(a) Science of Teaching Reading (STR) Standards. The STR standards identified in this section are targeted for classroom teachers of early learners (birth through age eight). The standards address the discipline that deals with the theory and practice of teaching early reading. The standards inform proper teaching techniques, strategies, teacher actions, teacher judgements, and decisions by taking into consideration theories of learning, understandings of students and their needs, and the backgrounds and interests of individual students. The standards are also aligned with the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines and Chapter 110 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading). The standards address early reading content knowledge in Prekindergarten-Grade 6, with an emphasis on Prekindergarten-Grade 3, in order to meet the needs of all early learners and address vertical alignment. Candidates in the following categories of classroom teachers will be assessed by the STR standards:
  (1) Early Childhood: Prekindergarten-Grade 3;
  (2) Core Subjects with Science of Teaching Reading: Early Childhood-Grade 6;
  (3) Core Subjects with Science of Teaching Reading: Grades 4-8;
  (4) English Language Arts and Reading with Science of Teaching Reading: Grades 4-8; and
  (5) English Language Arts and Reading/Social Studies with Science of Teaching Reading: Grades 4-8.
(b) Knowledge of Reading Development Components. Classroom teachers identified in subsection (a) of this section demonstrate understanding of Kindergarten-Grade 6 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines pertaining to reading and apply knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment, and instructional practices to promote students' development of grade level skills within the following components of reading:
  (1) oral language development;
  (2) print awareness and alphabet knowledge;
  (3) phonological and phonemic awareness;
  (4) phonics (decoding and encoding);
  (5) reading fluency;
  (6) vocabulary development;
  (7) syllabication and morphemic analysis;
  (8) comprehension of literary text;
  (9) comprehension of informational text; and
  (10) beginning strategies and reading comprehension skills.
(c) Reading Pedagogy. Classroom teachers identified in subsection (a) of this section demonstrate understanding of the principles of reading instruction and assessment and use a range of instructional strategies and assessment methods to promote students' development of foundational reading skills, including:
  (1) providing explicit, systematic instruction that is sequential and multimodal (e.g., sequential lessons, gradual release model, structured literacy);
  (2) implementing both formal and informal methods of measuring student progress in early reading development;
  (3) implementing, designing, and executing developmentally appropriate, standards-driven instruction that reflect evidence-based best practices; and
  (4) acquiring, analyzing, and using background information (familial, cultural, educational, linguistic, and developmental characteristics) to engage all students in reading, including students with exceptional needs and English learners.

Source Note: The provisions of this §235.101 adopted to be effective October 15, 2020, 45 TexReg 7261