To align the requirements of the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan with current Florida Statutes. The effect will be to streamline the plan for districts and to put a greater emphasis on identifying students with a substantial reading deficiency, ...

 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

State Board of Education

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

6A-6.053K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: To align the requirements of the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan with current Florida Statutes. The effect will be to streamline the plan for districts and to put a greater emphasis on identifying students with a substantial reading deficiency, including those with conditions such as dyslexia, and providing appropriate interventions.

SUMMARY: This amendment aligns the rule with recent legislation including HB 7029, HB 7069, and HB 7055.

Significant changes include:

- Provides more specific guidance on how to identify students with substantial deficiencies in reading;

- directs the funding to prioritize instruction for students in K-3 with a substantial deficiency in reading;

- aligns to statute and ensures charter schools receive their proportionate share of the allocation and do not have to follow the reading plan;

- allows districts flexibility in the design of their Reading Coach model;

- ensures accurate reporting of required professional development; and

- specifies how districts will report how intensive reading interventions are provided by teachers who are certified or endorsed in reading.

SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION:

The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the Agency.

The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: It is not anticipated that the proposed amendment will have any adverse impact on economic growth or business competitiveness, or increase regulatory costs or any other factor listed in s. 120.541(2), F.S. and will not require legislative ratification. The Just Read, Florida! office is already reviewing, approving and monitoring the annual K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan. This rule change does not add additional regulatory requirements and will not require legislative ratification.

Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 1001.02, 1008.25, 1011.62, FS.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1001.215, 1008.25, 1011.62, FS.

A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:

DATE AND TIME: November 15, 2019, 9:00 a.m.

PLACE: Government Services Building, 1769 E. Moody Blvd, #2, Bunnell, FL 32110.

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Richard Myhre, Executive Director, Just Read, Florida! 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, [phone] [e-mail].

 

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

 

6A-6.053 K-12 Comprehensive Evidence Research-Based Reading Plan.

(1) Annually, school districts shall submit a K-12 Comprehensive Evidence Research -Based Reading Plan for the specific use of the research-based reading instruction allocation in the format prescribed by the Department for review and approval by the Just Read, Florida! Office pursuant to section 1011.62, F.S. The K-12 Comprehensive Evidence Research -Based Reading Plan must accurately depict and detail the role of administration (both district and school level), professional development, assessment, curriculum, and instruction in the improvement of student learning of the English Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS). This information must be reflected for all schools and grade levels, including charter schools, alternative schools, and juvenile justice facilities. The K-12 Comprehensive Evidence Research -Based Reading Plan must ensure that:

(a) Leadership at the district and school level is guiding and supporting the initiative;

(b) The analysis of data drives all decision-making;

(c) All intensive reading interventions must be delivered by a teacher who is certified or endorsed in reading Professional development is systemic throughout the district and is targeted at individual teacher needs as determined by analysis of student performance data and includes lesson study and professional learning communities;

(d) Measurable student achievement goals are established and clearly described; and,

(e) Evidence Appropriate research-based instructional materials comply with section 1011.67, F.S.; and and strategies are used to address specific student needs.

(f) Supplemental instructional materials comply with section 1001.215(8), F.S.

(2) Research-Based Reading Instruction Allocation. Districts will submit a budget for the K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Instruction Allocation Plan, including salaries and benefits, professional development costs, assessment costs, and programs/materials costs. In accordance with section 1008.25(3)(a), F.S., budgets must be prioritized for K-3 students with substantial deficiencies in reading identified in sub-paragraph (9)(c)5. of this rule. Budgets must be in accordance with the district approved plan.

(3) Reading Leadership Teams. Districts must describe in the plan the process the principal will use to form and maintain a Reading Leadership Team.

(4) Professional Development. The plan must make adequate provisions to require principals to:

(a) Provide the professional development required by section 1012.98(4)(b)11., F.S., which includes the training necessary to implement the multisensory reading intervention identified in paragraph (9)(c) of this rule Target specific areas of professional development need based on assessment data and reflect those goals in the Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP);

(b) Differentiate and intensify professional development for teachers based on progress monitoring data;

(c) Identify mentor teachers and establish model classrooms within the school;

(d) Ensure that time is provided for teachers to meet weekly for professional development including lesson study and professional learning communities; and,

(e) Provide teachers with the information contained in the K-12 Comprehensive Evidence Research -Based Reading Plan.

(5) Charter schools. Charter schools must utilize their proportionate share of the research-based reading allocation in accordance with sections 1002.33(7)(a)2.a., and 1008.25(3)(a), F.S. All intensive reading interventions specified by the charter must be delivered by a teacher who is certified or endorsed in reading. be given the opportunity to participate in the district plan, but may opt not to participate. Charter schools that choose to participate in the plan must meet the requirements outlined in the District K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan; however, they may meet these requirements through methods that differ from those in the district plan. One plan must be submitted for each district that includes charter schools that choose to participate. The district will maintain documentation of the following:

(a) District’s offer of invitation to charter schools to participate in the plan;

(b) District’s assurance that they will monitor charter schools for fidelity to the plan;

(c) Charter school’s agreement to implement the plan with fidelity or charter school’s decision not to participate; and,

(d) Charter school’s agreement to be monitored by the school district for fidelity to the plan.

As with any school in the district, charter schools are subject to the district prioritization of funds based on school need and do not receive a set amount of funding through the reading allocation based upon their student enrollment. If the charter school declines to participate, the funds that would have been directed to the school remain in the district to serve low performing schools.

(6) Reading/Literacy Coaches.

(a) If the funding of reading/literacy coaches is part of the Research-Based Reading Instruction Allocation budget, district leadership must allocate resources to hire reading/literacy coaches must be assigned to for the schools determined to have the greatest need based on: student performance data.

1. Student performance data;

2. Experience and expertise of the administration and faculty in reading assessment, instruction, and intervention; and,

3. Receptiveness of administration and faculty to the coaching model.

(b) The district must ensure that the number of schools served by state, federal, or locally funded reading/literacy coaches is maintained or increased over the previous year and prioritized based on school need.

(c) Any reading/literacy coach who is funded through the Research-Based Reading Instruction Allocation in the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) as part of the K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan must be a full-time coach. Reading/literacy coaches who split their time between two (2) schools are considered full-time coaches.

(b)(d) Districts must use the Just Read, Florida! model or explain the evidence-based coaching model used in their district and how they will monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the coaching model and assure. This must include how communication between the district, school administration, and the reading coach throughout the year will to address areas of concern.

(c)(e) All schools utilizing reading/literacy coaches must implement Tthe Just Read, Florida! reading/literacy coach model is described below:

1. No change.

2. Coaches will:

a. through e. No change.

f. Work with teachers to ensure that evidence research-based reading programs (comprehensive core reading programs, supplemental reading programs and comprehensive intervention reading programs) are implemented with fidelity;

g. through m. No change.

(f) While the reading coach must not be assigned a regular classroom teaching assignment, they are expected to work frequently with students in whole and small group instruction in the context of modeling and coaching in other teachers’ classrooms.

(d)(g) Minimum Qualifications. Reading/literacy coaches must have experience as successful classroom teachers. Coaches must exhibit knowledge of evidence-scientifically based reading research, special expertise in quality reading instruction and infusing reading strategies into content area instruction, and data management skills. They must have a strong knowledge base in working with adult learners. Coaches must be excellent communicators with outstanding presentation, interpersonal, and time management skills. The coach must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and advanced coursework or professional development in reading is required. The reading/literacy coach must be rated highly effective and be endorsed or K-12 certified in the area of reading, or working toward that status by completing a minimum of two (2) reading endorsement competencies of sixty (60) in-service hours each or six (6) semester hours of college coursework in reading per year.

(7) District level monitoring of the District K-12 Comprehensive Evidence Research -Based Reading Plan Implementation. The plan must demonstrate adequate provisions for:

(a) Monitoring the level of implementation of the K-12 Comprehensive Evidence Research -Based Reading Plan at the school and classroom level, including an explanation of the data that will be collected, how it will be collected, and the frequency of review. Districts must also explain how concerns are communicated if it is determined that the K-12 Comprehensive Evidence Research -Based Reading Plan is not being implemented in a systematic and explicit manner, based on data to meet the needs of students.

(b) Ensuring that all instruction in reading is systematic and explicit, based on data, and uses an evidence- research based sequence of reading instruction and strategies to meet the needs of students at the school level and determining appropriate instructional adjustments.

(c) through (d) No change. 

(e) Reporting of data elements as required by the K-12 Comprehensive Evidence Research -Based Reading Plan within the Automated Student and Staff Data Base System. These data elements include:

1. Student Enrollment in Reading Intervention;

2. Reading Endorsement competency status for teachers; and

3. Reading Certification progress status for teachers.; and,

4. CAR-PD or NGCAR-PD status for teachers, in accordance with rule 6A-5.090, F.A.C.

(8) School-level monitoring of District K-12 Comprehensive Evidence Research -Based Reading Plan Implementation.

(a) through (b) No change. 

(9) Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction.

(a) Elementary schools must teach reading in a dedicated, uninterrupted block of time of at least ninety (90) minutes duration daily to all students. The reading block will include whole group instruction utilizing an evidence research based sequence of reading instruction (comprehensive core reading program) and small group differentiated instruction in order to meet individual student needs.

(b) A Comprehensive Core Reading Program (CCRP) must be taught as the major instructional tool for reading instruction. Districts are provided a performance-based flexibility option which may exempt schools from the use of the CCRP. Districts implementing this flexibility must describe their plan for reading instruction, including the intervention for students reading below grade level in grades K-5 or K-6 as applicable. It is a district decision whether to implement the following performance-based flexibility option. Elementary schools meeting all of the following criteria are not required to implement a Comprehensive Core Reading Program:

1. A current school grade of an A or B; and,

2. Ninety (90) percent of students meeting high standards in reading (a satisfactory or above score on the statewide English Language Arts assessment).

(c) It is a district decision whether to implement the following performance-based flexibility option: For students in grades four and five scoring Level 4 or 5 on FCAT or above satisfactory on the statewide English Language Arts assessment, districts shall offer enrichment programs that include core content that continues to develop the child’s literacy skills. These students are not required to receive instruction from a Comprehensive Core Reading Program, nor are they required to receive ninety (90) minutes of reading instruction.

(b)(d) K-12 reading instruction will align with Florida’s Formula for Success, 6+4+ii+iii, which includes six (6) components of reading: oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; four (4) types of classroom assessments: screening, progress monitoring, diagnosis, and summative assessment outcome measures; initial instruction (ii) including building considerations for background and content knowledge, motivation, and the provision for print rich, explicit, systematic, scaffolded, and differentiated instruction, and the reading/writing in response to reading connection; immediate, intensive intervention (iii): including extended time, targeted instruction based on student need, small group or one-on-one instruction flexible grouping, accommodations, and more frequent progress monitoring. Data from the results of formative assessments will guide differentiation of instruction and intervention in the classroom.

(e) Instructional Materials Charts:

1. Districts are required to submit Instructional Materials Charts that address all research-based instructional materials used to provide reading instruction with a description of how they will be integrated into the overall instructional design:

a. Comprehensive Core Reading Programs (CCRP) – elementary school level only;

b. Middle School Grades Developmental Reading Programs;

c. Supplemental Intervention Reading Programs (SIRP);

d. Comprehensive Intervention Reading Programs (CIRP); and,

e. Educational technology.

2. The instructional materials charts must also address the following:

a. Reading instructional minutes per day – elementary school level only,

b. Assessments listed by grade. Elementary – screening, progress monitoring, diagnostic, and outcome measure. Middle and High School – screening (including criteria for placement in extended time reading intervention), progress monitoring, diagnostic, and outcome measure.

c. Reading Intervention. Elementary – minutes per day, days per week, group size cap for intervention. Middle and High School – minutes per day, days per week, class size cap for reading intervention courses, and whether content area intervention is offered.

d. All charter schools and juvenile justice facilities must be listed within these charts. Districts must note which charter schools have opted out of the plan.

(f) The plan must demonstrate compliance with rule 6A-6.054, F.A.C., K-12 Student Reading Intervention Requirements.

(c)(g) Districts are required to develop Assessment/Curriculum Decision Trees to demonstrate how data assessment data from progress monitoring and other forms of assessment will be used to determine specific reading instructional needs and interventions for all students in grades K-12. The chart must include:

1. Name of assessment(s):; screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, local assessment data, statewide assessments, or teacher observations in use within the district. Pursuant to section 1002.69, F.S., the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS) must be used as a component of identification for kindergarten students, and pursuant to section 1008.25(4)(a), F.S., the Florida Standards Assessment-English Language Arts (FSA-ELA) must be one of the components used for grades 3-12;

2. Targeted audience (grade level);

3. Performance criteria used for decision-making for each instrument listed in sub-paragraph (9)(c)1. of this rule at each grade level. Districts must explicitly state the criteria used by the district to identify K-3 students with a substantial deficiency in reading accordance with section 1008.25(5)(a), F.S. District-selected performance criteria must identify students at a proportional rate compared to district performance on statewide assessments such as FLKRS and FSA-ELA;

4. Assessment/curriculum connection; and,

5. An explanation of how instruction will be modified for students who have not responded to a specific level of reading intervention with the initial intensity (time and group size) provided. This must include specific criteria for when a student is identified to receive intensive reading interventions by a teacher who is certified or endorsed in reading and how the intensive reading interventions are provided. Districts must identify the multisensory intervention provided to students in grade K-3 who have a substantial deficiency in reading.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(2), 1011.62, 1008.25 FS. Law Implemented 1001.215, 1011.62, 1008.25 FS. History–New 6-19-08, Amended 4-21-11, 2-17-15,______.

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Richard Myhre, Executive Director, Just Read, Florida!

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Richard Corcoran, Commissioner, Department of Education

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: October 14, 2019

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: September 26, 2019