Special Education Leadership Institute Literacy-Based Promotion Act Update September 26, 2013 Robin Lemonis, Director of Literacy, Early Childhood, and Dyslexia Office of Instructional Enhancement
Public School Requirements Mississippi Reading Panel Social Promotion Intervention Good Cause Exemptions Key Reporting Requirements Funding Literacy Personnel Timeline Resources Agenda 2
Literacy-Based Promotion Act Statute Overview: Senate Bill 2347 3
Requirements for Public Schools Inform parents or legal guardians of the student s academic progress Provide intensive reading instruction and immediate intervention to each K - 3 student who exhibits a substantial deficiency in reading at any time, as demonstrated by performance on an MDE-approved reading screener or locally determined assessments and teacher observations 4
Parent Notification Requirements If a K - 3 student has been identified with a substantial deficit in reading, the teacher will immediately, and with each quarterly progress report, notify parents or legal guardians of the following in writing: Determination of a substantial deficit in reading Description of student services and supports presently provided Description of proposed supplemental instruction and support to remediate the student s deficit areas Strategies for parents to use to help students at home Notification that student will not be promoted to 4 th grade if reading deficiency can not be remediated by the end of 3 rd grade 5
Mississippi Reading Panel MDE has established a Mississippi Reading Panel to collaborate with the department on: Recommending appropriate comparable alternate assessments Establishing cut scores to determine promotion to 4 th grade Establishing a make-up opportunity for those who were unable to take the assessment due to unforeseen circumstances or for those needing to retest 6
Mississippi Reading Panel Members State Superintendent of Education or designee Chair of the House of Education Committee or designee Chair of the Senate Education Committee or designee Member appointed by the Governor Two additional members appointed by the State Superintendent of Education 7
Social Promotion and Third Grade Gateway A student may not be assigned a grade level based solely on age or any other factor that constitutes social promotion. Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, a student scoring at the lowest achievement level in reading on the established state assessment for 3 rd grade will not be promoted to 4 th grade. A 3 rd grade student who fails to meet the academic requirements for promotion to the 4 th grade may be promoted for good cause. 8
Intensive Instructional Services for 3 rd Graders Not Promoted Intensive instructional services progress monitoring measures, and supports to remediate the identified reading deficiency Minimum of 90 minutes per day scientifically research-based reading instruction Phonemic awareness Phonics Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension Other strategies prescribed by the school district
Good Cause Exemptions Limited English Proficient students who have had less than two (2) years of instruction in English Language Learner program Students with disabilities whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) indicates that participation in the Statewide accountability assessment program is not appropriate, as authorized under State law 10
Good Cause Exemptions Students with a disability who participate in the accountability assessment and who have an IEP or Section 504 plan that reflects that the student has received intense remediation in reading for two (2) years but still demonstrates a deficiency and was previously retained 11
Good Cause Exemptions Students who demonstrate an acceptable level of reading proficiency on an alternative assessment approved by the State Board of Education Students who receive intensive intervention for two or more years but still demonstrate deficiency in reading, and who previously were retained for two (2) years in any grade Kindergarten through 3 rd grade 12
Request for a 3 rd Grade Student Good Cause Exemptions Teacher submits documentation to the principal indicating promotion is appropriate based on the student s record Documentation must indicate the good cause exemption being requested and clearly show the student is eligible Principal reviews and discusses the documentation with the teacher and parents and determine whether or not to promote the student based on the statute requirements
Request for a 3 rd Grade Student Good Cause Exemptions If the principal determines the student should be promoted Principal makes recommendation in writing to the school district superintendent, who may or may not accept the principal s recommendation The parents of any student promoted may choose to retain the child even if the principal and the district superintendent determine otherwise
Interventions for Students with Good Cause Exemptions Students promoted to 4 th grade based on good cause exemptions shall be provided intensive reading instruction and intervention informed by data and delivered through specific strategies in order to meet the students needs. 15
Key Reporting Requirements of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act The school board of each school district must publish, in a newspaper that has general circulation within the school district, and report to the State Board of Education and the Mississippi Reading Panel the following information: The number and percentage of students given an approved alternate standardized reading assessment and the percentage of these students performing at each competency level of the alternate standardized assessment By grade, the number and percentage of all students retained in K-8 Information on the total number and percentage of students who were promoted for good cause, by each category of good cause 16
Funding for K-3 Literacy and Third Grade Gateway The $9.5 M appropriation from the 2013 legislative session may be used for the following: Training all K - 3 teachers (~ 9,900 participants) Training all K - 3 principals (~ 500 participants) Training school- or district-based literacy coaches Employing and training literacy coaches and regional literacy coordinators Employing State literacy director Training IHL faculty 17
Literacy Personnel The MDE has been actively screening applications and interviewing individuals to work as literacy coaches. 560 completed applications 251 telephone interviews 107 face-to-face interviews A list of FAQs is available online. Please visit http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/curriculum-andinstruction/literacy-coach-positions for details. 18
Literacy Efforts Tentative Timeline 19
July - August Date July 2013 August 2013 Activity For the 2013-2014 SY the following statement should be added as an addendum to the District Handbook: Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, a student scoring at the lowest achievement level in reading on the established State assessment for 3rd grade will not be promoted to 4th grade unless the student meets the good cause exemptions for promotion. Identify target schools based on 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 data Principal and literacy coach training on the Literacy-Based Promotion Act Literacy training provided for literacy coaches and IHL faculty Literacy coaches deployed to assist targeted schools 20
October - April Date October 2013 November 2013 Activity State Board of Education approval of MS K-3 Literacy Professional Development Training System proposal Training provided for literacy coaches December 2013 January April 2014 Initial training of the MS K-3 Literacy Professional Development Training System for K-3 teachers, principals, school-based literacy coaches, and IHL faculty Training for K-3 teachers, principals, school-based literacy coaches, and IHL faculty on the MS Literacy Professional Development Training System 21
May June Date June 2014 Activity Follow-up literacy training for K-3 teachers, principals, literacy coaches, and IHL faculty, based upon evaluation of implementation data 2015-2016 The school board of each district must publish, in a newspaper that has general circulation within the school district, and report to the State Board of Education and the Mississippi Reading panel the following: 1) the number and percentage of students given alternative standardized reading assessment and the percentage of these students performing at each competency level of the alternate standardized assessment, 2) by grade, the number of all students retained in K-8, and 3) information on the total number and percentage of students who were promoted for good cause, by each category of good cause. 22
MDE Resources Office of Curriculum and Instruction http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/ci MDE Early Learning Standards http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/curriculum-and-instruction/early-childhood MDE Common Core Website www.mde.k12.ms.us/ccss Office of Curriculum and Instruction Listserv http://fyt.mde.k12.ms.us/subscribe/subscribe_curriculum.html 23
Contact Information Office of Instructional Enhancement Trecina Green Associate Superintendent tgreen@mde.k12.ms.us Office of Curriculum and Instruction Nathan Oakley Director of Curriculum and Instruction noakley@mde.k12.ms.us Robin Lemonis Director of Literacy, Early Childhood, and Dyslexia rlemonis@mde.k12.ms.us 601.359.2586 24