HB2003: Providing early childhood assistant teachers and systems of support to help students achieve grade level literacy and numeracy by end of third grade.

Legislative Summary

The purpose of this bill is to provide early childhood assistant teachers and systems of support to help students achieve grade level literacy and numeracy by end of third grade. The bill replaces a transformative intervention framework with multi-tiered system of support addressing both reading and mathematics. It includes the use of screening and/or benchmark assessments approved by the State Board to be administered three time throughout the school year. The bill specifies the services to be provided to students who exhibit substantial deficiencies on the screening and /or benchmark assessment and the information and notice to the parent or guardian. It requires professional development for the teachers and the training and instruction be provided by education preparation programs that prepare candidates seeking licensure for elementary education. The bill requires the retention in third grade of public school students who demonstrate minimal grade level understanding and ability upon recommendation of teacher and student assistance team, with exceptions. Students starting in the fourth grade who score below proficient in English language arts or mathematics on general summative assessment will continue to be provided intervention until they are grade level proficient. Finally, the bill requires an early childhood classroom assistant teacher in first, second and third grade classrooms that have more than 12 pupils. Note that requirements currently exist in State Board Policy 2510 for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms with more than 10 pupils to have an early childhood classroom assistant teacher and these provisions would be added to the statute in this bill. The school aid formula allowance for service personnel is amended to increase the number of state funded positions per 1,000 students in net enrollment to provide state funding for the added positions. A new section of code is added which requires early childhood classroom assistant teachers to exercise authority and control over students such as required of a teacher, but only in instances enumerated by the principal and excluding suspensions, expulsions and performing instructional duties as a teacher.