Bill > A00078

This bill, known as the "right to read act," mandates that school districts provide reading and literacy instruction and services for students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade that are "evidence-based," meaning they are supported by strong scientific evidence and have a proven track record of improving reading skills in areas like phonemic awareness (understanding individual sounds in words), phonics (letter-sound relationships), vocabulary development, reading fluency (reading accurately, at an appropriate speed, and with expression), and comprehension. The bill also requires that this instruction align with the state's culturally-responsive sustaining education (CRSE) framework, which aims to create inclusive learning environments that affirm students' identities and prepare them for academic rigor. Furthermore, all teachers in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade must receive professional development in reading education, with new teachers needing at least thirty-five hours of evidence-based training, and existing teachers able to demonstrate proficiency through completed courses or their teacher preparation program. The bill also establishes a grant program to help districts replace non-evidence-based curricula with approved options and requires the state to develop lists of approved evidence-based curricula and professional development programs, explicitly prohibiting methods like "three-cueing" (using meaning, structure, and visual cues to guess unknown words). Finally, it mandates that parents receive regular progress reports on their child's literacy development and that the state report annually on student literacy progress and teacher training.