House File 2136 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY MASCHER
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to successful progression for early readers,
2 including intensive summer reading programs and third grade
3 retention of certain students.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 279.68, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code
1 2 2016, is amended to read as follows:
1 3 c. Beginning May 1, 2017 2018, unless the school district
1 4 is granted a waiver pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph "e",
1 5 if the student's reading deficiency is not remedied by the
1 6 end of grade three, as demonstrated by scoring on a locally
1 7 determined or statewide assessment as provided in section
1 8 256.7, subsection 31, the school district shall notify the
1 9 student's parent or guardian in writing that the parent or
1 10 guardian may enroll the student in an intensive summer reading
1 11 program offered in accordance with subsection 2, paragraph "e".
1 12 If the parent or guardian does not enroll the student in the
1 13 intensive summer reading program and the student is ineligible
1 14 for the good cause exemption under subsection 5, the student
1 15 shall be retained in grade three pursuant to subsection 3.
1 16 If the student is exempt from participating in an intensive
1 17 summer reading program for good cause, pursuant to subsection
1 18 5, or completes the intensive summer reading program but is
1 19 not reading proficient upon completion of the program, the
1 20 student may be promoted to grade four, but the school district
1 21 shall continue to provide the student with intensive reading
1 22 instruction until the student is proficient in reading as
1 23 demonstrated by scoring on locally determined or statewide
1 24 assessments.
1 25 Sec. 2. Section 279.68, subsection 1, Code 2016, is amended
1 26 by adding the following new paragraph:
1 27 NEW PARAGRAPH. d. If funds are appropriated by the general
1 28 assembly for purposes of implementing this paragraph, unless
1 29 the school district is granted a waiver pursuant to subsection
1 30 2, paragraph "e", beginning May 1, 2018, the school district
1 31 shall notify, in writing, the parent or guardian of a student
1 32 enrolled in kindergarten through grade two whose reading
1 33 deficiency is not remedied by the end of the school year, as
1 34 demonstrated by scoring on a locally determined or statewide
1 35 assessment as provided in section 256.7, subsection 31, that
2 1 the parent or guardian may enroll the student in an intensive
2 2 summer reading program offered in accordance with subsection
2 3 2, paragraph "e".
2 4 Sec. 3. Section 279.68, subsection 2, paragraph e, Code
2 5 2016, is amended to read as follows:
2 6 e. Offer each summer, beginning in the summer of 2017
2 7 2018, unless the school district receives a waiver from this
2 8 requirement from the department of education for the summer of
2 9 2017, an intensive summer literacy reading program for students
2 10 assessed as exhibiting a substantial deficiency in reading.
2 11 The program shall meet the criteria and follow the guidelines
2 12 established pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 53, paragraph
2 13 "c", subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (g).
2 14 EXPLANATION
2 15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
2 16 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
2 17 This bill modifies provisions that require school districts
2 18 to retain in the third grade certain students, and adds a
2 19 provision to require school districts to offer, under certain
2 20 conditions, an intensive summer reading program for students in
2 21 kindergarten through grade two whose reading is deficient.
2 22 Currently, beginning in the summer of 2017, if a student
2 23 is identified by a school district as having a substantial
2 24 deficiency in reading, and the student's reading deficiency is
2 25 not remedied by the end of grade three, the school district,
2 26 unless it has obtained a waiver from the department of
2 27 education, must notify the student's parent or guardian that
2 28 the parent or guardian may enroll the student in an intensive
2 29 summer reading program. The bill delays the requirement until
2 30 the summer of 2018 and provides that notification must be in
2 31 writing.
2 32 The bill also delays to 2018 provisions relating to
2 33 a requirement that school districts retain a student in
2 34 grade three if the student has been identified as having a
2 35 substantial deficiency in reading, the student's parent or
3 1 guardian did not enroll the student in an intensive summer
3 2 reading program, and the student does not qualify for a good
3 3 cause exemption.
3 4 The bill requires school districts to provide intensive
3 5 summer reading programs, beginning in the summer of 2018,
3 6 for students who are enrolled in kindergarten through grade
3 7 two, but only if the general assembly appropriates funds for
3 8 the programs. For any year in which the general assembly
3 9 appropriates funds for such programs, and the school district
3 10 has not obtained a waiver from the department of education, the
3 11 school district must, if the reading deficiency of a student
3 12 enrolled in kindergarten through grade two is not remedied
3 13 by the end of the school year, as demonstrated by scoring
3 14 on a locally determined or statewide assessment, notify the
3 15 student's parent or guardian in writing that the parent or
3 16 guardian may enroll the student in an intensive summer reading
3 17 program.
3 18 For consistency, the bill changes a reference from
3 19 "intensive summer literacy program" to "intensive summer
3 20 reading program".
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