Region 8 ESC

HB 3 Reading Academies

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Per House Bill 3 (HB 3), passed by the 86th Texas Legislature in June of 2019, all kindergarten through third grade teachers and principals must attend a teacher literacy achievement academy by the 2021-2022 school year. For simplification and to avoid confusion with other grant programs and past literacy achievement academies, the Texas Education Agency is referring to this latest requirement as the HB 3 Reading Academies. House Bill 3 was updated by the 87th Texas Legislature in June 2021, it now states that all kindergarten through third grade teachers and principals must attend a "teacher literacy achievement academy" by the end of the 2022 - 2023 school year. All K-3 teachers, including special education teachers, and principals are required to attend the HB 3 Reading Academies by 2023. Districts (LEAs) continue to have authority to exempt art, health education, music, physical education, speech communication and theatre arts, or theatre teachers.

Overview of

HB 3 Reading Academies

Who is required to take

HB 3 Reading Academies?

All K-3 teachers, including special education teachers, and principals are required to attend the HB 3 Reading Academies by the 2022-2023 school year. Districts (LEAs) continue to have authority to exempt art, health education, music, physical education, speech communication and theatre arts, or theatre teachers.

Both state and local requirements identify individuals who must complete Texas Reading Academies. Districts and charter school have the authority to require additional staff to take the Reading Academies.


Required by HB3

  • K-3 general education classroom teachers

  • K-3 special education classroom teachers

  • Principals who have K-3 classrooms on their campus

General rule of thumb - "teacher of record"


Strongly Encouraged

  • Assistant Principals

  • Reading Interventionists

  • Literacy Coaches

  • Dyslexia Teachers

  • Speech Pathologists

  • Librarians

  • Full-time employees who tutor students in ELAR/SLAR

  • 4th and 5th grade teachers (all content areas)

  • District ELAR Coordinators


Local District Decision

  • Pull out GT teachers

  • Part-time tutors

  • *Math interventionists

  • Hourly interventionists

  • *STEM teachers

  • Pull out TVI teachers

  • Superintendents

  • *Health, Art, PE, and Theatre teachers

*Participation would be rare

For Educators

For School Districts

The mission of the Texas Reading Academies is to equip educators with the knowledge and skills needed to implement evidence-based literacy instruction, assess student progress, and use data to inform instruction so that all Texas children develop a strong foundation in reading and writing.