This amendment narrows the K-12 language and literacy program to grades K-6, revises screening and assessment requirements, modifies intervention procedures, and establishes new professional development and endorsement requirements for elementary educators.
- Changes the bill's scope from K-12 to K-6 grades in the catch title and clarifies that school districts must employ or consult with persons holding literacy endorsements and submit improvement plans. (Page 1, lines 4-11)
- Renames 'District language and literacy plan' (DLLP) to 'Multitiered system of support' (MTSS) throughout the bill. (Page 8, lines 13-39)
- Modifies screening requirements to apply to grades 5-6 (or 5 only if grade 6 is not included in elementary school) instead of K-12, and changes terminology from 'DLLP' to 'MTSS'. (Page 8, lines 15-39)
- Removes references to diagnostic assessments and adjusts language regarding universal screeners and assessments. (Page 8, lines 20-22; Page 9, lines 1-14)
- Restricts individualized reading plans (IRPs) to students identified as at risk for poor reading outcomes by universal screeners, removes diagnostic assessment references, and changes implementation timeline from 30 calendar days to 'as soon as reasonably possible'. (Page 9, lines 1-18; Page 12, lines 1-2)
- Changes monitoring frequency for students on IRPs from quarterly during the school year to annually as long as the student remains on an IRP. (Page 12, lines 5-6)
- Removes the requirement for summer literacy camps when 60% or more students are not proficient and eliminates related extended supports provisions. (Page 12, lines 6-14)
- Adds a new requirement beginning school year 2026-2027 that district employees holding elementary, early childhood, exceptional generalist, or exceptional specialist endorsements in grades K-5 must receive at least 14 hours of annual professional development in evidence-based literacy instruction until obtaining a structured literacy certificate, dyslexia specialist, or reading endorsement. (Page 13, lines 11-41; Page 14, lines 1-6)
- Requires each school district starting in 2026-2027 and every three years thereafter to provide at least 3.5 hours of professional development in evidence-based literacy instruction to employees who provide or support instruction in grades K-5 or hold literacy-related endorsements. (Page 14, lines 1-6)
- Establishes a goal that 80% of students in grades K-3 score low risk for reading difficulties by end of school year, requires schools not meeting this goal or showing no improvement over three years to submit improvement plans to the school district by November 15 each year, and authorizes the state superintendent to impose corrective action on districts failing to improve for three consecutive years. (Page 13, lines 18-Page 14, line 6)
- Requires school districts to employ or consult with at least one person holding a structured literacy certificate endorsement, dyslexia specialist endorsement, or reading endorsement to support district literacy professional development. (Page 14, lines 21-27)
- Changes references to 'grade level reading proficiency' to focus instead on the percentage of students in grades K-3 scoring low risk for reading difficulties on literacy screening assessments. (Page 15, lines 1-23)
- Modifies professional development and recommendation requirements, limiting them to kindergarten through grade 6 and removing references to supporting literacy proficiency in a specific manner. (Page 15, lines 1-47)
- Changes endorsement provisions from creating a 'reading specialist endorsement' to creating a 'structured literacy certificate endorsement and a dyslexia specialist endorsement'. (Page 17, lines 11-34)
- Reduces the number of credit hours required for a reading endorsement from 12 to 6. (Page 18, line 1)
- Revises reporting requirements to focus on data for students identified as high risk for reading difficulties in grades K-5 rather than grade level reading proficiency data. (Page 15, lines 14-23)
- Identifies school districts in need of corrective action as an additional reporting requirement. (Page 18, line 45)
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