SCS/SB 1442 - This act modifies provisions relating to literacy of elementary school students.EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS
(Section 161.097)
The act requires educator preparation programs to instruct teacher candidates on the selection and use of "high-quality" reading curricula and instructional materials that do not include the three-cueing system, as such term is defined in current law. The act prohibits educator preparation programs from including instruction in, or endorsement of, the three-cueing system.
Beginning July 1, 2027, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shall annually review and publicly report on the compliance of educator preparation programs with literacy and reading instruction requirements of current law and those established in the act. The review shall evaluate whether instruction is grounded in the components of evidence-based reading instruction and whether prohibited practices, such as the three-cueing system, are excluded from coursework. Educator preparation programs not in compliance with these requirements shall not be approved to certify new teachers.
STATE AID FOR READING INSTRUCTION
(Section 161.241)
Subject to appropriation, DESE shall remit to each school district and charter school $500 for each fourth grade student who exhibited a substantial reading deficiency in kindergarten to grade three, or who was identified as dyslexic, and who subsequently scores at the proficient level or higher in reading on the annual summative English language arts assessment administered to fourth grade students.
READING ASSESSMENTS
(Sections 167.268 and 167.645)
Under this act, school districts and charter schools shall use state-approved reading assessments to assess the reading readiness all students in grades 1-3 during three annual administration windows established by DESE. If a student is identified as having a substantial reading deficiency based on performance on the most recent assessment, the school district or charter school shall notify the parent of the student that, if the child's substantial reading deficiency is not corrected by the end of third grade, as determined by the student's performance on the reading portion of the statewide English Language Arts assessment, the child shall not be promoted to fourth grade unless the child qualifies for a good cause exemption.
A good cause exemption may be granted to students who are English language learners or who have individualized education plans or 504 plans developed under federal law. A good cause exemption may also be granted to a student who has already been retained at least once in kindergarten to third grade.
To request a good cause exemption, a student's teacher shall submit documentation to the school principal recommending the student's promotion, including the type of exemption being requested and the child's existing reading improvement plan or individualized education plan, as appropriate. The principal shall discuss the recommendation with the teacher and determine whether the student qualifies for a good cause exemption. If the principal determines that the student qualifies for the good cause exemption, the principal shall make such recommendation in writing to the superintendent of the school district or the chief administrative officer or governing board of the charter school, who shall accept or reject the recommendation in writing.
School districts shall assist schools with notifying, and charter schools shall notify, the parents of students who are retained of the reasons for the retention, along with a description of the proposed interventions and supports that will be provided to the child to remedy the identified area or areas of reading deficiency in the following school year.
By October 1 annually, each district school board shall report in writing to DESE certain information regarding reading instruction, such as the board's policies regarding student retention and promotion, the number and percentage of students identified as having reading deficiencies or substantial reading deficiencies, the number and percentage of all students retained in kindergarten to third grade due to substantial reading deficiencies, and the total number and percentage of third-grade students who were promoted with good cause exemptions, as provided in the act.
This act is similar to HB 2872 (2026), HB 2914 (2026), and provisions in SB 1628 (2026).
OLIVIA SHANNON