House Bill 4545: What It Is & What It Means for Students & Teachers
On June 16, 2021, the Texas legislature activated House Bill 4545. This bill deals with the requirements for accelerated instruction beginning in the coming ‘21-’22 school year and beyond.
This bill from the Texas Education Agency has major ramifications for students, teachers, and parents, but understanding exactly what it means can be a challenge.
We’re here to help explain what HB 4545 means for students and educators, the requirements for accelerated learning that it brings, and the best way to provide accelerated, individualized learning for students who require it under HB 4545.
What Is HB 4545?
HB 4545 states that any student who does not achieve at least ‘Approaches’ in any subject assessed (or did not test for that subject) must receive accelerated instruction.
This rule applies to performance on STAAR and EOC assessments for students in grades 3-12. Students in 3rd, 5th, or 8th-grade math or reading who do not perform satisfactorily on assessments will require special input from an ALC (accelerated learning committee) designed to guide and support their accelerated instruction.
What is Accelerated Learning?
Accelerated learning is a learning style or program designed to ‘catch up’ a student in a specific area in a short period of time, allowing them to get back in step with learning standards and avoid falling further behind.
HB 4545 is designed to identify students who are behind grade level in specific subjects and give them the focused instruction and support to meet or surpass grade-level standards in a relatively short period of time.
HB 4545 Accelerated Learning Requirements
Here are the requirements for accelerated instruction as laid out by the Texas Education Agency website:
- Targeted instruction in the TEK
- Supplements normal instruction
- Minimum 30 total hours during the subsequent summer or school year
- If in the school year, must occur at least once per week
- Must help the student in achieving satisfactory performance
- Must be provided individually or in a group of no more than three students
- Must be provided by a person with training in the applicable instructional materials and under the oversight of the school district
- Must be provided by one person, when possible, for the entirety of the student’s supplemental instruction period
Students cannot be removed from…
- Instruction in grade level content for the foundation curriculum
- Instruction in enrichment curriculum for the grade in which the student is enrolled
- Recess or physical activity that is available to other students enrolled in the same grade
What HB 4545 Means for Students, Schools & Teachers
If you’re a teacher or school looking to support your students who don’t perform at an ‘Approaches’ level or above in one of their STAAR or EOC assessments, HB 4545 offers two options.
A child is assigned to a teacher who is certified as a master, exemplary, or recognized teacher in the relevant subject area for the following school year, ensuring at least once-per-week accelerated instruction with this teacher.
A student receives at least 30 hours of supplemental instruction in the form of tutoring or other learning recovery.
In both cases, individualized learning resources, such as Liftoff, help teachers and schools provide engaging, highly adaptive learning tools to help students achieve the requirements outlined in HB 4545— and boost their learning in the most important areas along the way.
So how can the right learning resource ensure that an accelerated learning program actually accelerates students’ learning and closes their learning gap?
Why Students Need Individualized Learning Resources
Students of all types, and especially those who experience learning loss, academic gaps, or the ‘COVID slide,’ benefit from differentiated learning that’s engaging, rewarding, and customized to the individual needs and learning speeds of every unique student.
Most importantly, individualized learning resources should be fully adaptive, using assessments and other tools to identify each student’s learning level and tailoring their lesson plan and learning process to them. Research shows that incorporating data monitoring into supplemental learning can make learning recovery far more effective.
Individualized Learning for Students Who Need It Most
Aligned with Education Galaxy by Progress Learning and Liftoff, HB 4545 is designed to identify students who are behind grade level in specific subjects and give them the focused instruction and support to meet or surpass grade-level standards in a relatively short period of time.
Education Galaxy by Progress Learning and Liftoff provide differentiated learning for all instructional levels, supporting elementary and middle school students in grades K through 8. With inquiry-based questions that challenge and stimulate students, Progress Learning and Liftoff offers instruction for varied learning needs with everything from English and Spanish language support, data-driven reporting and progress monitoring, and integration with tools such as Google Classroom, Canvas, and NWEA MAP.
Best of all, we are aligned to the Texas TEKS to ensure that learners can meet the requirements and continue on their journey to become not just better learners, but amazing ones!
Want to learn more? Request a demo of Progress Learning today.
