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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
schools; early literacy
Purpose
Establishes a literacy endorsement for qualified teachers with required coursework and training. Creates an entry evaluation tool for kindergarten pupils and outlines parental notification requirements for pupils with reading deficiencies. Establishes a K-3 Reading Program report.
Background
The State Board of Education (SBE) oversees teacher certification and issues teaching certificates. An applicant in good standing with a valid fingerprint clearance card and a valid teaching certificate from another state is eligible for a comparable standard certificate in Arizona. An in-state applicant for a standard teaching certificate may complete the required training through an alternative teacher and administrator preparation program, coursework and experience or professional experience. All certification applicants for common school instruction must complete at least 45 classroom hours or 3 college-level credit hours, or the equivalent, in both research-based: a) systematic phonics instruction; and b) reading instruction, including assessment training, instructional practices and interventions to improve student reading proficiency. Starting July 1, 2021 the instruction must meet dyslexia training requirements (A.R.S. § 15-501.01).
Currently, the SBE must provide universal screening in preschool through grade three to identify pupils as having reading deficiencies. Additionally, school districts and charter schools provide annual written notification to parents of pupils in kindergarten through grade three that a pupil does not demonstrate sufficient reading skills (A.R.S. § 15-701).
Statute directs the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to develop a dyslexia screening plan that ensures each student in kindergarten or grade one in an Arizona public school is screened for indicators of dyslexia, provides guidance for parental notification of students who are identified as having indicators of dyslexia and is developed collaboratively with the ADE-designated dyslexia specialist and other experts. Screening for indicators of dyslexia is based on: 1) phonological and phonemic awareness; 2) rapid naming skills; 3) correspondence between sounds and letters; 4) nonsense word repetition; and 5) sound symbol recognition (A.R.S. § 15-704).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
Dyslexia Training and Screening
1. Delays, from July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2022, the requirement for each school district and charter school to ensure that at least one kindergarten through grade three teacher receives dyslexia training at each school, retroactive to July 1, 2021.
2. Delays, from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2022, the requirement for ADE to develop a dyslexia screening plan, retroactive to July 1, 2020.
3. Includes nonsense word fluency, instead of nonsense word repetition, in the prescribed screening for indicators of dyslexia.
Teaching Certification
4. Requires, beginning August 1, 2025, the SBE to establish a literacy endorsement for all certificated kindergarten through grade five teachers providing literacy instruction and requires a literacy instruction assessment demonstrating a teacher's ability to:
a) effectively teach foundational reading skills, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension;
b) implement reading instruction utilizing high-quality instructional materials; and
c) provide effective instruction and interventions for students with reading deficiencies, including students with characteristics of dyslexia.
5. Deems the SBE will determine training or coursework for the literacy endorsement.
6. Directs the SBE, beginning August 1, 2022, to require all approved educator preparation programs in elementary and early childhood education to stipulate the courses necessary to obtain a literacy endorsement.
7. Requires a certificate holder within three years after certification for elementary education or early childhood education, to complete at least 45 classroom hours or 3 college-level credit hours, or the equivalent, in science of reading instruction, including systematic phonics instruction.
Kindergarten Entry Evaluation
8. Directs the SBE, beginning in the 2022-2023 school year if sufficient monies are appropriated, to adopt a statewide kindergarten entry evaluation tool administered to pupils in kindergarten programs within:
a) 45 calendar days after the start of each school year; or
b) 45 calendar days after a pupil enrolls.
Parental Notification
9. Specifies the annual notification identifying a pupil's reading deficiency is sent to parents within three weeks after identifying a reading deficiency and includes the frequency which the school district or charter school will provide timely updates and information on the pupil's progress towards reading proficiency.
Reading Program Report
10. Requires the SBE to review the K-3 Reading Program and consider any changes to statute, policy or administration to improve student reading proficiency, and review the following:
a) the required information submitted by school districts and charter schools, for the K-3 reading plans, including the manner in which the plans are submitted to ADE and the frequency which school districts and charter schools submit the plans;
b) the collection and data use to inform instruction and policy;
c) the written parental notifications including the feasibility of parental notifications for pupils in grades 4 through 12; and
d) intervention and remedial strategies.
11. Requires the SBE, by December 15, 2021, to submit the outlined report with recommendations to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives with a copy provided to the Secretary of State.
12. Repeals the report requirement on January 1, 2022.
Miscellaneous
13. Makes technical and conforming changes.
14. Becomes effective on the general effective date, with a retroactive provision as noted.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Requires a certificated teacher in elementary education or early childhood education to complete designated hours in science of reading instruction.
2. Establishes a literacy endorsement for all certificated teachers providing literacy instruction in kindergarten through grade 5 with required coursework and a literacy instruction assessment.
3. Requires all approved educator preparation programs to require necessary courses to obtain a literacy endorsement.
4. Requires that a parental notification of a pupil's reading deficiency is provided within three weeks after identifying a reading deficiency.
5. Removes parental notification requirements for a pupil who exhibits a reading deficiency in grade three.
6. Directs the SBE to review the K-3 Reading Program, consider relevant changes to improve reading proficiency, review outlined information and submit a report by December 15, 2021.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Delays until July 1, 2022, the required implementation for teacher dyslexia training, retroactive to July 1, 2021.
2. Delays until July 1, 2022, the required implementation of a dyslexia screening plan, retroactive to July 1, 2020.
3. Changes a prescribed dyslexia screening indicator from nonsense word repetition to nonsense word fluency.
4. Makes conforming changes.
Senate Action
ED 2/16/21 DPA 7-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
February 26, 2021
JO/gs