Text: SF02215 Text: SF02217 Text: SF02200 - SF02299 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 280.26 IOWA READING INITIATIVE 1 2 PROGRAM. 1 3 1. There shall be established within the department of 1 4 education an Iowa reading initiative program. The intent of 1 5 the program is to provide the necessary resources to support 1 6 additional small group reading instruction to third grade 1 7 students who are determined not to be reading at a rate and 1 8 comprehension level appropriate to the first semester of the 1 9 third grade. The goal of the program is the acceleration of 1 10 the reading rate and comprehension level of students receiving 1 11 additional small group instruction, so that by the end of the 1 12 first semester of fourth grade those students involved in the 1 13 program will have made substantial progress toward, or be 1 14 reading at, a reading level appropriate to the first semester 1 15 of the fourth grade. 1 16 2. Program participants shall be identified based on the 1 17 results of a reading assessment test developed and 1 18 administered by the department of education and given to each 1 19 third grade student enrolled in the public school system 1 20 across the state during the month of September upon entering 1 21 the third grade. Those students scoring one semester or more 1 22 below the reading rate and comprehension level determined 1 23 appropriate for the first semester of the third grade shall 1 24 receive an additional forty minutes of small group reading 1 25 instruction during each school day. A small group receiving 1 26 additional reading instruction shall consist of between three 1 27 to five students per teacher. To supplement the additional 1 28 reading instruction time during the school day, parents of a 1 29 child participating in the program shall agree to commit to 1 30 spending a minimum of twenty minutes each night, during the 1 31 school week, reading to or with their child. 1 32 3. The department shall develop a sample curriculum for 1 33 the additional reading instruction program, incorporating 1 34 strategies practiced and proven to be effective in the reading 1 35 recovery and the early literacy initiative programs at Ohio 2 1 state university. Students in the program shall undergo 2 2 regular assessment and receive reading assignments which 2 3 increase in difficulty as the student progresses through the 2 4 program. Overall progress for each student shall be assessed 2 5 every nine weeks utilizing an assessment tool or mechanism 2 6 developed by the department. Student achievement of more than 2 7 nine weeks of progress in reading rate and comprehension level 2 8 over a nine week period of small group additional reading 2 9 instruction, as determined by the small group instructor, and 2 10 more than one semester of growth in reading rate and 2 11 comprehension during the course of a semester are considered 2 12 indicators of program success. Students involved in the 2 13 program who are determined not to have achieved a reading rate 2 14 and comprehension level appropriate to the first semester of 2 15 the fourth grade by the time the child has completed the 2 16 program shall be evaluated for additional special needs 2 17 testing. 2 18 4. Each area education agency shall receive, out of the 2 19 funds appropriated in section 280.27, funding to employ or 2 20 train as specialists two reading trainers to train third grade 2 21 teachers to provide additional small group reading 2 22 instruction. 2 23 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 280.27 IOWA READING INITIATIVE 2 24 PROGRAM APPROPRIATION. 2 25 1. There is appropriated annually from the general fund of 2 26 the state to the department of education the sum of seventeen 2 27 million dollars to establish, maintain, and administer an Iowa 2 28 reading initiative program pursuant to section 280.26. 2 29 2. Moneys appropriated in subsection 1 shall be allocated 2 30 to area education agencies to employ two small group reading 2 31 instruction trainers per area education agency, and to school 2 32 districts throughout the state on a per pupil basis. The 2 33 amount of moneys allocated to school districts shall be in the 2 34 proportion that the basic enrollment of a district bears to 2 35 the sum of the basic enrollments of all school districts in 3 1 the state for the budget year. 3 2 3. Notwithstanding section 8.33, unencumbered and 3 3 unobligated funds appropriated pursuant to this section which 3 4 are available at the close of the fiscal year shall not revert 3 5 to the general fund of the state but shall remain available 3 6 for expenditure for the purposes designated in this section 3 7 during the succeeding fiscal year. 3 8 EXPLANATION 3 9 This bill provides for the establishment of an Iowa reading 3 10 initiative program. The intent of the program shall be to 3 11 provide additional small group reading instruction to third 3 12 grade students who are determined not to be reading at a rate 3 13 and comprehension level appropriate to their grade level. The 3 14 goal of the program shall be the acceleration of the reading 3 15 rate and comprehension level of students receiving additional 3 16 small group instruction, so that by the end of the first 3 17 semester of fourth grade those students involved in the 3 18 program will have made substantial progress toward, or be 3 19 reading at, a reading level appropriate to their grade level. 3 20 Participants in the program shall be identified based on 3 21 the results of a reading assessment test administered to each 3 22 third grade student enrolled in the public school system 3 23 across the state during the month of September upon entering 3 24 the third grade. A student scoring one semester or more below 3 25 the reading rate and comprehension level determined 3 26 appropriate shall receive an additional 40 minutes of reading 3 27 instruction each school day in a small group of approximately 3 28 three to five students per teacher. Parents would agree to 3 29 supplement the additional reading instruction by spending a 3 30 minimum of 20 minutes each school night reading to or with 3 31 their child. 3 32 The department of education shall develop a sample 3 33 curriculum for the additional reading instruction program, 3 34 incorporating strategies practiced and proven to be effective 3 35 in the reading recovery and early literacy initiative programs 4 1 at Ohio state university. Student progress shall be assessed 4 2 on a regular basis, and assignments shall increase in 4 3 difficulty as the student advances through the program. 4 4 Overall progress for each student shall be assessed every nine 4 5 weeks utilizing an assessment tool or mechanism to be 4 6 developed by the department. Student achievement of more than 4 7 nine weeks of progress in reading rate and comprehension level 4 8 over a nine week period of small group additional reading 4 9 instruction, as determined by the small group instructor, and 4 10 more than one semester of growth in reading rate and 4 11 comprehension during the course of a semester are considered 4 12 indicators of success. Students involved in the program who 4 13 are determined not to have achieved a reading rate and 4 14 comprehension level appropriate to the first semester of the 4 15 fourth grade by the time the child has completed the program 4 16 shall be evaluated for additional special needs testing. 4 17 The bill provides for an appropriation from the general 4 18 fund to the department of education the sum of $17 million to 4 19 establish and administer the program. Each area education 4 20 agency shall receive funding to employ two reading trainers to 4 21 train third grade teachers to provide additional small group 4 22 reading instruction. School districts shall receive funding 4 23 on a per pupil basis, in the proportion that the basic 4 24 enrollment of a district bears to the sum of the basic 4 25 enrollments of all school districts in the state for the 4 26 budget year. The bill provides that unencumbered and 4 27 unobligated funds appropriated pursuant to this section which 4 28 are available at the close of the fiscal year shall not revert 4 29 to the general fund but shall remain available for expenditure 4 30 for the purposes designated during the succeeding fiscal year. 4 31 LSB 3827SS 77 4 32 rn/jw/5
Text: SF02215 Text: SF02217 Text: SF02200 - SF02299 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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