Phoenix, Arizona
REVISED
schools; K-3
reading program
(NOW: school reading program; K-3)
Establishes reading proficiency requirements for K-3 reading programs for school districts and charter schools. Modifies a FY 1998-1999 appropriation of $1 million from the state general fund to the State Board of Education (SBE) to assist school districts in the initial training and continued development of teachers on reading instruction and scientifically based reading research.
Current laws address a number of requirements relating to
reading, including a school district’s curriculum review of reading practices
and provisions for measuring a student’s competency towards meeting the State’s
academic content standards for reading.
Arizona’s Academic Content Standards for Language Arts include reading
standards that require students to “learn and effectively apply a variety of
reading strategies for comprehending, interpreting and evaluating a wide range
of texts including fiction, nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.”
H.B. 2465 establishes additional requirements relating to
K-3 reading programs for school districts and charter schools.
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the
state general fund associated with this bill.
The $1 million state general fund appropriation contained in the bill is
part of the SBE’s annual base support to provide assistance to school districts
in the initial training and continued development of teachers on reading
instruction and scientifically based reading research. This existing funding will be used to cover
the costs associated with this legislation.
1. Establishes the following requirements for each school district or charter school that provides K-3 instruction to pupils:
(a) Select and administer screening, ongoing diagnostic and classroom based instructional reading assessments, including a motivational assessment, as defined by the SBE, to monitor student progress. Each school shall use the diagnostic information to plan appropriate and effective intervention.
(b) Conduct a curriculum evaluation and adopt a scientifically based reading curriculum that includes the essential components of reading instruction.
(c) Provide ongoing teacher training based on scientifically based reading research.
(d) Devote reasonable amounts of time to explicit instruction and independent reading in grades one through three.
2. Requires a pupil in third grade who does not meet or exceed Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test reading standards to be provided intensive reading instruction as defined by the SBE until the pupil meets the standards.
3. Requires each school district governing board and the governing body of each charter school to determine the percentage of pupils at each school in third grade who do not meet the reading standards prescribed by the SBE and measured by the AIMS test.
4. Stipulates that if more than 20 percent of third grade pupils at either the individual school level or the school district level do not meet the reading standards, the governing board or governing body shall conduct a review of its reading program to include curriculum and professional development in light of current, scientifically based reading research.
5. Requires the governing board or governing body and the school principal of each school that does not meet the reading standards, in conjunction with school council members (if applicable) to develop methods of best practices for teaching reading based on essential components of reading instruction and supported by scientifically based reading research.
6. Requires the methods of best practices for teaching reading to be adopted at a public meeting and be implemented during the following academic year.
7. Establishes, in conjunction with governing board or governing body requirements stipulated in the act, to coordinate efforts to develop and implement an improvement plan if such a plan is required as a result of a school’s designated achievement profile.
8. Defines “essential components of reading instruction,” “reading,” and “scientifically based reading research.”
9. Modifies a FY 1998-1999 appropriation of $1 million from the state general fund to the SBE to assist school districts in the initial training and continued development of teachers in research based systemic phonics instruction to allow the base funding for this program to be expended on reading instruction and scientifically based reading research as required by this act.
10. Makes a change to the designation of the separate account in the SBE for which monies are deposited for purposes relating to reading instruction training.
11. Requires the SBE to adopt reading standards that reflect current scientifically based reading research that include definitions for “reading,” “essential components of reading instruction” and “scientifically based reading research” as defined in this act.
12. Removes references to oral and silent reading in grades one through eight, curriculum reviews and evaluations of pedagogical techniques for teaching reading.
13. Makes technical, conforming and clarifying changes.
14. Provides for a general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Education Committee
1. Adds that the classroom based instructional reading assessments also include a motivational assessment for each school district and charter school to select and administer for K-3 reading programs.
2. Replaces the term "reading instruction program" with "reading curriculum."
3. Replaces a reference to "direct instruction" with "explicit instruction."
ED 3/25/02 DPA/SE 7-0-0-3-0 APPROP 4/16/02 DP 11-0-1-0
3rd Read 4/01/02 49-0-11-0 ED 4/18/02 DPA 8-0-0-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
April 19, 2002