Iowa-2015-HF2139-Introduced
House File 2139 - 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:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 256.7, subsection 31, paragraph a, Code
1 2 2016, is amended to read as follows:
1 3 a. By July 1, 2013, adopt Adopt by rule guidelines for
1 4 school district implementation of section 279.68, including but
1 5 not limited to basic levels of reading proficiency on approved
1 6 locally 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 be or who is determined
1 9 to be deficient in reading, including but not limited to
1 10 initial assessments and subsequent assessments, alternative
1 11 assessments, and portfolio reviews. The state board shall
1 12 adopt standards that provide a reasonable expectation that a
1 13 student's progress toward reading proficiency under section
1 14 279.68 is sufficient to master appropriate grade four level
1 15 reading skills prior to the student's promotion to grade four.
1 16 Sec. 2. Section 279.68, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code
1 17 2016, is amended to read as follows:
1 18 c. Beginning May 1, 2017, unless the school district is
1 19 granted a waiver pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph "e",
1 20 if the student's reading deficiency is not remedied by the
1 21 end of grade three, as demonstrated by scoring on a locally
1 22 determined or statewide assessment as provided in section
1 23 256.7, subsection 31, the school district shall notify the
1 24 student's parent or guardian in writing that the parent or
1 25 guardian may enroll the student in an intensive summer reading
1 26 program offered in accordance with subsection 2, paragraph "e".
1 27 If the parent or guardian does not enroll the student in the
1 28 intensive summer reading program and the student is ineligible
1 29 for the good cause exemption under subsection 5, the student
1 30 shall be retained in grade three pursuant to subsection 3. If,
1 31 even though the student is exempt from participating in an
1 32 intensive summer reading program for good cause, shown pursuant
1 33 to subsection 5, or completes the intensive summer reading
1 34 program but is not reading proficient upon completion of the
1 35 program, the student may be promoted to grade four, but the.
2 1 The school district shall continue to provide the student with
2 2 intensive reading instruction until the student is proficient
2 3 in reading as demonstrated by scoring on locally determined or
2 4 statewide assessments.
2 5 Sec. 3. Section 279.68, subsection 1, Code 2016, is amended
2 6 by adding the following new paragraph:
2 7 NEW PARAGRAPH. d. If funds are appropriated by the
2 8 general assembly specifically for purposes of implementing
2 9 this paragraph and subsection 2, paragraph "e", unless the
2 10 school district is granted a waiver pursuant to subsection
2 11 2, paragraph "e", beginning May 1, 2018, the school district
2 12 shall notify, in writing, the parent or guardian of a student
2 13 enrolled in kindergarten through grade two whose reading
2 14 deficiency is not remedied by the end of the school year, as
2 15 demonstrated by scoring on a locally determined or statewide
2 16 assessment as provided in section 256.7, subsection 31, that
2 17 the parent or guardian may enroll the student in an intensive
2 18 summer reading program offered in accordance with subsection
2 19 2, paragraph "e".
2 20 Sec. 4. Section 279.68, subsection 2, paragraph e, Code
2 21 2016, is amended to read as follows:
2 22 e. Offer each summer, beginning in the summer of 2017 for
2 23 students in grade three and, subject to an appropriation of
2 24 sufficient funds by the general assembly for such purpose,
2 25 beginning in the summer of 2018 for students in kindergarten
2 26 through grade two, unless the school district receives a waiver
2 27 from this requirement either of these requirements from the
2 28 department of education for the summer of 2017, an intensive
2 29 summer literacy reading program for students assessed as
2 30 exhibiting a substantial deficiency in reading. The department
2 31 may waive the requirement for an intensive summer reading
2 32 program for grade three students for the summer of 2017 and may
2 33 waive the requirement for an intensive summer reading program
2 34 for students in kindergarten through grade two for the summer
2 35 of 2018. The program shall meet the criteria and follow the
3 1 guidelines established pursuant to section 256.9, subsection
3 2 53, paragraph "c", subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (g).
3 3 Sec. 5. Section 279.68, subsection 3, Code 2016, is amended
3 4 by striking the subsection.
3 5 Sec. 6. Section 279.68, subsection 5, paragraph a,
3 6 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2016, is amended to read as
3 7 follows:
3 8 The school district shall exempt students from the retention
3 9 and intensive summer reading program requirements provisions
3 10 of subsection 1, paragraph "c", for good cause. Good cause
3 11 exemptions shall be limited to the following:
3 12 Sec. 7. Section 279.68, subsection 5, paragraph a,
3 13 subparagraph (5), Code 2016, is amended by striking the
3 14 subparagraph.
3 15 Sec. 8. Section 279.68, subsection 5, paragraph b, Code
3 16 2016, is amended by striking the paragraph.
3 17 EXPLANATION
3 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
3 19 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
3 20 This bill modifies provisions that require school districts
3 21 to retain in the third grade certain students, and adds a
3 22 provision to require school districts to offer, under certain
3 23 conditions, an intensive summer reading program for students in
3 24 kindergarten through grade three whose reading is deficient.
3 25 The bill eliminates a requirement that school districts
3 26 retain a student in grade three if the student has been
3 27 identified as having a substantial deficiency in reading,
3 28 the student's parent or guardian did not enroll the student
3 29 in an intensive summer reading program, and the student does
3 30 not qualify for a good cause exemption. A current provision
3 31 that requires the state board of education to adopt standards
3 32 regarding a student's progress toward reading proficiency
3 33 is modified to eliminate language relating to a student's
3 34 promotion to grade four. For consistency, the bill also
3 35 changes a reference from "intensive summer literacy program" to
4 1 "intensive summer reading program".
4 2 Under the bill, when the school district notifies a parent or
4 3 guardian that the parent or guardian may enroll the student in
4 4 an intensive summer reading program, the notification must be
4 5 in writing. Students continue to be exempt from participating
4 6 in an intensive summer reading program for good cause, the
4 7 qualifications for which are listed in Code section 279.68(5).
4 8 The bill requires school districts to provide intensive
4 9 summer reading programs, beginning in the summer of 2018,
4 10 for students who are enrolled in kindergarten through grade
4 11 two, but only if the general assembly appropriates funds for
4 12 the programs. The department of education may waive the
4 13 requirement for a school district. For any year in which the
4 14 general assembly appropriates funds for such programs, if a
4 15 school district does not obtain a waiver and if the reading
4 16 deficiency of a student enrolled in kindergarten through grade
4 17 two is not remedied by the end of the school year, the school
4 18 district must notify the student's parent or guardian in
4 19 writing that the parent or guardian may enroll the student in
4 20 an intensive summer reading program.
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