Bill Text: IA HF367 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to successful progression for early readers and to intensive summer reading programs.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-20 - Introduced, referred to Education. H.J. 412. [HF367 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-HF367-Introduced.html
House File 367 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY MASCHER A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to successful progression for early readers and 2 to intensive summer reading programs. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 2604YH (3) 87 kh/rj/jh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 256.7, subsection 31, paragraph a, Code 1 2 2017, is amended to read as follows: 1 3 a. Adopt by rule guidelines for school district 1 4 implementation of section 279.68, including but not limited 1 5 to basic levels of reading proficiency on approved locally 1 6 determined or statewide assessments and identification 1 7 of tools that school districts may use in evaluating and 1 8 reevaluating any student who may not be or who is determined 1 9 not to be reading proficiently and is persistently at risk in 1 10 reading, including but not limited to initial assessments and 1 11 subsequent assessments, alternative assessments, and portfolio 1 12 reviews. The state board shall adopt standards that provide 1 13 a reasonable expectation that a student's progress toward 1 14 reading proficiency under section 279.68 is sufficient to 1 15 master appropriate gradefourlevel reading skillsprior to the 1 16 student's promotion to grade four. 1 17 Sec. 2. Section 279.68, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 1 18 2017, is amended to read as follows: 1 19 c. Beginning May 1, 2018, unless the school district is 1 20 granted a waiver pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph "e", if 1 21 the student is persistently at risk in readingbyat the end 1 22 of grade three, the school district shall notify the student's 1 23 parent or guardian in writing that the parent or guardian may 1 24 enroll the student in an intensive summer reading program 1 25 offered in accordance with subsection 2, paragraph "e". If the 1 26 parent or guardian does not enroll the student in the intensive 1 27 summer reading program and the student is ineligible for the 1 28 good cause exemption under subsection 5, the student shall be 1 29 retained in grade three pursuant to subsection 3. If, even if 1 30 the student is exempt from participating in an intensive summer 1 31 reading program for good cause,shown pursuant to subsection 1 32 5, or completes the intensive summer reading program but is 1 33 not reading proficiently upon completion of the program, the 1 34 student may be promoted to grade four, but the. The school 1 35 district shall continue to provide the student with intensive 2 1 reading instruction until the student is reading proficiently 2 2 as demonstrated by scoring on locally determined or statewide 2 3 assessments administered under paragraph "a". 2 4 Sec. 3. Section 279.68, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended 2 5 by adding the following new paragraph: 2 6 NEW PARAGRAPH. d. If funds are appropriated by the 2 7 general assembly specifically for purposes of implementing 2 8 this paragraph and subsection 2, paragraph "e", unless the 2 9 school district is granted a waiver pursuant to subsection 2 10 2, paragraph "e", beginning May 1, 2019, the school district 2 11 shall notify, in writing, the parent or guardian of a 2 12 student enrolled in kindergarten through grade two who is 2 13 persistently at risk in reading by the end of the school year, 2 14 as demonstrated by scoring on a locally determined or statewide 2 15 assessment as provided in section 256.7, subsection 31, that 2 16 the parent or guardian may enroll the student in an intensive 2 17 summer reading program offered in accordance with subsection 2 18 2, paragraph "e". 2 19 Sec. 4. Section 279.68, subsection 2, paragraph e, Code 2 20 2017, is amended to read as follows: 2 21 e. Offer each summer, beginning in the summer of 2018 for 2 22 students in grade three and, subject to an appropriation of 2 23 sufficient funds by the general assembly for such purpose, 2 24 beginning in the summer of 2019 for students in kindergarten 2 25 through grade two, unless the school district receives a waiver 2 26from this requirementas authorized under this paragraph 2 27 from the department of educationfor the summer of 2018, 2 28 an intensive summer reading program for students who are 2 29 persistently at risk in reading. The department may waive 2 30 the requirement for an intensive summer reading program for 2 31 grade three students for the summer of 2018 and may waive 2 32 the requirement for an intensive summer reading program for 2 33 students in kindergarten through grade two for the summer of 2 34 2019. The program shall meet the criteria and follow the 2 35 guidelines established pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 3 1 49, paragraph "c", subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (g). 3 2 Sec. 5. Section 279.68, subsection 3, Code 2017, is amended 3 3 by striking the subsection. 3 4 Sec. 6. Section 279.68, subsection 5, paragraph a, 3 5 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2017, is amended to read as 3 6 follows: 3 7 The school district shall exempt students from theretention 3 8 andintensive summer reading programrequirementsprovisions 3 9 of subsection 1, paragraph "c", for good cause. Good cause 3 10 exemptions shall be limited to the following: 3 11 Sec. 7. Section 279.68, subsection 5, paragraph a, 3 12 subparagraph (5), Code 2017, is amended by striking the 3 13 subparagraph. 3 14 Sec. 8. Section 279.68, subsection 5, paragraph b, Code 3 15 2017, is amended by striking the paragraph. 3 16 EXPLANATION 3 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 18 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 19 This bill modifies provisions that require school districts 3 20 to retain in the third grade certain students, and adds a 3 21 provision to require school districts to offer, under certain 3 22 conditions, an intensive summer reading program for students in 3 23 kindergarten through grade three whose reading is deficient. 3 24 The bill eliminates a requirement that a school district 3 25 retain a student in grade three if the student is not reading 3 26 proficiently and is persistently at risk in reading, the 3 27 student's parent or guardian did not enroll the student in 3 28 an intensive summer reading program, and the student does 3 29 not qualify for a good cause exemption. A current provision 3 30 that requires the state board of education to adopt standards 3 31 regarding a student's progress toward reading proficiency 3 32 is modified to eliminate language relating to a student's 3 33 promotion to grade four. 3 34 Under the bill, when the school district notifies a parent or 3 35 guardian that the parent or guardian may enroll the student in 4 1 an intensive summer reading program, the notification must be 4 2 in writing. Students continue to be exempt from participating 4 3 in an intensive summer reading program for good cause, the 4 4 qualifications for which are listed in Code section 279.68(5). 4 5 The bill requires school districts to provide intensive 4 6 summer reading programs, beginning in the summer of 2019, 4 7 for students who are enrolled in kindergarten through grade 4 8 two, but only if the general assembly appropriates funds for 4 9 the programs. The department of education may waive the 4 10 requirement for an intensive summer reading program for grade 4 11 three students for 2018 and for kindergarten through grade two 4 12 students for 2019. For any year in which the general assembly 4 13 appropriates funds for such programs, if a school district does 4 14 not obtain a waiver and if a student enrolled in kindergarten 4 15 through grade two is persistently at risk in reading at the 4 16 end of the school year, the school district must notify the 4 17 student's parent or guardian in writing that the parent or 4 18 guardian may enroll the student in an intensive summer reading 4 19 program. LSB 2604YH (3) 87 kh/rj/jh
