SB1465 amends Arizona Revised Statutes by changing the requirements for literacy endorsements for K-5 teachers. The bill makes obtaining a literacy endorsement voluntary rather than mandatory for certificated teachers who provide literacy instruction in kindergarten through fifth grade, starting August 1, 2025. It also removes the previous requirement that teachers certified before August 1, 2025, must obtain the endorsement by August 1, 2028, and that teachers certified after this date must obtain it within three years of certification.
The bill maintains that the literacy endorsement requires teachers to complete evidence-based science of reading training or coursework and pass a literacy instruction assessment. However, it eliminates the rule that all approved educator preparation programs must include courses necessary to obtain a literacy endorsement. The bill also makes technical changes and is set to become effective on the general effective date.
Statutes affected: Introduced Version: 15-501.01