If they can’t read, hold them back…

Sen. Wayne, Kuipers, bill's sponsor

...That was the concept in the original SB 842. The bill has an entirely new look today, but still is causing some big concerns within the education community.

This bill amends three sections of the School Code:

• Amends Administrator continuing education training requirement (sec. 1246)
• Adds a new section 1283 by requiring the Department to develop summer English language programs for grades 1-4,
• Amends section 1227 by requiring school to offer 5 days of training to teachers in diagnosis and remediation of reading disabilities and differentiated instruction.

MASSP weighted in on the administrator requirements piece. The second version of the bill required all principals and superintendents to take a course in diagnostic reading and a have a field practice in their five-year continuing education credits (SB-CEUs).

We testified before the Senate Education Committee that we support the concept that administrators who have the responsibility for the management of instruction should be trained in supervision of reading intervention programs. But we opposed a one-size-fits all requirement.

We also opposed using the word “course” and believe it should read that instructional leaders, i.e., superintendents, curriculum directors, and principals should receive training in data to identify, interpret and make decisions, and additional training in at least three research-based interventions in the areas of reading and mathematics at the appropriate level of supervision assigned.

As a result of our testimony, the original language was removed from the bill and the MASSP language above was put in its place.

This is a big win for us. There are still issues in the bill that need to be fixed. But, SB 842 is working toward the time there will be skill audits of students at the 3-4, 5-6, and 8-9 grade levels. If students are behind, there will be interventions provided for them.