(1) Each local education provider shall adopt the procedures necessary to comply
with the requirements specified in this part 12. In adopting procedures, a local
education provider shall comply with and may exceed the requirements of this part
12. Procedures may include, but need not be limited to, procedures for:
(a) Creating a READ plan and the contents of a READ plan;
(b) Effectively communicating with parents concerning the creation,
contents, and implementation of READ plans; and
(c) Determining whether a student who has a significant reading deficiency
will advance to the next grade level.
(2) A local education provider is not required to start a READ plan or convert
an individual literacy plan to a READ plan for a student who is enrolled in fourth
grade or higher as of the 2013-14 school year.
(3) Each local education provider is encouraged to report to the department
the strategies and intervention instruction that the local education provider finds
effective in assisting students to attain reading competency and to provide copies
of effective materials to the department to assist the department in sharing with
local education providers best practices in assisting students to attain reading
competency.
(4) Local education providers are encouraged to provide parents
opportunities to participate in parent reading workshops throughout the school
year to assist parents in developing their own reading skills and in developing the
skills necessary to assist their children in reading.
(5) (a) Beginning with the plans adopted for the 2020-21 school year, the
plan that a local education provider must adopt based on its accreditation category
pursuant to section 22-11-208 or as required pursuant to section 22-11-210,
whichever is applicable, must include the following information concerning
implementation of this part 12 as it applies to each of the schools operated by the
local education provider:
(I) The core and supplemental reading curriculum used at each grade level,
including kindergarten for each school that includes a kindergarten educational
program. The core and supplemental reading curriculum must be designed around
teaching the foundational reading skills of phonemic awareness, phonics,
vocabulary development, reading fluency including oral skills, and reading
comprehension.
(II) The targeted, evidence-based or scientifically based core and
supplemental reading instructional programs and intervention reading instruction,
services, and other supports, including those available through the multi-tiered
systems of supports or a comparable intervention system implemented by the local
education provider, that each school provides to students who are identified as
having a significant reading deficiency or as reading below grade level;
(III) The assessments that each school uses at each grade level to meet the
requirements specified in section 22-7-1205 (1); and
(IV) If the local education provider receives and uses per-pupil intervention
money or money received through the early literacy grant program for professional
development, the local education provider's plan for providing the professional
development, which development must be targeted, evidence based or
scientifically based, and aligned with the instruction, services, and other supports
provided to students who are identified as having a significant reading deficiency or
as reading below grade level.
(b) If a local education provider is authorized pursuant to section 22-11-303
(4) or 22-11-403 (5) to adopt and submit a plan every two years, the local education
provider shall submit to the department the information described in subsection
(5)(a) of this section annually.
(6) (a) By the beginning of the 2022-23 school year and continuing for each
school year thereafter, each local education provider that receives per-pupil
intervention money or a grant through the early literacy grant program in any
budget year starting with the 2019-20 budget year shall ensure that each teacher
employed to teach kindergarten or any of grades one through three successfully
completes or has successfully completed evidence-based training in teaching
reading. To comply with this subsection (6)(a), a local education provider must
submit evidence, as described in subsection (6)(b) of this section, that each teacher
employed to teach kindergarten or any of grades one through three has
successfully completed evidence-based training in teaching reading that is:
(I) Included as a course in an approved program of preparation, as defined in
section 22-60.5-103 (8), or an alternative teacher program, as defined in section 22-60.5-103 (5);
(II) Included as a course in a post-graduate degree program in teaching
reading or literacy;
(III) Provided by the department or included on the advisory list of
professional development programs provided by the department pursuant to
section 22-7-1209 (2)(c); or
(IV) Provided by a local education provider or is appropriate for license
renewal pursuant to section 22-60.5-110 (3).
(b) A teacher is deemed to have successfully completed evidence-based
training in teaching reading if the local education provider submits to the
department evidence that the teacher passed an end-of-course assessment of
learning at the completion of the evidence-based training.
(c) At the request of a local education provider, the department shall
provide, at no cost to the local education provider, evidence-based training in
teaching reading to one or more of the teachers employed by the local education
provider to teach kindergarten or any of grades one through three.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (6)(a) of this section, a local
education provider that is not in compliance with the requirements of this
subsection (6) as of the beginning of the 2022-23 school year or for a subsequent
school year may request a one-year extension from the state board based on a
demonstration of good cause for inability to comply.
(e) A local education provider is strongly encouraged to make evidence-based training in teaching reading available to parents and members of the
community in order to effectively partner with them in teaching early-grade
reading.
(f) The state board may adopt rules as necessary to specify the time frames
and procedures for complying with the requirements specified in subsection (6)(a)
of this section and for applying for an extension pursuant to subsection (6)(d) of this
section and the form in which a local education provider must submit evidence of
the completion of an end-of-course assessment of learning as required in
subsection (6)(b) of this section.
(6.5) (a) By the beginning of the 2024-25 school year and continuing for each
school year thereafter, each local education provider that receives per-pupil
intervention money or a grant through the early literacy grant program in any
budget year starting with the 2023-24 budget year shall ensure that each principal
in a school that serves kindergarten or any of grades one through three and each
administrator with responsibility that pertains to programs in kindergarten or any of
grades one through three successfully completes or has successfully completed
evidence-based training designed for school administrators in the science of
reading. The evidence-based training in the science of reading must include the
concepts of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading
fluency, including oral skills, and reading comprehension to assist principals in
coaching and evaluating teachers. The training must also include topics related to
implementing schoolwide scientifically based and evidence-based reading
programming. To comply with this subsection (6.5)(a), a local education provider
shall submit evidence that each principal and administrator described in this
subsection (6.5)(a) has successfully completed evidence-based training in the
science of reading that is:
(I) Included as a course in an approved program of preparation, as defined in
section 22-60.5-102 (8) for principals or administrators, or an individualized
alternative principal program, or other alternative principal program, approved
pursuant to section 22-60.5-305.5;
(II) Included as a course in a post-graduate degree program in teaching
reading or literacy;
(III) Provided by the department or included on the advisory list of rigorous
professional development programs provided by the department pursuant to
section 22-7-1209 (2)(c); or
(IV) Provided by a local education provider or is appropriate for license
renewal pursuant to section 22-60.5-110 (3).
(b) The department shall provide, at no cost, training for elementary school
administrators to meet the requirements specified in subsection (6.5)(a) of this
section. The department may provide the training in-person or online.
(c) Notwithstanding subsection (6.5)(a) of this section, a local education
provider that is not in compliance with the requirements of this subsection (6.5) as
of the beginning of the 2024-25 school year or for a subsequent school year may
request a one-year extension from the state board based on a demonstration of
good cause for inability to comply.
(d) The state board may adopt rules as necessary to specify the content and
minimum number of hours required for the training described in subsection (6.5)(a)
of this section; the time frames and procedures for complying with the
requirements specified in subsection (6.5)(a) of this section and for applying for an
extension pursuant to subsection (6.5)(c) of this section; and the form in which a
local education provider must submit evidence of the completion of the training
required in subsection (6.5)(a) of this section.
(6.7) (a) By the beginning of the 2024-25 school year and continuing for each
school year thereafter, each local education provider that receives per-pupil
intervention money or a grant through the early literacy grant program in any
budget year starting with the 2023-24 budget year shall ensure that each reading
interventionist employed to teach students in any of grades four through twelve
successfully completes or has successfully completed evidence-based training in
teaching reading as described for teachers in subsection (6) of this section. To
comply with this subsection (6.7)(a), a local education provider shall submit
evidence that each reading interventionist employed to teach students in any of
grades four through twelve has passed an end-of-course assessment of learning at
the completion of the evidence-based training.
(b) The department shall provide, at no cost, training for reading
interventionists to meet the requirements specified in subsection (6.7)(a) of this
section. The department may provide the training in-person or online.
(c) Notwithstanding subsection (6.7)(a) of this section, a local education
provider that is not in compliance with the requirements of this subsection (6.7) as
of the beginning of the 2024-25 school year or for a subsequent school year may
request a one-year extension from the state board based on a demonstration of
good cause for inability to comply.
(d) The state board may adopt rules as necessary to specify the content and
minimum number of hours required for training for reading interventionists required
in subsection (6.7)(a) of this section; time frames and procedures for complying with
the requirements specified in subsection (6.7)(a) of this section and for applying for
an extension pursuant to subsection (6.7)(c) of this section; and the form in which a
local education provider must submit evidence of the completion of an end-of-course assessment of learning as required in subsection (6.7)(a) of this section.
(7) Each local education provider is strongly encouraged to partner with
adjacent public libraries to enhance the instructional programming and services in
literacy provided by the local education provider and to provide access for students
and their parents to reading materials for out-of-school literacy development.
(8) (a) Each local education provider shall submit to the department, and
update as necessary to remain current, the following information, and the
department shall post the information on the department's website, as provided in
section 22-7-1209 (9):
(I) The core and supplemental reading curriculum, as described in subsection
(5)(a)(I) of this section, or a detailed description of the reading curriculum, by grade,
used at each of the schools operated by the local education provider;
(II) The targeted, evidence-based or scientifically based core and
supplemental reading instructional programs and intervention reading instruction,
services, and other supports, as described in subsection (5)(a)(II) of this section, or a
detailed description of the programs, services, and other supports, provided by
each of the schools operated by the local education provider; and
(III) The information required to be provided to the department by a local
education provider pursuant to section 22-7-1210.5 (2) prior to receiving per-pupil
intervention money, as well as the number of students enrolled by the local
education provider who are no longer identified as having a significant reading
deficiency; except that the department is not required to post on the website the
number of students who are no longer identified as having a significant reading
deficiency if the number of those students as submitted by a local education
provider is smaller than the minimum number of students necessary to protect
student privacy, as determined by the department.
(b) Each local education provider shall include on its website a link to the
page on which the materials described in subsection (8)(a) of this section are
posted on the department's website. The link must be easily identifiable in a
location on the local education provider's website that is identified as relating to
student literacy or the Colorado READ Act. The local education provider shall also
ensure that each school-level website for a school operated by the local education
provider includes the link to the information on the department's website.
(9) (a) By the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, a local education
provider shall:
(I) Implement a universal dyslexia screener that is included in an interim
assessment recommended pursuant to section 22-7-1209 (2.5) or that is
administered separately from an interim assessment, but in all cases the universal
dyslexia screener must meet the criteria specified in section 22-7-1209 (2.5)(a) for
recommended reading assessments that include a universal dyslexia screener; or
(II) Create a universal dyslexia screening process for identifying students
who display characteristics of dyslexia. A process created pursuant to this
subsection (9)(a)(II) must include, but is not limited to, universal screening of
kindergarten, first-grade, second-grade, and third-grade students on reading
competency skills to identify risk factors for dyslexia using interim, diagnostic, and
various formal and informal assessments, including rapid automatized naming, as
appropriate for each grade level. Kindergarten risk factors include, but are not
limited to, weaknesses in phonological awareness, sound-symbol recognition,
alphabet knowledge, word decoding, and oral language skills. First-grade risk
factors include, but are not limited to, weaknesses in phonological awareness,
sound-symbol recognition, word decoding, encoding, and oral reading fluency.
Second-grade and third-grade risk factors include, but are not limited to,
weaknesses in word decoding, encoding, oral reading fluency, and vocabulary skills.
(b) The universal dyslexia screener or universal dyslexia screening process
for identifying students who display characteristics of dyslexia that is implemented
or created pursuant to subsection (9)(a) of this section must be given to students
enrolled in kindergarten during the last ninety days of the school year and be given
to students enrolled in the first, second, and third grades during the first ninety
days of the school year.
(c) If the universal dyslexia screener or universal dyslexia screening process
for identifying students who display characteristics of dyslexia that is implemented
or created pursuant to subsection (9)(a) of this section identifies risk factors for
dyslexia, a teacher shall administer one or more diagnostic assessments pursuant
to section 22-7-1205 (1)(b) and proceed with READ plan implementation or
alternative procedures as required pursuant to sections 22-7-1205 and 22-7-1206.