§ 16-6G-4 — Use of Funds in Support of Alabama Reading Initiative; Literacy and Reading Specialists

(a) Funds appropriated by the Legislature in support of the Alabama Reading Initiative shall be allocated to support and implement, in accordance with this chapter, the following:
(1) Local education agencies to support local reading specialists.
(2) The Alabama Summer Achievement Program.
(3) Regional literacy specialists.
(4) Preservice and inservice teacher professional learning activities for elementary school teachers in reading.
(5) Curricula to support student interventions.
(6) State administration.
(b) Funds dedicated to the Alabama Reading Initiative shall be expended on local and regional reading specialists, professional learning activities, and administrative activities that support all of the following activities for kindergarten through third grade students in public K-12 schools; continued funding shall be contingent on measurable performance growth, as determined by the Alabama Committee on Grade Level Reading created pursuant to Section 16-6G-7:
(1) Administration and analysis of reading screening, formative, and diagnostic assessments to guide instruction.
(2) Scientifically based reading instruction, multisensory language instruction, including oral language development, phonological awareness, phonics instruction that includes decoding and encoding, fluency, writing, vocabulary, and comprehension, and the Alabama course of study, English Language Arts.
(3) Explicit and systematic instruction with more detailed explanations, more extensive opportunities for guided practice, and more opportunities for error correction and feedback.
(4) Differentiated reading instruction and intensive intervention based on student need, including students exhibiting the characteristics of dyslexia.
(c) Alabama Reading Initiative regional literacy specialists shall provide support to local education agencies through a gradual release model, whereby the regional reading specialist shall support a struggling school until that school has improved core instruction to the extent that it is no longer among the lowest performing five percent in reading of elementary schools in reading proficiency, as determined by annual results of the state summative assessment for federal and statewide accountability.
(1) Regional literacy specialists shall provide intensive support for elementary schools that are among the lowest performing five percent in reading of elementary schools. Each school among the lowest performing five percent in reading elementary schools shall be assigned a regional literacy specialist who shall serve as a resource for professional development throughout the school to improve literacy instruction and student achievement. A regional literacy specialist who is assigned to a school shall primarily serve only that school.
(2) Elementary schools that are not among the lowest performing five percent in reading schools shall receive limited literacy support from an Alabama Reading Initiative regional literacy specialist, who shall be assigned to multiple schools. All other regional literacy specialists shall be assigned to serve multiple elementary schools and shall provide ongoing professional development for teachers in analyzing students’ reading data to impact instruction, administering and analyzing instructional assessments, differentiating instruction and intensive intervention, and monitoring the reading progress of all students a minimum of three times per year, and make instruction adjustment recommendations according to student specific need. Distance and need shall be considered by local superintendents of education when selecting the schools where a regional literacy specialist shall serve. There shall be two levels of limited literacy support provided by a regional literacy specialist. The local superintendent of education of a local education agency subject to this subdivision shall determine the level of limited support that each regional literacy specialist shall provide.
a. Limited support 1. An Alabama Reading Initiative regional literacy specialist shall make monthly onsite visits to the school and shall monitor the reading progress of all students a minimum of three times per year and adjust instruction according to student specific need.
b. Limited support 2. An Alabama Reading Initiative regional literacy specialist shall make quarterly onsite visits to the school and shall monitor the reading progress of all students a minimum of three times per year and make instruction adjustment recommendations according to student specific need.
(3) An Alabama Reading Initiative regional literacy specialist shall have all of the following minimum qualifications:
a. The required Alabama Professional Educator Certificate.
b. A bachelor’s degree and advanced coursework or professional development in the science of reading, multisensory language instruction, such as Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, or a comparable alternative training approved by the State Board of Education.
c. A minimum of four years of experience as a successful elementary or literacy teacher.
d. A knowledge of scientifically based reading research, special expertise in quality reading instruction and intervention, dyslexia specific interventions, and data analysis.
e. A strong knowledge base in the science of learning to read and the science of early childhood education.
f. Excellent communication skills with outstanding presentation, interpersonal, and time management skills.
(d) An Alabama Reading Initiative local reading specialist shall be assigned to provide intensive, targeted professional development for elementary school teachers at one school.
(1) An Alabama Reading Initiative local reading specialist shall have all of the following minimum qualifications:
a. The required Alabama Professional Educator Certificate.
b. A bachelor’s degree and advanced coursework or professional development in the science of reading, such as multisensory language instruction, or comparable alternative training approved by the State Board of Education.
c. A minimum of two years of experience as a successful elementary or literacy teacher.
d. A knowledge of scientifically based reading research, special expertise in quality reading instruction and intervention, dyslexia specific interventions, and data analysis.
e. A strong knowledge base in the science of learning to read and the science of early childhood education.
f. Excellent communication skills with outstanding presentation, interpersonal, and time management skills.
(2) The duties and responsibilities of an Alabama Reading Initiative local reading specialist shall include all of the following:
a. Collaborating with the principal to create a strategic plan for coaching.
b. Facilitating schoolwide professional development and study groups.
c. Modeling effective reading instructional strategies for teachers.
d. Coaching and mentoring teachers daily.
e. Facilitating data analysis discussions and supporting teachers by using data to differentiate instruction according to the needs of students.
f. Fostering multiple areas of teacher professional learning, including exceptional student education and content area knowledge.
g. Prioritizing time for those teachers, activities, and roles that will have the greatest impact on student reading achievement, such as coaching and mentoring in classrooms.
h. Monitoring the reading progress of all students a minimum of three times per year and making recommendations for adjustment of instruction according to student specific need.
(3) An Alabama Reading Initiative local reading specialist may not perform administrative functions such as serving as an evaluator, substitute teacher, assessment coordinator, or school administrator.
(e) The State Superintendent of Education and local education agencies shall monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the Alabama Reading Initiative regional literacy specialist and local reading specialist model, and the State Superintendent of Education and each local education agency being served by a regional literacy specialist or a local reading specialist shall maintain communication among the district, school administration, and the Alabama Reading Initiative state administration staff throughout the academic year.
(1) The State Superintendent of Education, or his or her designee, shall certify that each Alabama Reading Initiative regional literacy specialist or local reading specialist satisfies the minimum qualifications provided by this chapter before coaches are hired with funds appropriated by the Legislature to support the Alabama Reading Initiative.
(2) The State Superintendent of Education shall develop an evidence-based accountability reporting system for the Alabama Reading Initiative that shall measure student growth and proficiency towards teacher professional learning goals and student performance on state-approved formative and summative assessments and shall specify the number of teachers, administrators, and other personnel at each school and local education agency who have started or completed an approved training program in the science of reading, and the name of the training program.
(3) The State Superintendent of Education shall submit a report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Chairs of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, House Education Policy Committee, Senate Education Policy Committee, the task force, and the Alabama Committee on Grade Level Reading created pursuant to Section 16-6G-7, no later than December 31, annually, on the status of teacher professional learning, student growth and proficiency against grade level standards in K-3 reading.

Legislative History

(Act 2019-523, §4; Act 2022-392, §1.)