Legislative Session number- 81

Bill Name: SF2083

Requiring school districts to provide a systematic, intensive and direct phonics
and work analysis and decoding method of reading instruction to elementary
school students and to provide in-service training for elementary teachers not
previously trained in phonics methods; requiring the commissioner of children,
families and learning to establish a minimum passing score for reading skills
mastery to enable children to be functionally literate as determined by a
nationally recognized and commonly accepted reading test, requiring certain
opportunities for children with disabilities and authorizing school boards to
establish a higher level of reading mastery score than the state minimum;
requiring students in primary grades failing to achieve the minimum score in
reading to be retained in the same grade level or to receive additional reading
instruction; requiring the board of teaching to adopt rules requiring completion
of training in phonics as a requirement for licensure to teach in the primary
grades and to require colleges and universities offering teacher preparation
programs to provide the instruction as part of the program (mk)