§ 16-6G-3 — Literacy Task Force; Membership; Meetings; Approved Assessment Systems

(a) The State Superintendent of Education shall convene a standing Literacy Task Force by December 1, 2019, to provide recommendations for comprehensive core reading and reading intervention programs, a state continuum of teacher development for approved science of reading pursuant to subsection (e) of Section 16-6G-6, and an annual list of vetted assessments that are valid and reliable reading screening, formative, and diagnostic assessment systems for selection and use by local education agencies. In future reviews, the task force shall add an element to the core reading and intervention program rubrics to review content for age appropriateness. The list finalized by the State Superintendent of Education for the 2021-2022 school year shall be valid for a period of five years, beginning with the date of approval. The vetted and approved list of assessments by the task force shall be valid for a period of three years, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year. Assessments may be added during that time period, but not removed. Any changes must be approved by the task force. The task force shall endeavor to include multiple vendors in each approved list. The task force shall make public all rubrics and measurements used to determine eligibility and compliance for all assessments that applied for consideration. All appointing authorities shall coordinate their appointments so that diversity of gender, race, and geographical areas is reflective of the makeup of this state. The State Department of Education shall verify that each appointee satisfies the credentials under which he or she was appointed. The membership of the task force shall include all of the following appointees, each of whom shall have at least three years of experience with scientifically based reading instruction:
(1) The Director of the Alabama Reading Initiative.
(2) Two public K-12 teachers appointed by the Executive Director of the Alabama Education Association.
(3) One public K-12 special education teacher appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
(4) Three Certified Academic Dyslexia Therapists, who have been certified for a minimum of three years, appointed by the Alabama Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.
(5) Two public school principals appointed by the Executive Director of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools.
(6) One local superintendent of education appointed by the Executive Director of the School Superintendents of Alabama.
(7) One local board of education member appointed by the Alabama Association of School Boards.
(8) One national expert in literacy member appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
(9) One early childhood educator appointed by the Secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education.
(10) One dean of a college of education appointed by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
(11) Seven additional members, including two public K-12 teachers, four of whom shall be appointed by the Governor and three by the State Superintendent of Education.
(12) Two at-large members: One member shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to serve as chair for a two-year term and subsequently as vice chair for a two-year term, and one member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives to serve as vice chair for a two-year term and subsequently as chair for a two-year term.
(b) Members appointed to the task force shall be appointed to serve a four-year term and may be reappointed to serve one additional two-year term.
(c) The members of the task force shall be reimbursed through the department for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties for the task force in the same manner and at the same rate as is provided for state employees. Subject to appropriations, nothing in this chapter shall limit payment for their service.
(d) The task force shall meet at least twice a year. The task force shall set meeting dates and times, set agendas, vote, and develop recommendations for the State Superintendent of Education. All task force meetings and subcommittee meetings shall be publicly posted along with a complete listing of all task force members.
(e) Each approved assessment system shall do all of the following:
(1) Provide screening and diagnostic capabilities for monitoring student progress.
(2) Measure, at a minimum, phonological awareness, oral language, the alphabetic principle, including letter naming, letter sound, and sound letter correspondences, decoding, encoding, accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension.
(3) Identify students who have a reading deficiency, including identifying students with characteristics of dyslexia.
(4) Provide predictive validity with regard to the state summative assessment.
(f) In determining which assessment systems to approve for use by local education agencies, the task force, at a minimum, shall also consider all of the following factors:
(1) The time required to conduct the assessments, with the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time.
(2) The level of integration of assessment results with instructional support for teachers and students.
(3) The timeliness in reporting assessment results to teachers, administrators, and parents.

Legislative History

(Act 2019-523, §3; Act 2022-392, §1; Act 2023-417, §1.)