2025 25LSO-0094
STATE OF WYOMING Committee Formal Draft
1.1
DRAFT ONLY
NOT APPROVED FOR
INTRODUCTION
HOUSE BILL NO.
Reading assessment and intervention amendments.
Sponsored by: Joint Education Interim Committee
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to reading assessment and intervention;
2 eliminating the permissive use of group reading plans in
3 individualized reading plans; modifying the requirements
4 for school and district improvement plans; making
5 conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.
6
7 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
8
9 Section 1. W.S. 21-3-401(a) through (c) is amended to
10 read:
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12 21-3-401. Reading assessment and intervention.
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2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0094
Committee Formal Draft
1.1
1 (a) Each school district shall select and implement a
2 reading assessment and intervention program that uses an
3 instrument instruments identified by the state
4 superintendent under subsection (d) of this section that
5 screens for signs of reading difficulties, including but
6 not limited to dyslexia or other reading deficiencies, not
7 less than three (3) times per year in kindergarten through
8 grade three (3) and that implements with fidelity an
9 evidence based intervention program. The program shall
10 include instruments identified by the state superintendent
11 under subsection (d) of this section that monitor and
12 measure reading progress and assess student reading skills
13 and progress to provide data that informs any intervention.
14 The assessment and intervention program shall be
15 administered to all students in kindergarten through grade
16 three (3). The program shall also include implementation of
17 evidence based core curricula aligned to the uniform
18 content and performance standards and evidenced based
19 interventions to meet the needs of all students. The
20 program shall be multi-tiered and shall include evidence
21 based interventions to facilitate remediation of any
22 reading difficulty as early as possible.
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3 STAFF COMMENT
4 The Department of Education's recommendations included
5 adding the following sentence before the last sentence of
6 subsection (a):
7
8 "The intervention system shall be administered to any
9 student with reading difficulties kindergarten through
10 grade three (3).".
11
12 This is inconsistent with the immediately preceding
13 sentence which states "The program shall also include
14 implementation of evidence based core curricula aligned to
15 the uniform content and performance standards and evidenced
16 based interventions to meet the needs of all students"
17 which is further clarified by the final sentence of the
18 subsection that reads: "The program shall be multi-tiered
19 and shall include evidence based interventions to
20 facilitate remediation of any reading difficulty as early
21 as possible.".
22
23 The Chairmen requested the LSO include a staff comment for
24 purposes of Committee discussion. Inclusion of the
25 recommendation will require additional revision to ensure
26 the requirements are consistent.
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29
30 (b) As soon as practicable after the assessment or
31 screening is conducted under the program established in
32 subsection (a) of this section, each school district shall
33 provide a copy of the screening results, including an
34 explanation of the screening results, to the parent,
35 guardian or other person having control of a student
36 showing signs of reading difficulties, including but not
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2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0094
Committee Formal Draft
1.1
1 limited to dyslexia or other reading deficiencies, or not
2 showing appropriate reading competence under this section.
3 Students not showing appropriate reading competence under
4 this section shall be placed on an individualized reading
5 plan to remedy the reading related difficulty utilizing an
6 appropriate evidence based intervention program., which may
7 include a group reading plan. The district shall provide a
8 copy of a student's individualized reading plan to the
9 student's parent, guardian or other person having control
10 of the student. For students under an individualized
11 education program (IEP) which addresses reading
12 difficulties, the IEP shall be deemed sufficient to meet
13 the requirements of this subsection and no additional plan
14 shall be required.
15
16 (c) Each district shall annually report to the
17 department of education on the progress of each of its
18 schools toward achieving the goal of eighty-five percent
19 (85%) of all students reading at grade level upon
20 completion of the third grade. This report shall include
21 cohort analysis for kindergarten through grade three (3)
22 for those students identified by the screening or
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Committee Formal Draft
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1 assessment instruments as having signs of reading
2 difficulties, including but not limited to dyslexia or
3 other reading deficiencies. The report shall include the
4 percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency
5 levels for the annual reporting period. The reporting
6 shall also include the aggregate number of students
7 identified by the screening or assessment instruments as
8 having signs of reading difficulties, including but not
9 limited to dyslexia or other reading deficiencies, in
10 addition to listing the evidence based interventions
11 implemented in each district by grade. This report shall
12 include kindergarten through grade three (3) progress
13 toward achieving the goal of eighty-five percent (85%)
14 proficiency in the specific skills known to be predictive
15 of grade three (3) reading proficiency and that are listed
16 in subsection (d) of this section. Grade three (3) reading
17 proficiency shall be determined by the grade three (3)
18 statewide assessment administered pursuant to W.S.
19 21-2-304(a)(v). Each school not meeting the eighty-five
20 percent (85%) goal specified under this subsection shall
21 submit an improvement plan to the school district, and the
22 school district shall submit an overall improvement plan to
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Committee Formal Draft
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1 the department. At a minimum, each school and district
2 improvement plan shall outline its general strategy for
3 increasing reading proficiency for the next school year and
4 shall specifically address the evidence based program of
5 instruction, assessment and intervention being implemented,
6 and the specific training in those programs that reading
7 teachers have received., the student-teacher ratio, the use
8 of certified tutors and the use of instructional
9 facilitators and paraprofessionals in kindergarten through
10 grade three (3) trained in the delivery of the evidence
11 based instruction and intervention program selected by the
12 district.
13
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16 STAFF COMMENT
17 The Department of Education's recommendations noted
18 deletion of the language on page 6, lines 5 through 10 was
19 a "potential desire" and was not definitive. It is included
20 in this bill draft for discussion purposes. Should the
21 Committee wish to have the deletion removed, please advise
22 LSO staff.
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25
26 Section 2. This act is effective July 1, 2025.
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Committee Formal Draft
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3 STAFF COMMENT
4 After consultation with LSO staff, the Chairmen directed
5 the references to "program" remain and not be replaced with
6 "system".
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10 (END)
7 [Bill Number]
Statutes affected: 25LSO-0094 v1.1: 21-3-401