HS HCS HB 1076 -- READING ABILITY AND PROMOTION (Relford)

Currently, public school students must read at a level no lower
than one grade below their grade to be promoted.  This
substitute deletes the current law and creates a procedure,
beginning with school year 2001-2002, for identifying students
at the end of third grade who are reading below second-grade
level; for such students, districts must develop a reading
improvement plan that offers at least 30 hours of additional
instruction outside the regular school day during the student's
fourth-grade year.  The reading level for such students will be
assessed again at the end of the fourth-grade year, and, if
necessary, the student must attend summer school for reading
instruction.  The process is repeated for such students, with
the target grade level rising each year, until the end of the
sixth-grade year.  If a student is reading below the fifth-grade
level at the end of sixth grade, a notation will be made in the
student's record that he or she is reading below minimal
levels.  Districts must offer summer school to students
identified as reading more than one year below grade level but
may satisfy the requirements of the substitute by arrangements
with neighboring districts.  Districts may require summer school
attendance for reading instruction as a condition of promotion,
and districts are not precluded from retaining a student when a
decision is made that retention is in the student's best
interests.  School districts must make an effort to inform
parents, in plain language, of the methods they use for reading
instruction in kindergarten through fourth grade.  The
substitute also defines "reading assessment" and "summer school
for reading instruction" and moves the statewide assessment test
in science from the third grade to the fourth grade, limiting
statewide assessments to no more than 2 in any one grade.

The substitute contains an emergency clause.

FISCAL NOTE:  Cost to General Revenue Fund of greater than
$100,000 in FY 2001, FY 2002, and FY 2003.

HCS HB 1076 -- READING ABILITY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SPONSOR:  Fitzwater (Relford)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on
Education-Elementary and Secondary by a vote of 17 to 2.

Currently, public school students must read at a level no lower
than one grade below their grade to be promoted.  This
substitute deletes the current law and creates a procedure,
beginning with school year 2001-2002, for identifying students
at the end of third grade who are reading below second-grade
level; for such students, districts must develop a reading
improvement plan that offers at least 30 hours of additional
instruction outside the regular school day during the student's
fourth-grade year.  The reading level for such students will be
assessed again at the end of the fourth-grade year, and if
necessary, the student must attend summer school for reading
instruction.  The process is repeated for such students, with
the target grade level rising each year, until the end of the
sixth-grade year.  If a student is reading below the fifth-grade
level at the end of sixth grade, a notation will be made in the
student's record that he or she is reading below minimal
levels.  Districts must offer summer school to students
identified as reading more than one year below grade level but
may satisfy the requirements of the substitute by arrangements
with neighboring districts.  Districts may require summer school
attendance for reading instruction as a condition of promotion,
and districts are not precluded from retaining a student when a
decision is made that retention is in the student's best
interests.  The substitute also defines reading assessment and
summer school for reading instruction and moves the statewide
assessment test in science from the third grade to the fourth
grade.

FISCAL NOTE:  Cost to General Revenue Fund is greater than
$100,000 in FY 2001, FY 2002, and FY 2003.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that, as currently written, the
statute requiring retention for all students who read more than
one grade below grade level is unenforceable.  Research on
retention shows that it is more punitive than remedial; a better
way of dealing with reading problems is to focus extra attention
and resources on the problem.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Relford; Missouri
Council of School Administrators; Missouri Association of
Elementary School Principals; Missouri Association of Secondary
School Principals; and Missouri Federation of Teachers.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Becky DeNeve, Senior Legislative Analyst

HB 1076 -- Reading Ability and Promotion

Sponsor:  Relford

Currently, public school students must read at a level no lower
than one grade below their grade to be promoted.  The bill
narrows the scope of the statute to specify that third grade
students must read on at least second grade level to be promoted
to fourth grade.