2024 24LSO-0200
STATE OF WYOMING Working Draft
0.5
DRAFT ONLY
NOT APPROVED FOR
INTRODUCTION
HOUSE BILL NO.
Reading assessment and intervention.
Sponsored by: Joint Education Interim Committee
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to reading assessment and intervention;
2 providing an exemption for high-performing school districts
3 from screening and professional development requirements as
4 specified; requiring a study of the correlation between
5 screening instruments and the statewide student assessment
6 system; requiring reporting; providing an appropriation;
7 and providing for effective dates.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
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12 STAFF COMMENT
13 This bill draft is based on recommendations from the state
14 superintendent of public instruction's literacy cabinet.
15 The literacy cabinet's recommendations, as presented at the
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1 August 8-9 Joint Education Interim Committee meeting,
2 include the following:
3 • Funding to support a correlation study between
4 screeners used by school districts and WYTOPP results.
5 • Create an exemption from the statutory screening and
6 professional development requirements for consistently
7 "high-performing" districts.
8 o The suggestion is to have districts in the top-
9 performing quartile exempt. This would negate the
10 idea of "consistently" as any annual third grade
11 ELA score could push a district into the top
12 quartile.
13 o The suggestion is to have a cut score that is
14 different than 85% (70% or something) that any
15 district could meet to be exempt from the
16 screening and professional development
17 requirements.
18 • Keep the requirements to report data, parental
19 notification, and the use of individual reading plans.
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22
23 Section 1. W.S. 21-3-401(a), (e) and by creating a
24 new subsection (f) is amended to read:
25
26 21-3-401. Reading assessment and intervention.
27
28 (a) Each school district shall select and implement a
29 reading assessment and intervention program that uses an
30 instrument identified by the state superintendent under
31 subsection (d) of this section that screens for signs of
32 reading difficulties, including but not limited to dyslexia
33 or other reading deficiencies, not less than three (3)
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1 times per year in kindergarten through grade three (3)
2 except as otherwise provided in subsection (f) of this
3 section, and that implements with fidelity an evidence
4 based intervention program. The program shall include
5 instruments identified by the state superintendent under
6 subsection (d) of this section that monitor and measure
7 reading progress and assess student reading skills and
8 progress to provide data that informs any intervention. The
9 assessment and intervention program shall be administered
10 to all students in kindergarten through grade three (3).
11 The program shall also include implementation of evidence
12 based core curricula aligned to the uniform content and
13 performance standards and evidenced based interventions to
14 meet the needs of all students. The program shall be multi-
15 tiered and shall include evidence based interventions to
16 facilitate remediation of any reading difficulty as early
17 as possible.
18
19 (e) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (f) of
20 this section, commencing with school year 2022-2023, each
21 school district shall require each district employee
22 providing instruction in grades kindergarten through three
23 (3) within the district to have received or receive
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1 professional development in evidence based literacy
2 instruction and intervention and in identifying the signs
3 of reading difficulties, including but not limited to
4 dyslexia and other reading deficiencies, using suitable
5 materials reviewed and required pursuant to rule by the
6 state superintendent. The rules required under subsection
7 (d) of this section shall establish minimum reading
8 assessment and intervention professional development
9 requirements to be completed not less than once every three
10 (3) years as required under this subsection for district
11 employees providing instruction in grades kindergarten
12 through three (3). The rules shall contain criteria to
13 identify appropriate and suitable professional development
14 materials for district employees in evidence based literacy
15 instruction and intervention and in detection of reading
16 difficulties, including but not limited to dyslexia and
17 other reading deficiencies.
18
19 (f) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, each
20 high-performing school district shall be exempt from
21 screening kindergarten through grade (3) students not less
22 than three (3) times per year under subsection (a) of this
23 section and from the professional development requirements
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1 in subsection (e) of this section. This exemption shall be
2 for a period of XXX. For purposes of this subsection, a
3 "high-performing school district" means a school district
4 who ranks in the top twenty-five percent (25%) of all
5 school districts in the state on the grade three (3)
6 English language arts assessment of the statewide
7 assessment system administered pursuant to W.S. 21-2-
8 304(a)(v).
9
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12 STAFF COMMENT
13 The Committee may wish to consider the following:
14 • The length of time for the exemption.
15 • Adding a provision revoking the exemption if a high-
16 performing school district falls out of the top
17 twenty-five percent (25%) at any time during the
18 exemption period.
19 • W.S. 21-3-401(c) contains a goal of eighty-five (85%)
20 of all students reading at grade level upon completion
21 of the third grade at each school within the school
22 district. Each school not meeting the eighty-five
23 percent (85%) goal shall submit an improvement plan to
24 the school district and the school district shall
25 submit an overall improvement plan to the department.
26 A school district exempt under the new subsection (f)
27 may contain schools who are not meeting the eighty-
28 five percent (85%) goal and would be required to
29 submit an improvement plan to the school district. The
30 Committee may wish to consider tying the exemption to
31 the eighty-five percent (85%) goal outlined in W.S.
32 21-3-401(c).
33 • The literacy cabinet's recommendation specified
34 keeping the requirements for parental notification and
35 individual reading plans. The parental notification
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1 required in W.S. 21-3-401(b) occurs "as soon as
2 practicable after the assessment or screening is
3 conducted" and the individual reading plans are
4 required when students are not showing appropriate
5 reading competence under W.S. 21-3-401. If a high-
6 performing school district is exempt from screening
7 kindergarten through grade (3) students not less than
8 three (3) times per year then school districts may not
9 be able to provide parental notification and place
10 students on individualized reading plans.
11 • W.S. 21-3-401(e) requires school district employees to
12 receive professional development not less than once
13 every three (3) years.
14
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17
18 Section 2.
19
20 (a) The department of education shall retain an
21 independent consultant who shall:
22
23 (i) Study the correlation between the instruments
24 used in kindergarten through grade (3) to screen students
25 for signs of reading difficulties including dyslexia as
26 required by W.S. 21-3-401(a) and (d) and the English
27 language arts assessment of the statewide student
28 assessment system administered pursuant to W.S. 21-3-
29 304(a)(v); and
30
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1 (ii) Study the correlation between the results
2 on the first screening conducted for kindergarten through
3 grade (3) students and the results of subsequent screenings
4 conducted during the year for each school district.
5
6 (b) Not later than October 1, 2024, the department of
7 education shall report to the joint education interim
8 committee on the study required by subsection (a) of this
9 section.
10
11 Section 3. There is appropriated XXX from the school
12 foundation program account to the department of education
13 for purposes of retaining an independent consultant to
14 conduct the study required by Section 2 of this act. This
15 appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the
16 effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2025. This
17 appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any
18 other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds
19 remaining from this appropriation on June 30, 2025 shall
20 revert as provided by law. It is the intent of the
21 legislature that this appropriation not be included in the
22 department of education's standard budget for the
23 immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.
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1
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4 STAFF COMMENT
5 The Committee will need to consider the appropriation
6 amount for retaining an independent consultant to conduct
7 the study.
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10
11 Section 4.
12
13 (a) Section 1 of this act is effective July 1, 2024.
14
15 (b) Except as provided in subsection (a) of this
16 section, this act is effective immediately upon completion
17 of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided
18 by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
19
20 (END)
8 [Bill Number]
Statutes affected: 24LSO-0200 v0.5: 21-3-401