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Committee considers expanding early-intervention literacy program to include math and model students in HB 628
Summary
Representative Nicola Cakos proposed HB 628 to expand the state's early-literacy targeted-intervention program to include numeracy and permit a limited number of on-target "model" students to join intervention cohorts; OPI and early-childhood advocates supported the optional, local approach.
Representative Nicola Cakos introduced House Bill 628 to expand the state's early-literacy targeted-intervention program to include numeracy (math) and to permit a limited number of on-target or "model" students to participate in targeted intervention groups alongside students who qualify for services.
The sponsor said the change is optional and local: districts may include model students to improve peer learning and to allow small cohorts to operate financially. "This is completely optional so if you don't have the space ... it is completely optional and completely local," the sponsor told the committee.
Early-childhood advocates and the Office of Public Instruction supported the bill. OPI emphasized that the bill requires data collection to measure program effectiveness and that adding numeracy aligns with research showing early numeracy predicts later academic achievement. OPI said the board has already adopted rules for early-literacy evaluation methodology and that the bill corrects an assessment-window issue that previously limited assessments to spring months.
Supporters said including model students can help districts run programs efficiently and promote peer mentoring, and stakeholder witnesses described the bill as family-friendly because sibling pairs can attend the same summer or intervention program.
No opponents were recorded in the hearing transcript. Committee questions focused on the evaluation methodology, how scholastic-literacy is defined in rule, and whether the standards and assessment-by-grade remain appropriate when numeracy is added. The Board of Public Education's executive director also testified about rules the board adopted for early-intervention evaluation and offered to work with the sponsor on methodology details.
Ending: HB 628 drew broad support from early-childhood advocates, OPI and school-administration witnesses. The measure is optional at the local level, adds numeracy to the targeted interventions, and requires data collection; the committee requested technical work with the board to align methodologies before further action.
