Vermont S 15: An act relating to providing supplemental reading instruction in all schools

Bill Text

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VT LEG #379782 v.1
S.15 1
Introduced by Senator Gulick 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Education; literacy 5
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to amend 16 6
V.S.A. § 2903 to require all schools to provide supplemental reading 7
instruction to any enrolled student whose reading proficiency falls below 8
proficiency standards for the student’s grade level or whose reading 9
proficiency prevents progress in school. 10
An act relating to providing supplemental reading instruction in all schools 11
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 2903 is amended to read: 13
§ 2903. PREVENTING EARLY SCHOOL FAILURE; READING 14
INSTRUCTION 15
(a) Statement of policy. The ability to read is critical to success in learning. 16
Children who fail to read by the end of the first grade will likely fall further 17
behind in school. The personal and economic costs of reading failure are 18
enormous both while the student remains in school and long afterward. All 19
students need to receive systematic and explicit evidence-based reading 20

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VT LEG #379782 v.1
instruction in the early grades from a teacher who is skilled in teaching the 1
foundational components of reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics, 2
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Students who require intensive 3
supplemental instruction tailored to the unique difficulties encountered shall be 4
provided those additional supports by an appropriately trained education 5
professional. 6
(b) Foundation for literacy. 7
(1) The Agency of Education, in collaboration with the State Board of 8
Education, the Agency of Human Services, higher education, literacy 9
organizations, and others, shall develop a plan for establishing a 10
comprehensive system of services for early education in public schools that 11
offer instruction in grades kindergarten through grade three to ensure that all 12
students learn to read by the end of the third grade. The plan shall be updated 13
at least once every five years following its initial submission in 1998. 14
(2) Approved independent schools that are eligible to receive public 15
tuition shall develop a grade-level appropriate school literacy plan that is 16
informed by student needs and assessment data. The plan may include 17
identification of a literacy vision, goals, and priorities and shall address the 18
following topics: 19
(A) measures and indicators; 20

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VT LEG #379782 v.1
(B) screening, assessment, instruction and intervention, and progress 1
monitoring, consistent with section 2907 of this title; and 2
(C) professional learning activities consistent with section 1710 of 3
this title. 4
(c) Reading instruction. A public school or approved independent school 5
that is eligible to receive public tuition that offers instruction in grades 6
kindergarten, one, two, or three shall provide systematic and explicit evidence-7
based reading instruction to all students. In addition, such all public schools 8
and approved independent schools that are eligible to receive public tuition 9
shall provide supplemental reading instruction to any enrolled student whose 10
reading proficiency falls below proficiency standards for the student’s grade 11
level or whose reading proficiency prevents progress in school. Schools shall 12
provide support and information to the parents and legal guardians of such 13
students regarding the student’s current level of reading proficiency, which 14
shall be based on valid and reliable assessments. 15
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 16
This act shall take effect on passage. 17