Bill > HB810

This bill expands the existing Literacy-based Promotion Act to provide enhanced literacy support for students in grades 4 through 8, building on the success already seen in earlier grades. It defines key terms like "science of reading," which is the body of research on how reading and writing develop and how to best teach them, and "structured literacy," an evidence-based teaching approach aligned with the science of reading. The State Department of Education will establish a system of support for educators, including professional development grounded in the science of reading, focusing on explicit and systematic instruction in foundational reading skills, strategies for adolescent learners, and how to identify and support students with reading difficulties, including dyslexia. The department will also implement an evidence-based literacy intervention program for these students, which will include regular assessments using "universal screeners" to identify students at risk and diagnostic tools to pinpoint specific needs, and will explicitly prohibit the use of the "three-cueing system," a method of teaching reading based on meaning, structure, and visual cues. Furthermore, the bill requires the development of a formula to identify "Middle Literacy Support Schools" (M-LSS) based on reading proficiency data from the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP), and these schools will be required to implement the new middle grades literacy program. Parents of students identified with significant reading deficiencies will be notified and informed about the proposed interventions. Finally, the State Department of Education will submit an annual report to the Legislature detailing the program's implementation and its impact on student literacy outcomes.