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MSDE seeks permission to publish updated COMAR on students at risk for reading difficulties; board grants publication
Summary
MSDE presented a proposed repeal-and-replace of COMAR 13A.03.08 requiring expanded early screening (K–3), three screenings per year, diagnostic follow‑ups, student reading improvement plans, MTSS clarifications, and September reporting; the State Board granted permission to publish the amendments for public comment.
MSDE requested and the State Board granted permission to publish proposed revisions to COMAR 13A.03.08 (Students at Risk for Reading Difficulties). The department said the rewrite aligns the regulation with the State—9s preK–3 comprehensive literacy policy, clarifies screening instruments and personnel, requires more uniform data and reporting, and strengthens multi‑tiered intervention requirements.
Summary of principal changes - Screening coverage and frequency: Screening expanded from universal kindergarten and targeted grades 1–3 to universal screening for all students in kindergarten through grade 3, administered three times a year (fall, winter, spring) with the initial fall screen occurring within the first 60 school days. - Approved instruments and trained administrators: MSDE will require MSDE‑approved screeners that assess the science‑of‑reading components (phonemic awareness, sound–symbol recognition, decoding fluency, rapid naming). Screenings must be administered by trained personnel (e.g., classroom teachers, reading specialists, school psychologists, speech‑language pathologists). - Diagnostic assessments and student reading improvement plans (SRIPs): Students identified at risk must receive a diagnostic survey to pinpoint deficits, and an SRIP must be developed within 30 days specifying interventions, dosage, progress monitoring and parent/guardian notification and collaboration opportunities. - MTSS clarifications: The rewrite defines Tier 1–3 instruction expectations in greater detail and clarifies how tiered instruction intersects with special education services so students with IEPs are not automatically excluded from screening or supplemental interventions. - Data and reporting: LEAs will submit disaggregated screening and progress monitoring results to MSDE by September 1 (rather than July 1) to allow data use in planning for the coming year; reports must be disaggregated by grade, race/ethnicity, disability status, ML status and FRPL eligibility.
Timeline and next steps MSDE plans a two‑step implementation: expand universal screening in 2025–26 (many LEAs already screen three times a year), and the full set of regulatory changes to be implemented in 2026–27, aligning with the preK–3 literacy policy.
Action: The board voted to grant MSDE permission to publish the draft regulation for public comment. MSDE said it will return with final language after the public comment period.
