281—62.4(256,279) Successful progression for early readers. Each school district shall provide the following:
	62.4(1) Intensive instructional services. A school district will provide students who are persistently at risk in reading with the services specified in Iowa Code section 279.68(2)“a.”
	62.4(2) Reading enhancement and acceleration development initiative. The intensive instructional services described in subrule 62.4(1) will be provided to all students in kindergarten through grade three who are identified as being persistently at risk in reading. The services will meet the specifications in the following paragraphs:
	a. 	A school district will provide intensive instructional services during regular school hours, in addition to the regular reading instruction.
	b. 	A school district will provide a reading curriculum that meets the standards of subrule 62.4(3).
	62.4(3) Reading curriculum for students who are persistently at risk in reading. A curriculum that does not meet the standards of this subrule shall not be used to implement this chapter. To implement this subrule, a school district will provide a curriculum that meets the following guidelines and specifications:
	a. 	Assists students assessed as persistently at risk in reading to develop the skills to read at grade level. Assistance shall include but not be limited to strategies that formally address dyslexia, when appropriate. For purposes of this paragraph, “dyslexia” means a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin, is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities, and may include difficulties that typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction, as well as secondary consequences such as problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
	b. 	Provides skill development in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
	c. 	Is supported by scientifically based research in reading.
	d. 	Is implemented by certified instructional staff with appropriate training and professional development. Such training and professional development will meet the provisions of 281—Chapter 83.
	e. 	Is implemented by certified instructional staff with fidelity, which meets such standards for fidelity of implementation that the department may adopt.
	f. 	Includes a scientifically based and reliable assessment, which meets the provisions of rule 281—62.1(256,279).
	g. 	Provides initial and ongoing analysis of each student’s reading progress, which meets the provisions of rule 281—62.1(256,279), with notice provided to parents pursuant to subrule 62.4(4).
	h. 	Is implemented during regular school hours.
	i. 	Provides a curriculum in core academic subjects to assist the student in maintaining or meeting proficiency levels for the appropriate grade in all academic subjects.
	62.4(4) Parent notice, involvement and support. At a minimum and in addition to other provisions of this chapter, school districts will provide the following to all parents or guardians of students who are persistently at risk in reading:
	a. 	At regular intervals, a school district will apprise the parent or guardian of academic and other progress being made by the student and give the parent or guardian other useful information.
	b. 	In addition to required reading enhancement and acceleration strategies provided to students, a school district will provide parents or guardians of students who are persistently at risk in reading with a plan outlined in a parental contract, including participation in regular parent-guided home reading.
	62.4(5) Report to the department. Each school district will report to the department the specific intensive reading interventions and supports implemented by the school district pursuant to this chapter. The department will annually prescribe the components of required or requested reports.
	62.4(6) Rule of construction: students who are at risk in reading. Subject to paragraphs 62.4(6)“a” and “b,” school districts may voluntarily provide additional services and interventions to students who are “at risk in reading” as defined in subrule 62.3(1).
	a. 	School districts will provide progress monitoring to students who are at risk in reading.
	b. 	If a student who was previously persistently at risk and is currently identified as at risk and falls below the grade-level benchmark on a locally determined number of progress monitoring probes, the student will be provided services under this rule until the next screening assessment administered pursuant to this chapter.
[ARC 7796C, IAB 4/17/24, effective 5/22/24]