**AUSTIN** – Governor David Acton (R-TX) today announced the filing of the Texas Reading Excellence and Classroom Safety (TRECS) Act, an evidence-based education reform bill designed to ensure every Texas child learns to read proficiently in the early grades and that classrooms remain safe and focused environments for learning. The legislation, modeled after Mississippi’s highly successful Literacy-Based Promotion Act, requires proven science-of-reading methods, mandates teacher training, implements early screening and intensive interventions, establishes a third-grade reading proficiency standard for advancement, and strengthens teacher authority to maintain classroom order. “*Texas students deserve every opportunity to succeed, and reading is the foundation for that success*,” said Governor Acton. “*Mississippi went from near the bottom in national reading rankings to top-tier gains. We can achieve the same results right here in Texas*.” Key provisions of the Texas Reading Excellence and Classroom Safety Act include: - Requiring all kindergarten through third-grade reading instruction to use structured, explicit, systematic methods aligned with the science of reading, banning ineffective guessing-based approaches like three-cueing systems. - Mandating professional development for current teachers and new standards for teacher preparation programs. - Implementing universal early literacy screening and individualized, intensive interventions for students who need extra help. - Requiring third-grade students to demonstrate grade-level reading proficiency on the state test before advancing to fourth grade, with accelerated supports and good-cause exemptions for students who are retained. - Giving teachers primary authority to remove disruptive students from class, with clear processes for review and escalating interventions, while requiring districts to use positive behavior supports. Drawing on solid research, the bill aims for drastic pupil improvement.