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SB 949 - This act establishes a reading intervention program for students in kindergarten to third grade. The program shall be provided to those students identified with a reading deficiency and contain certain characteristics, as described in the act. A child who is identified as having a reading deficiency shall receive an individual reading intervention plan no later than 30 days after the identification of the reading deficiency, and the child's parent shall be notified no later than 15 days after the identification of the reading deficiency. Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, third grade students shall demonstrate sufficient reading skills before they are promoted to the fourth grade. A student may be exempted from mandatory retention in the third grade for a good-cause exemption. The list of good-cause exemptions is set forth in the act. If a student cannot demonstrate sufficient reading skills and does not qualify for a good-cause exemption, the student shall be retained in the third grade. Summer reading camps shall be provided to all third grade students scoring at the lowest achievement level on the third grade statewide English language arts assessment. If a student is promoted to the fourth grade due to a good-cause exemption, he or she shall continue to receive intensive reading intervention. Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, students retained in the third grade shall receive intensive reading intervention to remedy the student's reading deficiency. An intensive acceleration class shall be established for any student retained in the third grade who was previously retained in kindergarten, first grade, or second grade. The board of each school district shall annually report to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education certain information, as outlined in the act, regarding student retention and promotion from the prior school year. The Department shall establish a uniform format for school districts to report such information. The information shall be compiled each year and reported to the State Board of Education, the public, the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Current sections of law relating to reading intervention programs are repealed under the act. This act is substantially similar to HB 1417 (2018). JAMIE ANDREWS
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