Act No. 139 Page 1 of 2
2024
This act summary is provided for the convenience of the public and members of the General Assembly. It
is intended to provide a general summary of the act and may not be exhaustive. It has been prepared by the
staff of the Office of Legislative Counsel without input from members of the General Assembly. It is not
intended to aid in the interpretation of legislation or to serve as a source of legislative intent.
Act No. 139 (S.204). An act relating to supporting Vermont’s young readers through
evidence-based literacy instruction
Subjects: Education; literacy; reading instruction
This act creates several requirements related to evidence-based literacy instruction and
training for educators, including the following:
• Sec. 1 of this act contains legislative findings regarding literacy and reading
instruction.
• Sec. 2 creates a new requirement for the Agency of Education to review and
publish guidance on universal reading screeners and for public and approved
independent schools that are eligible to receive public tuition to use those
universal reading screeners to screen all students in grades kindergarten
through three, at least annually, and provide supplementary evidence-based
reading instruction and ongoing monitoring of progress for students with
screening results significantly below relevant benchmarks. This section also
requires supervisory unions and approved independent schools that are eligible
to receive public tuition to report certain data related to the use of universal
reading screeners to the Agency of Education, which is then required to
annually report to the House and Senate Committees on Education and the
Governor regarding the status of the State’s progress in improving literacy
learning, as well as the data collected from supervisory unions and approved
independent schools.
• Sec. 3 requires the Agency of Education to issue recommendations for the
form and substance of parental or guardian notification for students with a
screening result that is significantly below the relevant benchmarks.
• Sec. 4 requires the Agency of Education to submit a report to the House and
Senate Committees on Education on or before January 25, 2025 with a list of
the universal reading screeners they have reviewed and published guidance on
pursuant to Sec. 2 of this act.
• Sec. 5 of this act makes amendments to 16 V.S.A. § 2903 regarding preventing
early school failure and reading instruction to conform to the terms used in
Sec. 2 of this act. It also creates a new requirement for approved independent
schools that are eligible to receive public tuition to develop grade-level
appropriate school literacy plans that are informed by student needs and
assessment data. Sec. 6 of this act requires approved independent schools that
are eligible to receive public tuition to develop their literacy plans on or before
January 1, 2025.
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Act No. 139 Page 2 of 2
2024
• Sec. 7 of this act requires supervisory unions and approved independent
schools that are eligible to receive public tuition to provide professional
learning activities to kindergarten through grade three educators on
implementing a reading screening assessment, interpreting the results,
determining instructional practices, and communicating with families
regarding screening results in a supportive way.
• Sec. 8 requires the Agency of Education to make recommendations to the
Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators on how to strengthen
educator preparation programs’ teaching of evidence-based literacy practices
as well as whether additional educator exams are needed to assess skills in
math and English language arts fundamentals. The Standards Board is then
required to consider such recommendations and update applicable rules
accordingly on or before July 1, 2026.
• Sec. 9 of this act adds additional members to the Advisory Council on Literacy
and amends the number of meetings the Council holds each year from eight to
four.
• Sec. 10 extends the prospective repeal of the Advisory Council on Literacy
from June 20, 2024 to June 30, 2027.
• Sec. 11 converts one limited-service position within the Agency of Education
to one classified permanent status position to support the Agency in its
evidence-based literacy work.
• Sec. 12 of this act requires the Department of Libraries to submit a report to
the House and Senate Committees on Education with recommendations for
expanding access to early childhood literacy resources on or before January 15,
2025.
Multiple effective dates, beginning on May 30, 2024
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Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 16-2903(a), 16-2903
As Passed By the Senate -- Official: 16-2903(a), 16-2903, 16-2903a
As Passed By the Senate -- Unofficial: 16-2903, 16-2903a
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Official: 16-2903(a), 16-2903, 16-2903a
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Unofficial: 16-2903, 16-2903a
As Enacted: 16-2903, 16-2903a