Regular Session 2021-2022 House Bill 2045 P.N. 2410

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2353

PRINTER'S NO. 2410

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

2045

Session of

2021

INTRODUCED BY ORTITAY, GUENST, LEWIS DELROSSO, MIHALEK,

SCHLOSSBERG, HILL-EVANS, SCHMITT, JAMES, GAYDOS, JOZWIAK,

INNAMORATO AND NEILSON, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An

act relating to the public school system, including certain

provisions applicable as well to private and parochial

schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the

laws relating thereto," in professional employees

CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS, providing for teacher support in

the Science of Reading Program.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 1195.1 of the act of March 10, 1949

(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is

amended to read:

Section 1195.1. [(Reserved).] Teacher support in the Science of

Reading Program.

SECTION 1. THE ACT OF MARCH 10, 1949 (P.L.30, NO.14), KNOWN

AS THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF 1949, IS AMENDED BY ADDING A

SECTION TO READ:

SECTION 1205.8. TEACHER SUPPORT IN THE SCIENCE OF READING

PROGRAM.

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(a) Legislative intent.--

(1) It is the intent of the General Assembly that

teachers be equipped to facilitate high-quality reading

instruction grounded in the science of reading and

intervention services to address student reading needs.

(2) The program provided in this section will assist

school districts ENTITIES in providing professional

development for teachers in foundational skills and

instructional interventions based on the science of reading

and selecting district AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL

personnel to serve as reading coaches to support teachers in

delivering high-quality reading instruction.

(b) Program to be conducted.--

(1) Beginning with the 2021-2022 2022-2023 school year,

the Department of Education shall conduct a program with

school districts that volunteer to participate according to

the implementation of professional development and applied

practice in the science of reading as selected school

district personnel provide DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH A

PROGRAM OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND APPLIED PRACTICE IN

THE SCIENCE OF READING FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL THAT INCLUDES in-

class demonstration, modeling and coaching support to improve

reading and literacy outcomes.

(2) Selected coaches SCHOOL PERSONNEL SELECTED BY THE

DEPARTMENT FROM A LIST OF NAMES SUBMITTED BY THE SCHOOL

ENTITY TO SERVE AS PROFESSIONAL COACHES FOR THIS PROGRAM must

have at least five years of experience in the teaching of

reading by demonstrating AND BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE their

skills in the instruction of and intervention with students,

including those with dyslexia and other language-related

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disabilities.

(3) The department may contract with multiple service

providers , INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOCAL EDUCATION

AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION WITH

DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE IN SCIENCE OF READING, to develop and

implement the program so that experienced support is

available locally. with providers who can demonstrate

application success.

(4) Training workshops and meetings do not constitute

the professional development required under the program.

(5) Local education agencies and institutions of higher

education that have successful implementation of literacy

outcomes are eligible to provide professional development and

onsite demonstration and coaching support in the program.

third and fourth grade teachers.--Teachers in participating

school districts shall participate in training and in-class

application and demonstration of the foundational skills and

evidence-based intervention practices on the science of reading,

including explicit and systematic instruction in phonological

and phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, decoding and

encoding, fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension and

building content knowledge, to ensure that all teachers have the

knowledge and skill to teach all students to read, including

students with dyslexia and other language-based learning

disabilities.

(d) Duties of department.--The Department of Education

shall:

(1) Select schools interested and committed to the

curricular, instructional and professional development

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changes required for the program and create criteria for

selection for participation based on the number and

percentages of students scoring in the lowest two achievement

levels on State assessment for grades three and four, as well

as other district-initiated reading, screening and other

relevant data for kindergarten and grades one and two.

(2) Select an in-district teacher who has demonstrated

literacy success to work as a coach within each school to be

responsible for the faithful implementation of the program.

Additional support for all school district coaches will be

provided as part of the program as needed.

(e) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term

"science of reading" shall mean evidence-based instructional and

assessment practices that address the multimodal approach that

integrates listening, speaking, reading, spelling and writing in

the acquisition of oral and written language skills that can be

differentiated to meet the needs of individual students.

(4) A SCHOOL ENTITY OR INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

THAT DEMONSTRATES SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF LITERACY

OUTCOMES IS ELIGIBLE TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND

ONSITE DEMONSTRATION AND COACHING SUPPORT IN THE P ROGRAM.

(5) A PARTICIPATING SCHOOL ENTITY SHALL ADOPT HIGH-

QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS GROUNDED IN SCIENTIFIC-BASED

READING RESEARCH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE ACADEMIC

STANDARDS APPROVED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE TEACHERS.--THE

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PLAN OF EACH SCHOOL ENTITY SHALL INCLUDE

TRAINING IN THE SCIENCE OF READING FOR PREKINDERGARTEN,

KINDERGARTEN, FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE TEACHERS.

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TO ENSURE THAT SCHOOL PERSONNEL HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL TO

TEACH ALL STUDENTS TO READ, INCLUDING STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA AND

OTHER LANGUAGE-BASED LEARNING DISABILITIES, TRAINING SHALL

ADDRESS, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO:

(1) EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION PRACTICES ON THE SCIENCE

OF READING.

(2) EXPLICIT AND SYSTEMATIC INSTRUCTION IN PHONOLOGICAL

AND PHONEMIC AWARENESS.

(3) THE ALPHABETIC PRINCIPLE, DECODING AND ENCODING,

FLUENCY AND VOCABULARY.

(4) READING COMPREHENSION AND BUILDING CONTENT

KNOWLEDGE.

(D) CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION.--SCHOOL EMPLOYES

REQUIRED TO UNDERGO CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION UNDER

SECTION 1205.2 OR 1205.5 SHALL RECEIVE CREDIT TOWARD THE SCHOOL

EMPLOYE'S CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS IF THE

TRAINING PROGRAM HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

(E) READING AND LITERARY OUTCOMES.--THE DEPARTMENT SHALL

ESTABLISH CRITERIA BY WHICH A SCHOOL ENTITY OR INSTITUTION OF

HIGHER EDUCATION CAN MEASURE READING AND LITERACY OUTCOMES.

(F) DEFINITIONS.--AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING

WORDS AND PHRASES SHALL HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THIS

SUBSECTION UNLESS THE CONTEXT CLEARLY INDICATES OTHERWISE:

"DEPARTMENT." THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE

COMMONWEALTH.

"INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION." AS DEFINED IN SECTION

118(C).

"SCHOOL ENTITY." A SCHOOL DISTRICT, INTERMEDIATE UNIT, AREA

CAREER AND TECHNICAL SCHOOL, CHARTER SCHOOL, CYBER CHARTER

SCHOOL OR REGIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL.

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"SCIENCE OF READING." EVIDENCE-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL AND

ASSESSMENT PRACTICES THAT ADDRESS THE MULTIMODAL APPROACH THAT

INTEGRATES LISTENING, SPEAKING, READING, SPELLING AND WRITING IN

THE ACQUISITION OF ORAL AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE SKILLS THAT CAN BE

DIFFERENTIATED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS.

Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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