One of the state efforts is the Texas Reading Initiative. Now in its fourth year, the initiative utilizes a scientific research-based, multi-pronged approach that aims to have all children reading at or above grade level by their third-grade year. The program consists of six major components:

1. Leadership development: A key element of the state's professional development efforts is the use of Teacher Reading Academies-intensive, four-day training sessions on scientific research-based reading instruction, for kindergarten and 1st-grade teachers.

2. Diagnostic assessment: The Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) is the primary instrument used to test K-2 students. It measures ability in the areas of print awareness, phonemic awareness, graphophonemic knowledge, oral reading ability, and reading comprehension skills.

3. Comprehensive research-based programs: The state's reading instruction program focuses on oral language, reading, and writing, and emphasizes phonemic awareness, concepts of print, decoding, comprehension strategies, literary response/analysis, inquiry/research, writing to learn, and grammar and spelling.

4. Intermediate intervention: Students identified as struggling readers are placed in accelerated reading programs, and receive an additional 30 minutes of interventional instruction by specially trained teachers.

5. Progress monitoring: Teachers assess individual students' reading performance on an ongoing basis, and provide differentiated instruction that allows them to proceed and succeed at their own pace.

6. End-of-year performance analysis: Student performance is monitored annually via the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and other district-approved assessment instruments.

Excerpt from Governor Rick Perry's Remarks on State of Education in Texas

I believe in a simple premise: every childregardless of financial means, where they live, or the sound of their last nameis entitled to the best education possible.

Education gives power to the life and hopes of every child. Education means empowerment. It means opportunity. It means a brighter future. Now, with the political season upon us, some candidates are trying to prop up their campaigns by tearing down Texas schools and Texas teachers. But as they say out in the rural parts where I grew up, those claims are "all hat and no cattle." The facts speak clearly: Texas public schools, and Texas students, are making outstanding progress.

Too often, children begin kindergarten already behind. We have taken steps in recent years to expand prekindergarten programs, and to adopt a pre-K curriculum. But too many parents are not aware of the learning basics their children should know before starting school.