Assigned to ED AS
PASSED BY COW
Assigned to ED AS
PASSED BY COW
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Third Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
Purpose
Makes various changes to the K-3 Reading Program.
Background
The K-3 Reading Program, also referred to as Move on When Reading (MOWR), was established in 2010 to improve the reading proficiency of students in kindergarten through grade three. Under MOWR, students who obtain a score on the reading portion of the statewide assessment that does not demonstrate sufficient reading skills are prohibited from being promoted to the fourth grade, with certain exceptions outlined in statute. The State Board of Education develops intervention and remedial strategies for students retained in the third grade. Schools are required to offer more than one of the strategies outlined in statute (A.R.S. § 15-701).
School districts and charter schools submit a plan for improving reading proficiency in kindergarten through grade three that includes baseline data on K-3 reading proficiency and a budget for spending monies from both the K-3 support level weight and the K-3 reading support level weight. Statute requires K-3 reading support level weight monies be used only on instructional purposes intended to improve reading proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade. Schools with at least 90 percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches may use grant monies from the Early Literacy Grant Program Fund, awarded on a three‑year cycle on a per pupil basis, for eligible expenses to increase reading proficiency (A.R.S. §§ 15-211 and 15-249.09).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires, as session law, applicants for elementary teaching certificates to complete 45 classroom hours, or three credit hours, in reading instruction, including training on assessments, instructional practices and interventions to improve student reading proficiency.
2. Requires school districts and charter schools to use monies generated by the K-3 reading support level weight only on instructional purposes based on the K-3 reading program plan submitted to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).
3. Requires best practice examples be evidence-based and selected from school districts and charter schools that:
a) demonstrate improvement on third grade reading proficiency; and
b) represent school districts and charter schools in demographic composition, including rural and urban, size and student characteristics.
4. Changes the Early Literacy Grant Program Fund to the Early Literacy Program Fund and requires ADE to award funds to eligible schools, rather than award grants on a three-year cycle, on a per pupil basis, calculated using the student count for pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one, two and three.
5. Requires monies be used to expand, enhance and support the components, rather than supplement and not supplant activities, in a school's reading program plan.
6. Requires eligible schools that receive funds from the Early Literacy Program Fund to submit data on expenditures, results and other information.
7. Requires the notification to instruct the parent to choose, in consultation with the student's teacher, the most appropriate intervention and remedial strategies.
8. Requires diagnostic information to be used to plan evidence-based, appropriate and effective instruction.
9. Includes coaching in the reading trainings or professional development offered by ADE.
10. Specifies the K-3 reading program plan administered by school districts and charter schools must be evidence-based.
11. Adds the definition of student count and modifies the definitions of:
a) eligible expenses;
b) essential components of reading instruction; and
c) reading.
12. Makes technical and conforming changes.
13. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Modifies the Early Literacy Grant Program Fund by eliminating the use of grants, restoring the requirement that monies be awarded on a per pupil basis and requiring schools that receive funds to submit certain data.
2. Removes the provision allowing ADE to use one percent of monies annually for administration.
3. Removes the requirement that ADE consult with state universities on the implementation guidance.
4. Requires best practice examples be selected from school districts and charter schools that demonstrate improvement and represent the demographic composition of schools.
5. Restores the requirement that a third grade English language learner have two years of English language instruction to be promoted from the third grade.
6. Modifies the reading instruction requirement for applicants for a Standard Elementary Teaching Certificate to include training on assessments and removes the requirement that the training be evidence-based.
7. Requires monies generated by the K-3 reading support level weight to be used only on instructional purposes based on the K-3 reading program plan submitted to ADE, rather than on evidence-based instructional programs and practices.
8. Includes coaching, rather than literacy instructional coaching, in the reading trainings or professional development offered by ADE and removes the requirement that the reading trainings offered be evidence-based.
9. Adds and modifies definitions.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
· Moves the new requirement for elementary teaching certificate applicants to complete 45 classroom hours in reading instruction to session law.
House Action Senate Action
ED 2/06/18 DP 9-0-0-2 ED 3/15/18 DPA 7-0-0
3rd Read 2/21/18 59-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
April 5, 2018
BL/lb