Bill > S914

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the "Elementary Student Literacy Task Force." The purpose of the task force is to assess the current reading levels of elementary school students in the public schools and identify best practices towards supporting all elementary school students to read at, or above, grade level. The task force is to consist of 17 members as follows:· the Commissioner of Education, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;· one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, both of whom are to be members of the public with demonstrated expertise in issues relating to the work of the task force;· one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, both of whom are to be members of the public with demonstrated expertise in issues relating to the work of the task force and at least one of whom is to have expertise in children's reading disabilities; and· 12 members appointed by the Governor, including various representatives of the education community. The task force is to organize no later than the 90th day after the bill's effective date. The Department of Education is to provide administrative support. Under the bill, the duty of the task force is to:· examine current data on the reading levels of elementary school students in the State;· analyze reading intervention techniques, including scientifically-backed approaches to teaching students to read;· research promising programs and initiatives addressing early literacy across the nation to identify best practices that may be replicated in the State;· identify professional development options for teaching staff members to improve staff knowledge of the most effective instructional techniques for promoting literacy; · study practices for diagnosing, treating, and educating students with reading disabilities or who are reading below grade level, and how the State's current laws and regulations affect these students; and· develop recommendations on the most effective ways for school districts to promote family engagement in reading. The bill directs the Elementary Student Literacy Task Force to issue a final report to the Governor and the Legislature no later than one year after the task force organizes. The task force will expire on the 30th day after the issuance of its final report.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Douglas Steinhardt (R)*,  Mike Testa (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee (on 01/13/2026)

Official Document