1 | 1 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2653 |
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2 | 2 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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3 | 3 | | _______________ |
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4 | 4 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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5 | 5 | | (2023-2024) |
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6 | 6 | | _______________ |
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7 | 7 | | SENATE, March 21, 2024. |
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8 | 8 | | The committee on Education, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, |
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9 | 9 | | Senate, No. 263) of Sal N. DiDomenico, Paul W. Mark, John C. Velis, Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. |
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10 | 10 | | and other members of the General Court for legislation to promote high-quality comprehensive |
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11 | 11 | | literacy instruction in all Massachusetts schools, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. |
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12 | 12 | | 2653). |
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13 | 13 | | For the committee, |
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14 | 14 | | Jason M. Lewis 1 of 6 |
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15 | 15 | | FILED ON: 2/7/2024 |
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16 | 16 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2653 |
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17 | 17 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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18 | 18 | | _______________ |
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19 | 19 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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20 | 20 | | (2023-2024) |
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21 | 21 | | _______________ |
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22 | 22 | | An Act to promote high-quality early literacy instruction and improve student outcomes. |
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23 | 23 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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24 | 24 | | of the same, as follows: |
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25 | 25 | | 1 SECTION 1. Section 55A of chapter 15 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 |
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26 | 26 | | 2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “curriculum and assessments;” |
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27 | 27 | | 3in line 56, the following language:- |
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28 | 28 | | 4 (6) evaluate the alignment of literacy instructional materials and curricula with |
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29 | 29 | | 5department-recommended high quality literacy instructional materials and curricula, as per |
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30 | 30 | | 6section 1E of chapter 69; |
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31 | 31 | | 7 SECTION 2. Said section 55A of chapter 15, as so appearing, is hereby further amended |
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32 | 32 | | 8by striking the language “(6) review the progress of overall student achievement and; (7) |
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33 | 33 | | 9evaluate student performance, school and district management, overall district governance and |
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34 | 34 | | 10any other areas deemed necessary by the office.” in lines 56 through 59, and replacing it with the |
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35 | 35 | | 11following language:- 2 of 6 |
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36 | 36 | | 12 (7) review the progress of overall student achievement and; (8) evaluate student |
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37 | 37 | | 13performance, school and district management, overall district governance and any other areas |
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38 | 38 | | 14deemed necessary by the office. |
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39 | 39 | | 15 SECTION 3. Section 1E of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 |
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40 | 40 | | 16Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding at the end of the first paragraph the following |
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41 | 41 | | 17sentence:- Curricula selected to meet the curriculum frameworks for elementary literacy must be |
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42 | 42 | | 18aligned with evidence-based literacy instruction. |
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43 | 43 | | 19 SECTION 4. Subsection (c)(ii) of section 1S of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as so |
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44 | 44 | | 20appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 41, the words “and (J)”, and inserting in |
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45 | 45 | | 21place thereof the following words:- (J) implementing evidence-based literacy instruction; and |
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46 | 46 | | 22(K) |
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47 | 47 | | 23 SECTION 3. Said subsection (c)(ii) of section 1S of chapter 69, as so appearing, is |
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48 | 48 | | 24hereby further amended by striking out, in line 44, the word “(I)”, and inserting in place thereof |
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49 | 49 | | 25the following word:- (J) |
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50 | 50 | | 26 SECTION 5. Section 38G of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby |
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51 | 51 | | 27amended by inserting after the word “personnel”, in line 281, the following:- |
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52 | 52 | | 28 provided that policies and guidelines must include alignment with evidence-based |
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53 | 53 | | 29literacy instruction for educator preparation programs to be approved. |
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54 | 54 | | 30 SECTION 6. |
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55 | 55 | | 31 Section 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, as used in this bill, |
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56 | 56 | | 32the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:- 3 of 6 |
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57 | 57 | | 33 “department” means the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education |
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58 | 58 | | 34 “Evidence-based literacy instruction" means structured instructional practices, including |
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59 | 59 | | 35sequential, systematic, explicit, and cumulative teaching, that (i) are based on reliable, |
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60 | 60 | | 36trustworthy, and valid evidence consistent with science-based reading research; (ii) are used in |
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61 | 61 | | 37core or general instruction, supplemental instruction, intervention services, and intensive |
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62 | 62 | | 38intervention services; (iii) have a demonstrated record of success in adequately increasing |
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63 | 63 | | 39students' reading competency, vocabulary, oral language, and comprehension and in building |
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64 | 64 | | 40mastery of the foundational reading skills of phonological and phonemic awareness, alphabetic |
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65 | 65 | | 41principle, phonics, spelling, and text reading fluency; and (iv) are able to be differentiated in |
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66 | 66 | | 42order to meet the individual needs of students. Evidence-based literacy instruction should align |
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67 | 67 | | 43with scientifically based reading research standards set forth in 20 USC 6368 (3)(4)(5)(6)(7). |
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68 | 68 | | 44 "Science-based reading research" means research that (i) applies rigorous, systematic, |
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69 | 69 | | 45and objective observational or experimental procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to |
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70 | 70 | | 46reading development, reading instruction, and reading and writing difficulties and (ii) explains |
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71 | 71 | | 47how proficient reading and writing develop, why some children have difficulties developing key |
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72 | 72 | | 48literacy skills, and how schools can best assess and instruct early literacy, including the use of |
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73 | 73 | | 49evidence-based literacy instruction practices to promote reading and writing achievement. |
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74 | 74 | | 50 Section 2. (a) The department shall provide tools and resources to aid districts in |
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75 | 75 | | 51providing adequate professional development aligned with evidence-based literacy instruction |
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76 | 76 | | 52and science-based reading research for literacy teachers, paraprofessionals, and reading |
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77 | 77 | | 53specialists in grades pre-kindergarten through third grade. |
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78 | 78 | | 54 (b) The department shall create and maintain 4 of 6 |
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79 | 79 | | 55 i. A list of department-approved, high-quality professional development programs and |
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80 | 80 | | 56vendors aligned with evidence-based literacy instruction best practices and science-based reading |
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81 | 81 | | 57research. |
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82 | 82 | | 58 ii. A set of online training modules available and free to all teachers that provide training |
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83 | 83 | | 59on the foundational practices and pedagogy aligned with evidence-based literacy instruction best |
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84 | 84 | | 60practices and science-based reading research. |
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85 | 85 | | 61 Section 3: Each school district shall at least two times per year assess each student's |
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86 | 86 | | 62reading ability and progress in literacy skills, from kindergarten through at least third grade, |
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87 | 87 | | 63using a valid, developmentally appropriate screening instrument approved by the department. |
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88 | 88 | | 64Consistent with section 2 of chapter 71B of the general laws and the department's dyslexia and |
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89 | 89 | | 65literacy guidelines, if such screenings determine that a student is significantly below relevant |
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90 | 90 | | 66benchmarks for age-typical development in specific literacy skills, the school shall determine |
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91 | 91 | | 67which actions within the general education program will meet the student's needs, including |
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92 | 92 | | 68differentiated or supplementary evidence-based literacy instruction and ongoing monitoring of |
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93 | 93 | | 69progress. Within 30 school days of a screening result that is significantly below the relevant |
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94 | 94 | | 70benchmarks, the school shall inform the student's parent or guardian of the screening results and |
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95 | 95 | | 71the school's response and shall offer them the opportunity for a follow-up discussion. |
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96 | 96 | | 72 Section 4: (a) The department shall create guidelines for districts to use to determine if |
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97 | 97 | | 73any students exhibit a reading deficiency. Guidelines shall include the steps that districts must |
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98 | 98 | | 74follow to address and remedy such reading deficiencies. The department shall consult experts to |
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99 | 99 | | 75identify and make available to districts literacy intervention approaches that are aligned with the |
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100 | 100 | | 76essential components of evidence-based literacy instruction and science-based reading research. 5 of 6 |
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101 | 101 | | 77 (b) Districts shall follow department guidelines established in subsection (a) for any |
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102 | 102 | | 78student in kindergarten through grade 3 who exhibits a deficiency in reading. |
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103 | 103 | | 79 Section 5: (a)(1) The department shall identify a list of data requirements for reporting |
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104 | 104 | | 80purposes in order to ensure that districts are implementing evidence-based literacy instruction |
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105 | 105 | | 81under this bill. The department shall publish reporting requirements by the start of each school |
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106 | 106 | | 82year. |
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107 | 107 | | 83 (2) Beginning in 2025, each district shall report annually to the department, on or before |
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108 | 108 | | 84October 31, the data reporting requirements set out in subsection (a)(1). |
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109 | 109 | | 85 (b) Annually, beginning no later than December 31, 2025, the department shall aggregate |
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110 | 110 | | 86data collected from each district under this section and file a report with the clerks of the senate |
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111 | 111 | | 87and house of representatives, the joint committee on education and made public on the |
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112 | 112 | | 88department’s website. |
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113 | 113 | | 89 Section 6. The department shall convene a panel of expert stakeholders to study the early |
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114 | 114 | | 90literacy education landscape in the Commonwealth and draft recommendations to maximize |
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115 | 115 | | 91dissemination of evidence-based literacy instruction best practices among the educator workforce |
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116 | 116 | | 92in Massachusetts, which shall include, but not be limited to, pre-service training for teachers, |
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117 | 117 | | 93administrators, and related school-based service providers; professional development for in- |
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118 | 118 | | 94service teachers, administrators, and related school-based service providers; best practices related |
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119 | 119 | | 95to educator licensure, license endorsements or similar credentials intended to demonstrate |
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120 | 120 | | 96advanced knowledge of evidence-based literacy instruction best practices; and such other matters |
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121 | 121 | | 97as the panel may determine would advance more equitable literacy outcomes for all |
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122 | 122 | | 98Massachusetts students. 6 of 6 |
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123 | 123 | | 99 Said recommendations shall be published in a report filed with the clerks of the senate |
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124 | 124 | | 100and the house of representatives, the joint committee on education and made public on the |
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125 | 125 | | 101department’s website no later than December 31, 2025. |
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126 | 126 | | 102 Section 7. The department shall promulgate such rules and regulations as it deems |
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127 | 127 | | 103necessary to implement the provisions of this bill. |
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