supplemental instruction aligned with the research on high impact tutoring in the TEKS for the applicable grade levels and subject area in the following manner: 

      o No less than 15 or 30 hours* depending on student performance and is provided in the summer or at least once per week in the school year; o Limited to two subjects per year, prioritizing math and RLA; 

      o Provided in a group of no more than four students, unless the parent or guardian of each student in the group authorizes a larger group; 

      o Designed to assist the student in achieving satisfactory performance in the applicable grade level and subject area and includes effective instructional materials designed for supplemental instruction;  

      o Provided by a person with training in the applicable instructional materials for the supplemental instruction and provided by one person for the entirety of their accelerated instruction. 

*HB 1416 requires TEA to define requirements for students requiring 30 hours of supplemental instruction through the rulemaking process. TEA will propose rules that will provide that students who fall into the "Low Does Not Meet" category of STAAR performance receive no less than 30 hours of supplemental instruction. The rules will also provide that students in third grade who do not approach grade level or higher will be required to receive 30 hours of supplemental instruction.

To learn about what has changed in accelerated instruction requirements from HB 1416 and to see the complete list of frequently asked questions, visit the TEA Accelerated Instruction webpage. 

https://tea.texas.gov/academics/learning-support-and-programs/accelerated-instruction

For any student who does not pass the STAAR test in grades 3–8 or STAAR (EOC) end-of-course assessments, clarification of prior accelerated instruction requirements, specifying that it must include either:

• Being assigned a classroom teacher who is a certified master, exemplary, or recognized teacher or
• Receiving supplemental instruction (tutoring) before or after school, or embedded in the school day

If you have questions or concerns related to interventions in Houston Independent School District, contact a member of the Interventions Office by clicking here or email HISDInterventionsOffice@houstonisd.org.