HLS 22RS-1727 ENGROSSED
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 911
BY REPRESENTATIVES HUGHES, AMEDEE, BRASS, FREIBERG, HILFERTY,
JEFFERSON, CHARLES OWEN, SCHLEGEL, AND ST. BLANC
EDUCATION: Provides relative to early literacy
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 17:24.9(B), (C)(5), and (D), 24.10(A)(2) and (3),
3 (B)(1)(introductory paragraph), and (D) through (F), and 24.12(C) and (D) and to
4 enact R.S. 17:24.10(G) and 24.12(E), relative to early literacy; to increase the
5 number of administrations of a literacy screener to students in grades kindergarten
6 through three; to provide for reporting the results of the literacy screener; to provide
7 relative to literacy supports and interventions for certain students; to require
8 individual reading plans for certain students; to require literacy coaches for teachers;
9 and to provide for related matters.
10Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 17:24.9(B), (C)(5), and (D), 24.10(A)(2) and (3), (B)(1)(introductory
12paragraph), and (D) through (F), and 24.12(C) and (D) are hereby amended and reenacted
13and R.S. 17:24.10(G) and 24.12(E) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
14 §24.9. Quality early literacy initiative; legislative findings; development; criteria;
15 implementation; limitations
16 * * *
17 B. The state Department of Education shall develop a comprehensive and
18 evidence-based early literacy initiative for students in kindergarten through third
19 grade. The department shall:
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HB NO. 911
1 (1) Develop a program for early literacy that is applicable for all students in
2 kindergarten through third grade including special education students.
3 (2) Develop or select a literacy assessment screener to assess the literacy
4 level of each public school student in kindergarten through third grade.
5 (a) In developing or selecting the literacy assessment, screener, the
6 department shall consider:
7 (i) The scientific validity and reliability of the literacy assessment. screener.
8 (ii) The time required to conduct the literacy assessment, screener, with the
9 intention to minimize the impact on instructional time.
10 (iii) The cost of administering the literacy assessment. screener.
11 (iv) The timeliness and ease in reporting the results to teachers,
12 administrators, and parents.
13 (v) The integration of the literacy assessment screener with instruction.
14 (b) The literacy assessment screener shall:
15 (i) Measure, at a minimum, age-appropriate phonological awareness,
16 phonics, decoding, fluency, and comprehension.
17 (ii) Identify students whose literacy skills are below grade level.
18 (iii) Be a tool to assist in identifying students for further evaluation for
19 specific programming, including students who display characteristics of being
20 dyslexic or gifted.
21 (3) Provide the literacy assessment, screener, at no cost, to each public
22 school for use in identifying a student's foundational literacy skill level pursuant to
23 R.S. 17:24.10.
24 (4) Establish the scores on the literacy assessment screener to determine
25 whether a student's literacy skills are above grade level, on grade level, or below
26 grade level.
27 (5) Require, beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, each public school
28 to administer the literacy assessment screener three times per school year to each
29 student in kindergarten through third grade, . The first screener shall be administered
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HB NO. 911
1 within the first thirty days of each school year, the second screener shall be
2 administered in December, and the third screener shall be administered in April.
3 (6) Provide, within thirty days after the each administration of the literacy
4 assessment, a literacy assessment screener, a report to each public school governing
5 authority, each public school, and each public school teacher who teaches students
6 in kindergarten through third grade, that indicates the number and percentage of
7 students with literacy skills determined to be above grade level, on grade level, or
8 below grade level. The number of students identified for referral for gifted
9 evaluation or targeted for literacy intervention shall also be reported.
10 (7)(a) Submit a report, not later than ninety days after the beginning of each
11 school year, to the Senate Committee on Education and the House Committee on
12 Education detailing the results of the each literacy assessment screener for each
13 public elementary school, each public school system, and the state as a whole. The
14 report shall be submitted twice per school year. The first report shall include the
15 results of the first screener administered and shall be submitted within the first ninety
16 days of the school year. The second report shall include the results of the second and
17 third assessments and shall be submitted not later than June first.
18 (b) The Each report shall include:
19 (i) The number and percentage of students in kindergarten through third
20 grade with literacy skills identified at each proficiency level.
21 (ii) The number of students identified for referral for gifted evaluation or
22 targeted for literacy intervention.
23 (iii) Literacy levels by student subgroups.
24 (c) The data reported shall be submitted in the aggregate and shall not
25 include any personally identifiable information pursuant to R.S. 17:3914.
26 (8) Report the data for each school, for each school system, and the state as
27 a whole, in the school progress profiles provided pursuant to R.S. 17:3911 and 3912.
28 C. Not later than July 31, 2022, the State Board of Elementary and
29 Secondary Education shall revise teacher certification requirements and the
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HB NO. 911
1 requirements of teacher education programs to require foundational literacy skills
2 standards in all educator preparation programs of all candidates seeking certification
3 to teach students in kindergarten through third grade. The foundational literacy skills
4 standards shall include:
5 * * *
6 (5) How to administer literacy assessments screeners to students and use the
7 resulting data to improve literacy instruction for students.
8 D. The results from the literacy assessment screeners shall be used in
9 determining school and district performance scores pursuant to the state's school and
10 district accountability system.
11 * * *
12 §24.10. Early literacy instruction and assessment screening; parental notification;
13 reporting
14 A. Each public school shall:
15 * * *
16 (2) Within the first thirty days of each school year, in December, and in
17 April, administer the literacy assessment screener developed or selected and
18 provided by the state Department of Education pursuant to R.S. 17:24.9 to each
19 student in kindergarten through third grade to determine each student's literacy level.
20 (3) Provide literacy interventions and supports designed to improve the
21 foundational literacy skills of any student identified as having literacy skills below
22 grade level. The supports may include daily targeted small-group interventions,
23 before and after school literacy intervention provided by a teacher or tutor with
24 specialized literacy training, and at-home literacy programs that include literacy
25 workshops for the parents and legal guardians of students and web-based or parent-
26 guided home literacy activities, and summer learning opportunities, including but not
27 limited to reading camps where students receive reading intervention services and
28 supports.
29 * * *
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1 B.(1) Within fifteen days of identifying that a student in kindergarten
2 through third grade is below grade level, based on the results of the annual literacy
3 assessment any of the three literacy assessments administered per school year, the
4 school shall notify the student's parent or legal guardian in writing that the student
5 has been identified as being below grade level, and shall provide the student's parent
6 with the following:
7 D. Each school shall post its foundational literacy skills plan and the latest
8 report on the literacy assessment screener on its website.
9 E. The results of the early literacy assessment screener shall not be used in
10 determining school and district performance scores prior to the 2023-2024 school
11 year.
12 F. A student in grades kindergarten through three, within thirty days of being
13 identified as having literacy skills that are below grade level based on the results of
14 the literacy screener, shall receive an individual reading improvement plan. The plan
15 shall be created by the teacher, principal, other pertinent school personnel, and the
16 parent or legal guardian and shall describe the evidence-based reading intervention
17 services the student will receive and shall give suggestions for strategies parents can
18 use at home.
19 F. G. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall adopt
20 rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the
21 provisions of this Section.
22 §24.12. Early literacy professional development; purpose; requirements; reporting;
23 funding
24 * * *
25 C. Each public school governing authority shall provide for literacy coaches
26 for reading teachers in kindergarten through third grade for the purposes of providing
27 on-site teacher training on evidence-based reading instruction, demonstrating
28 lessons, co-teaching or observation, and providing feedback for improving
29 instruction.
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HB NO. 911
1 C. D. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall adopt
2 rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the
3 provisions of this Section.
4 D. E. The provisions of this Section shall be subject to the appropriation of
5 funds.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 911 Engrossed 2022 Regular Session Hughes
Abstract: Provides for additional literacy screenings for students in grades K-3, requires
individual reading plans for certain students, and requires literacy coaches for
teachers.
Relative to literacy tests for students in grades K-3:
(1)Present law requires the state Dept. of Education (DOE) to develop an instrument to
assess the literacy level of each public school student in grades K-3. Proposed law
changes the terminology for this instrument from a literacy assessment to a literacy
screener and requires DOE to develop or select it.
(2)Present law provides for students in grades K-3 to take this test within the first 30
days of the school year. Proposed law provides for two additional tests per school
year, one in Dec. and one in April.
(3)Present law requires parental notification when students are identified as having
literacy skills that are below grade level based on the results of the test. Proposed
law specifies that this notification is required upon such identification based on the
results of any of the three tests administered per school year.
(4)Present law requires the state Dept. of Education (DOE) to submit a report to the
legislature on results within the first 90 days of the school year. Proposed law
additionally requires a second report to be submitted by June 1st (the first report
covering the results of the first test and the second report covering the results of the
second and third tests).
Relative to literacy interventions and supports for students identified as having literacy skills
below grade level:
(1)Proposed law requires an individual reading improvement plan for each such student
created by school officials and parents.
(2)Present law requires literacy interventions and supports for these students, which
may include small-group interventions, before and after school literacy intervention,
and at-home literacy programs. Proposed law adds summer learning opportunities
to this list.
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HB NO. 911
Relative to professional development for teachers, present law requires professional
development pertaining to early literacy, including a course on foundational literacy skills.
Proposed law additionally requires literacy coaches for on-site teacher training.
(Amends R.S. 17:24.9(B), (C)(5), and (D), 24.10(A)(2) and (3), (B)(1)(intro. para.), and (D)-
(F), and 24.12(C) and (D); Adds R.S. 17:24.10(G) and 24.12(E))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the
original bill:
1. Revise terminology from literacy assessment to literacy screener throughout
present law and proposed law.
2. Revise Dept. of Education's role relative to the literacy screener by providing for
the department to either develop or select it.
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