House File 2136 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2136 BY MASCHER A BILL FOR An Act relating to successful progression for early readers, 1 including intensive summer reading programs and third grade 2 retention of certain students. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5482YH (5) 86 kh/rj

H.F. 2136 Section 1. Section 279.68, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 1 2016, is amended to read as follows: 2 c. Beginning May 1, 2017 2018 , unless the school district 3 is granted a waiver pursuant to subsection 2 , paragraph “e” , 4 if the student’s reading deficiency is not remedied by the 5 end of grade three, as demonstrated by scoring on a locally 6 determined or statewide assessment as provided in section 7 256.7, subsection 31 , the school district shall notify the 8 student’s parent or guardian in writing that the parent or 9 guardian may enroll the student in an intensive summer reading 10 program offered in accordance with subsection 2 , paragraph “e” . 11 If the parent or guardian does not enroll the student in the 12 intensive summer reading program and the student is ineligible 13 for the good cause exemption under subsection 5 , the student 14 shall be retained in grade three pursuant to subsection 3 . 15 If the student is exempt from participating in an intensive 16 summer reading program for good cause, pursuant to subsection 17 5 , or completes the intensive summer reading program but is 18 not reading proficient upon completion of the program, the 19 student may be promoted to grade four, but the school district 20 shall continue to provide the student with intensive reading 21 instruction until the student is proficient in reading as 22 demonstrated by scoring on locally determined or statewide 23 assessments. 24 Sec. 2. Section 279.68, subsection 1, Code 2016, is amended 25 by adding the following new paragraph: 26 NEW PARAGRAPH . d. If funds are appropriated by the general 27 assembly for purposes of implementing this paragraph, unless 28 the school district is granted a waiver pursuant to subsection 29 2, paragraph “e” , beginning May 1, 2018, the school district 30 shall notify, in writing, the parent or guardian of a student 31 enrolled in kindergarten through grade two whose reading 32 deficiency is not remedied by the end of the school year, as 33 demonstrated by scoring on a locally determined or statewide 34 assessment as provided in section 256.7, subsection 31, that 35 -1- LSB 5482YH (5) 86 kh/rj 1/ 3

H.F. 2136 the parent or guardian may enroll the student in an intensive 1 summer reading program offered in accordance with subsection 2 2, paragraph “e” . 3 Sec. 3. Section 279.68, subsection 2, paragraph e, Code 4 2016, is amended to read as follows: 5 e. Offer each summer, beginning in the summer of 2017 6 2018 , unless the school district receives a waiver from this 7 requirement from the department of education for the summer of 8 2017 , an intensive summer literacy reading program for students 9 assessed as exhibiting a substantial deficiency in reading. 10 The program shall meet the criteria and follow the guidelines 11 established pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 53 , paragraph 12 “c” , subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (g). 13 EXPLANATION 14 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 15 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 16 This bill modifies provisions that require school districts 17 to retain in the third grade certain students, and adds a 18 provision to require school districts to offer, under certain 19 conditions, an intensive summer reading program for students in 20 kindergarten through grade two whose reading is deficient. 21 Currently, beginning in the summer of 2017, if a student 22 is identified by a school district as having a substantial 23 deficiency in reading, and the student’s reading deficiency is 24 not remedied by the end of grade three, the school district, 25 unless it has obtained a waiver from the department of 26 education, must notify the student’s parent or guardian that 27 the parent or guardian may enroll the student in an intensive 28 summer reading program. The bill delays the requirement until 29 the summer of 2018 and provides that notification must be in 30 writing. 31 The bill also delays to 2018 provisions relating to 32 a requirement that school districts retain a student in 33 grade three if the student has been identified as having a 34 substantial deficiency in reading, the student’s parent or 35 -2- LSB 5482YH (5) 86 kh/rj 2/ 3

H.F. 2136 guardian did not enroll the student in an intensive summer 1 reading program, and the student does not qualify for a good 2 cause exemption. 3 The bill requires school districts to provide intensive 4 summer reading programs, beginning in the summer of 2018, 5 for students who are enrolled in kindergarten through grade 6 two, but only if the general assembly appropriates funds for 7 the programs. For any year in which the general assembly 8 appropriates funds for such programs, and the school district 9 has not obtained a waiver from the department of education, the 10 school district must, if the reading deficiency of a student 11 enrolled in kindergarten through grade two is not remedied 12 by the end of the school year, as demonstrated by scoring 13 on a locally determined or statewide assessment, notify the 14 student’s parent or guardian in writing that the parent or 15 guardian may enroll the student in an intensive summer reading 16 program. 17 For consistency, the bill changes a reference from 18 “intensive summer literacy program” to “intensive summer 19 reading program”. 20 -3- LSB 5482YH (5) 86 kh/rj 3/ 3