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Senate draft broadens supplemental reading instruction to K–12, changes parent notification language
Summary
Legislative Council said the Senate renamed the statute ‘‘Foundation for Literacy’’ and expanded supplemental reading instruction eligibility from students in K–3 schools to any K–12 student whose reading proficiency falls ‘‘significantly below’’ standards; it also removed statutory detail about parental notification content.
The House Education Committee heard May 14 that the Senate version of H.480 changes the literacy-related supplemental reading instruction statute, widening who must be offered help and altering notification language to parents.
Beth St. James, Office of Legislative Council, said the Senate changed the statute title from a prevention framing to ‘‘foundation for literacy’’ and ‘‘expanded the requirement so that a student in grades K through 12 shall be provided supplemental reading instruction if the student’s proficiency falls significantly below proficiency standards.’’
Under law enacted last year (Act 139), supplemental instruction had applied only to students in schools offering kindergarten through grade 3; St. James said the Senate draft restores broader coverage similar to pre-Act 139 law by making supplemental instruction available to any K–12 student identified as significantly below proficiency. The Senate draft also struck language that had required schools to provide parents with their child’s current level of reading proficiency based on ‘‘valid and reliable assessments’’ and replaced that with a shorter statutory duty that schools ‘‘shall provide support and information to parents and legal guardians,’’ leaving many assessment and notification details to guidance and rule-making.
Committee members asked how ‘‘significantly’’ will be measured; St. James said the agency’s assessment screeners typically incorporate benchmark labels and that AOE guidance would inform how the term is used. She also noted that the phrase about instruction being delivered by ‘‘a teacher who is skilled in teaching the foundational components of reading’’ appears in existing law as a policy statement, not a regulatory certification requirement.
Legislative Council and committee members signaled they expect further testimony from literacy advocates and practitioners later in the day before acting on the text.
