STRONG READERS ACT

To identify students who have a reading deficiency or characteristics of dyslexia, every student enrolled in kindergarten, first, second, and third grades shall be assessed at the beginning, middle, and end of each school year using a screening instrument approved by the State Board of Education for monitoring of progress and for measurement of reading skills. Any student who is assessed and found not to be meeting grade level targets shall be provided a program of reading instruction designed to enable to the student to acquire the appropriate grade level reading skills. The program of reading instruction required shall be based on scientific reading research and shall align with the subject matter standards adopted by the State Board of Education.  A program of reading instruction shall also include, but not be limited to:

1. Sufficient additional in-school instructional time for the acquisition of phonological awareness, decoding,  fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension;

2. If necessary, and if funding is available, tutorial instruction after regular school hours, on Saturdays, and during the summer; however, such instruction may not be counted toward the 181-day or 1086-hour school year required by law;

3.  Assessments identified for diagnostic purposes and periodic monitoring to measure the acquisition of reading skills including, but not limited to, phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as identified in the student’s program of reading instruction;

4. High-quality instructional materials grounded in scientifically based reading research, and

5. A means of providing every family of a student in prekindergarten, kindergarten, first, second, and third grade access to free online evidence-based literacy instruction resources to support the student’s literacy development at home.

A student enrolled in kindergarten, first, second, or third grade who exhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based upon the screening instrument shall receive an individual reading intervention plan no later than thirty (30) days after the identification of the deficiency in reading.  The reading intervention services shall not occur during math instruction.  The reading intervention plan shall be provided in addition to core reading instruction that is provided to all students.  The reading intervention plan shall:

1. Describe the reading intervention services the student will receive to remedy the reading deficiency,

2.  Provide explicit and systematic instruction in phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension as applicable,

3. Monitor the reading progress of each student’s reading skills throughout the school year and adjust instruction according to the student’s needs; and

4. Continue until the student is determined to be meeting grade-level targets in reading based on the screening instruments or assessments.

The district strong readers plan shall be adopted and annually updated, with input from school administrators, teachers, and parents and legal guardians, and, if possible, a reading specialist, and shall be submitted to and approved by the State Board of Education.  This plan shall include a plan for each site that includes an analysis of the data provided by the Oklahoma School Testing Program and other reading assessments utilized, which outlines how each school site shall comply with the provisions of the Strong Readers Act.

Any student enrolled in first, second, or third grade who is assessed through the Strong Readers Act and is not meeting grade level targets in reading after the beginning of the year assessment shall be screened for dyslexia.  Screening may also be requested for a student by his or her parent or guardian, teacher, counselor, speech-language pathologist, or school psychologist.

REFERENCE:  70 O.S. §1210.508A, et seq.

NOTE: Referenced statute requires each school district to adopt and annually update a district plan that includes a plan for each site, and which outlines how each school site will comply with the provisions of the Strong Readers Act.