As Amended by House Committee
Session of 2000
HOUSE BILL No. 2899
By Committee on Education
2-8
10 AN ACT enacting
the Kansas pupils reading improvement program.
11
12 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the
State of Kansas:
13 Section
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Kansas
14 pupils reading improvement program. The
purpose of the Kansas pupils
15 reading improvement program is: (a) To
provide supplemental reding
16 reading instruction assistance to
pupils who are in attendance at school
17 in prekindergarten classes or in any of
grades one through three and who
18 are experiencing difficulty in learning to
read; and
19 (b) to provide
professional development opportunities for classroom
20 teachers in the administration and
interpretation of diagnostic assess-
21 ments, implementation of research-based
reading programs, and the de-
22 sign of a reading improvement program plan
for pupils performing below
23 basic reading levels for their age and
grade.
24 Sec. 2. As
used in this act:
25 (a) ``Research-based
programs and practices'' means programs and
26 practices that, when implemented, help
pupils acquire the skills and
27 knowledge they need to meet the state's
academic reading standards and:
28 (1) Have been
effective in raising academic achievement levels based
29 on independent evaluation, especially for
pupils at risk of not meeting the
30 academic standards for reading;
31 (2) include
professional development and ongoing technical assis-
32 tance for the program or practices either
through the program's devel-
33 oper, independent contractors, or
dissemination networks established by
34 schools using the program or practices;
and
35 (3) have been
successfully implemented at sites with similar pupil
36 populations and resources.
37
(b) ``Supplemental reading instruction'' means educational
services,
38 not including special education and related
services, for children who
39 need assistance beyond the classroom or in
addition to the regular class-
40 room to meet state and district reading
standards. Such services may be
41 provided before and after school, on
weekends, and during the summer.
42 (c) ``Diagnostic
assessment'' means an assessment of a pupil's reading
43 development and comprehension by trained
educators, to determine the
2
1 pupil's language development,
comprehension, phonemic awareness, and
2 any cognitive or physical
disabilities that hinder the pupil's ability to read
3 independently. Such assessments shall
be used by the classroom teacher
4 to determine a pupil's reading
instructional needs and modifications in
5 the curriculum or pedagogy to improve
the pupil's reading ability.
6 Sec.
3. The state board of education shall administer the Kansas
pu-
7 pils reading improvement program and
shall:
8 (a) Provide
competitive grants to schools for the purpose of designing
9 and implementing supplemental and
intensive, research-based reading
10 programs and practices to help pupils in
prekindergarten through grade
11 three who have been identified as being at
risk of or failing to meet state
12 or district reading standards. Such
programs and practices shall be im-
13 plemented by licensed teachers or reading
specialists;
14 (b) select and
publish a list of diagnostic reading instruments that
15 schools may use to assess reading
development and comprehension of
16 pupils. Each reading diagnostic assessment
instrument selected by the
17 state board of education shall be based on
research in reading and child
18 development. A teacher may use methods of
observation in addition to a
19 diagnostic assessment instrument to
determine a pupil's reading skills;
20 (c) review
applications by schools for a supplemental reading instruc-
21 tion program grant. In determining which
applications to fund, the state
22 board of education shall give preferential
consideration to those schools
23 having:
24 (1) The greatest
need to provide supplemental reading instruction
25 and professional development, as
demonstrated by the applicant's needs
26 assessment;
27 (2) an average
school score in the bottom 25% on the Kansas reading
28 assessment in one or both of the previous
two years;
29 (3) the highest
percentage of pupils identified as low performing or
30 the highest percentage of pupils that do
not meet basic/proficiency stan-
31 dards on state and district assessments or
the highest percentage of stu-
32 dents from low income families;
33 (4) the best
likelihood that the plan will lead to the stated goals and
34 objectives;
35 (5) a high degree
of coordination with other resources and activities
36 available beyond this grant;
37 (6) a high
percentage of pupils that are identified, through diagnostic,
38 state or local assessments, as being at
risk of reading failure for their grade
39 level; and
40 (7) experience in
the use of supervised and trained volunteer and/or
41 tutors and/or other community-based
programs to provide additional
42 reading support during
noninsturctional noninstructional
hours.
43 Sec. 4. A
school shall submit an application to the state board of
3
1 education that shall include a plan,
developed in consultation with the
2 reading committee, which shall
include a description of how the school
3 will:
4 (a) Conduct a
needs assessment of pupil reading, including the number
5 of pupils demonstrating reading
difficulty or who are at risk of reading
6 difficulty and who are needing
additional insturctional instructional
7 time;
8
(2) (b) provide professional
development opportunities for new and
9 experienced teachers provided on the
school site, to the extent feasible,
10 in:
11 (1) Content
knowledge, teaching skills, child development that is re-
12 lated to teaching reading, and reading
instruction for limited English pro-
13 ficiency and pupils with
disablities disabilities;
14 (2) administering
and interpreting diagnostic assessments and state
15 and district reading assessments;
16 (3) planning
reading improvement instruction programs for individ-
17 ual pupils, groups of pupils, classes, and
whole schools; and
18 (4) implementing
research-based reading programs selected by the
19 school;
20 (c) ensure that
supplemental reading instruction will be provided to
21 identified pupils in small groups, small
class sizes, or if necessary, through
22 individualized instruction;
23 (d) select
research-based reading programs and practices that will
24 have the greatest likelihood of success
with the pupils;
25 (e) encourage
parents and community-based organizations to work
26 with schools to provide trained and
supervised additional reading support
27 to pupils; and
28 (f) coordinate
funds under this grant with other state, federal, local,
29 and private resources, both in cash and
in-kind, that further the goals of
30 this grant.
31 Sec. 5. (a)
A school shall establish a school reading committee that
32 assists the school with:
33 (1) The planning
and implementation of a plan to improve reading
34 skills of pupils identified to be in need
of supplemental reading instruction
35 to acquire the appropriate grade level
reading skills;
36 (2) the
identification and coordination of state, local and federal
read-
37 ing programs and resources;
38 (3) professional
development in administering and interpreting di-
39 agnostic and other assessments of reading
skills and in research-based
40 reading programs and practices;
41 (4) the alignment
of state reading and pupil performance standards
42 and state cirricular
curricular frameworks and assessments;
43 (5) coordination
with parents and the community to enhance reading
4
1 support; and
2 (6) the
dissemination of effective research-based reading programs
3 and practices.
4 (b) The
school reading committee shall include:
5 (1) Local
school district staff responsible for programs relating to cur-
6 riculum, reading, compensatory
education, pupils with limited English
7 proficiency, special education, and
parent involvement;
8 (2) a
reading specilaist specialist if
feasible;
9 (3) school
classroom teachers;
10 (4) the school
principal;
11 (5) a
representative of a community-based organization with dem-
12 onstrated history and experience in
providing reading support to children;
13 (6) departments
of a college or university that work in areas related
14 to the instruction of reading or child
development if feasible; and
15 (7) a
representative of a parents' association.
16 Sec. 6. A
school that receives funds under this grant may use such
17 funds for the following activities:
18 (a) Implementing
research-based reading programs, including techni-
19 cal assistance from the program developer
or a person or entity with
20 expertise in the effective implementation
of the program;
21 (b) administering
diagnostic assessments to identify pupils in need of
22 supplemental reading assistance, including
pupils who need help in mak-
23 ing the transition from kindergarten to
first grade, at risk of reading failure
24 and grade retention, and at risk of
referral to special education based on
25 reading skills;
26 (c) providing a
reading improvement program based on reading re-
27 search to pupils identified to be in need
of supplemental reading
28 assistance;
29 (d) reassessment
of pupils on an ongoing basis, using multiple as-
30 sessments, to determine pupil progress and
to improve reading
31 instruction;
32 (e) professional
development for classroom teachers and other school
33 staff in research-based reading programs
and training for supervised vol-
34 unteer and paid tutors and classroom aides
in providing effective support
35 to supplemental reading assistance
programs;
36 (f) professional
development for classroom teachers in the adminis-
37 tration and interpretation of diagnostic
reading assessments;
38 (g) providing
adequate time to classroom teachers and other school
39 staff to jointly plan, consult, and observe
reading instruction in the school
40 and in other schools using research-based
reading programs and practices;
41 (h) parent
involvement activities, including training for parents, on a
42 voluntary basis, and how to help their
children acquire and apply reading
43 skills; and
5
1
(i) coordination with library and other literacy activities,
including
2 family literacy, within the school
district to avoid unnecessary duplication
3 and to increase effectiveness of
reading instruction.
4 Sec.
7. A school may reserve up to 50% of the grant funds to
provide
5 training to school-based reading
specialists and classroom teachers for the
6 purposes of:
7
(a) Implementing research-based reading programs and
practices;
8
(b) administering and interpreting diagnostic, state and
district pupil
9 assessments;
10 (c) working with
pupils of diverse backgrounds;
11 (d) providing
training and supervision of volunteer and paid tutors
12 and instructional aides to support reading
instruction in the classroom;
13 and
14 (e) aligning
instruction in the regular classroom with supplemental,
15 intensive reading instruction for pupils at
risk of or failing to meet state
16 and district reading standards.
17 Sec.
8. Funds provided under this grant shall be used to
supplement
18 and not to supplant federal, state or local
funds for similar purposes.
19 Sec. 9. (a)
Each pupil shall receive a diagnostic assessment of reading
20 skills in kindergarten and in each of the
grades one through three to:
21 (1) Determine the
pupil's reading skills;
22 (2) identify any
physical or cognitive disabilities that impair reading
23 skills and comprehension;
24 (3) assist the
teacher in aligning instruction with a pupil's level of
25 reading skill; and
26 (4) provide a
benchmark for regular/periodic reassessment of a pu-
27 pil's progress in reading.
28 (b) Any pupil,
through diagnostic and other assessment measures,
29 found to be reading below the pupil's
appropriate grade level, except for
30 pupils who have an individualized education
program under the special
31 education for exceptional children act,
shall be provided a readign read-
32 ing improvement program using
supplemental reading assistance in small
33 groups, small class sizes, and if
necessary, in an individualized setting.
34 (c) Any
supplemental reading instruction provided under this section
35 shall be consistent with the reading
instruction provided in the regular
36 academic program, and shall assist the
pupil in meeting state and district
37 reading standards.
38 (d) The reading
improvement program shall be developed by the pu-
39 pil's classroom teacher, a reading
specialist, if feasible, and other appro-
40 priate school staff, in consultation with
parents. The program shall include
41 specific and measurable goals for reading
improvement and a description
42 of activities that will support reading
achievement, including one or more
43 of the following: Supplemental reading
instruction, extended day in-
6
1 struction, weekend and summer course
work, tutorial assistance, or other
2 types of supplemental reading
instruction.
3 (e) Each
pupil who has a reading inprovement
improvement pro-
4 gram shall participate in
ongoin ongoing, multiple assessments to
deter-
5 mine any changes that should be made
to the reading program and
6 whether the pupil has reached grade
level reading standards and no
7 longer requires supplemental
instruction.
8 Sec.
10. (a) For pupils in kindergarten and grades one through
three,
9 the school shall notify each parent
or guardian of a pupil identified to be
10 in need of supplemental
reaqding reading instruction based on
diagnos-
11 tic assessments and other state and local
assessments. The notice shall be
12 written in clear and easy to understand
English and in the native language
13 of the parent or guardian. The notice shall
include a description of the
14 pupil's reading level and any deficiency
demonstrated by diagnostic or
15 other assessments and an invitation for the
parent or guardian to partic-
16 ipate in the development of the pupil's
reading improvement program.
17 (b) Each pupil
participating in the supplemental reading instruction
18 program shall be reassessed for determining
whether the reading defi-
19 ciency has been remedied, and at the
recommendation of the teacher, in
20 consultation with the parent, the pupil
will no longer be provided sup-
21 plemental reading instruction when the
reading skill deficiency is
22 remedied.
23 Sec.
11. The school shall annually collect and evaluate data and
sub-
24 mit a report to the local board of
education and the state board of edu-
25 cation on the extent to which pupils who
are the intended beneficiaries
26 of this grant have improved their reading
skills. The report shall include
27 information on the number and percent of
pupils served through the
28 grant who are meeting state and district
reading performance standards,
29 disaggregated by grade level, eligibility
for free and reduced price lunch,
30 race, gender, disability, and limited
English proficiency. This report shall
31 include:
32 (a) The progress
of pupils identified for supplemental reading in-
33 struction, including progress on state and
district assessments;
34 (b) the
research-based and promising programs and practices se-
35 lected by the school, including the cost of
the program; the teachers'
36 perception of the effectiveness of the
program; and technical assistance
37 provided by the district, the program's
developer or a person or entity
38 with expertise in effectively implementing
the programs and practices;
39 (c) professional
development offerings to enhance teachers' content
40 knowledge and teaching skills, use of
diagnostic, state and district reading
41 assessments, and ability to implement
research-based programs and prac-
42 tices; and
43 (d) the
instruments used to diagnose pupil reading skills and other
7
1 state, district and school
assessments used to evaluate pupil reading skills
2 achievement.
3 Sec. 12. This act
shall take effect and be in force from and after its
4 publication in the statute book.