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.
Essentially, 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.
Here are the requirements for accelerated instruction as laid out by the Texas Education Agency website:
Students cannot be removed from…
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.
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?
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.
Liftoff is our specialized adaptive intervention program that helps struggling learners be successful, helping recover learning loss through a highly engaging program that meets the qualifications for HB 4545 accelerated learning. It’s a subscription-style platform that can be implemented quickly and immediately to start supporting learners as they seek to meet HB 4545 requirements and leap forward in their learning journey.
Liftoff provides 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, 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 and NWEA MAP.
Best of all, Liftoff is 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? Check out Liftoff from USATestprep today.
