Connecticut SB 220: AN ACT CONCERNING STUDENT LITERACY, ASPIRING EDUCATORS, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AS PART OF THE WORLD LANGUAGES CURRICULUM AND THE PARAEDUCATOR HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN SUBSIDY PROGRAM.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 220
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 1576

Referred to Committee on EDUCATION

Introduced by:
(ED)

AN ACT CONCERNING STUDENT LITERACY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) For the school year 1
commencing July 1, 2026, and each school year thereafter, each local and 2
regional board of education shall develop an individual reading plan 3
for each student (1) enrolled in grade four to nine, inclusive, whose score 4
on the English Language Arts portion of the mastery examination, 5
pursuant to section 10-14n of the general statutes, is a level 1 or level 2 6
achievement level for the prior school year, or (2) who did not meet such 7
student's growth target score in the English Language Arts portion of 8
the mastery examination for the prior school year, as determined by the 9
State Board of Education. 10
(b) Each student's individual reading plan shall (1) be based on the 11
student's results on an approved reading assessment, as described in 12
section 10-14t of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and any 13
other relevant literacy assessments administered by the school district, 14
(2) identify specific reading deficiencies and goals for improvement for 15
the student, (3) specify those evidence-based instructional interventions 16

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and supports that will be provided to the student, which may include, 17
but need not be limited to, high-dosage tutoring in reading during or 18
outside of the regular school day and summer instructional 19
programming, (4) be developed, implemented and monitored by a 20
school literacy team that includes, as practicable, the student's 21
classroom teacher, a certified specialist in remedial reading and 22
language arts and a representative of the school administration, and (5) 23
include a description of how the student's parent or guardian will be 24
informed about the student's progress and supported in promoting 25
literacy at home. 26
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or reduce any 27
obligation under section 10-265g or 10-265l of the general statutes of a 28
local or regional board of education for a priority school district 29
pursuant to section 10-266p of the general statutes. 30
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section, "high-31
dosage literacy tutoring" means supplemental reading instruction that 32
is (1) evidence based, (2) aligned with the curriculum used for core 33
reading instruction, and (3) provided (A) by a trained tutor in a ratio of 34
not more than four students per tutor, (B) at least three times per week 35
for not less than thirty minutes per session, and (C) during the regular 36
school day or, in addition to such regular school day, after school or 37
during the summer. 38
(b) The Commissioner of Education shall establish a competitive 39
grant program to assist local and regional boards of education in 40
providing high-dosage literacy tutoring to students in grades four to 41
nine, inclusive, for which an individual reading plan has been 42
developed in accordance with the provisions of section 1 of this act. 43
(c) In awarding grants under this section, the commissioner shall give 44
priority to a board of education (1) for a town designated as an alliance 45
district pursuant to section 10-262u of the general statutes, or (2) that 46
submits a plan demonstrating how such high-dosage literacy tutoring 47

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will be provided in accordance with students' individual reading plans. 48
(d) The commissioner may accept gifts, grants and donations, from 49
any source, public or private, to implement the provisions of this 50
section. 51
Sec. 3. Section 10-14t of the general statutes is repealed and the 52
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 53
(a) The Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success, established 54
pursuant to section 10-14gg, shall [compile] adopt a list of required 55
reading assessments, with consideration given to the recommendations 56
set forth in appendix g of the final report of the task force established 57
pursuant to special act 19-8, [for use] to be administered by local and 58
regional boards of education, in accordance with the provisions of 59
subsection (b) of this section and the guidance provided pursuant to 60
subsection (c) of this section, for the school year commencing July 1, 61
[2023] 2026, and each school year thereafter, to identify students in 62
kindergarten to grade three, inclusive, who are below proficiency in 63
reading, provided any such reading assessments include frequent 64
screening and progress monitoring of students. Such reading 65
assessments shall (1) be brief, (2) be evidence-based, as defined in 20 66
USC 7801(21), with proven psychometrics for validity, (3) measure oral 67
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