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ACT No. 9642026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 316
BY REPRESENTATIVE WYBLE
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:24.10(K), to enact R.S. 17:7.2(A)(11) through (13), 24.14,
3 100.13(N) and (O), and 3996(B)(24), and to repeal R.S. 17:24.9(C), relative to
4 literacy; to require that certain teacher education programs provide for certain
5 components relative to adolescent literacy; to provide requirements for the state
6 Department of Education, public school governing authorities, and public schools
7 with respect to adolescent literacy; to provide with respect to high-dosage tutoring;
8 to provide for definitions; to provide for applicability and implementation; and to
9 provide for related matters.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 17:24.10(K) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
12 17:7.2(A)(11) through (13), 24.14, 100.13(N) and (O), and 3996(B)(24) are hereby enacted
13 to read as follows:
14 §7.2. Approved teacher education programs
15 A. In carrying out its responsibility to prescribe the qualifications and
16 provide for the certification of teachers under authority of R.S. 17:7(6), the State
17 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, subject to the constitutional power
18 and authority of the Board of Regents, the Board of Supervisors for the University
19 of Louisiana System, the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and
20 Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the Board of Supervisors of Southern
21 University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, shall establish qualifications
22 and requirements for the approval of teacher education programs from which
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1 graduates may be certified. The qualifications and requirements established by the
2 State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for an approved teacher
3 education program shall include but not be limited to the following:
4 * * *
5 (11) That a program for candidates seeking certification to teach students in
6 kindergarten through third grade include instruction on foundational literacy skills
7 that includes the following:
8 (a) How to effectively teach the foundational literacy skills of phonemic
9 awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
10 (b) How to differentiate instruction for teaching students with advanced
11 literacy skills and students with significant literacy deficiencies, including dyslexia.
12 (c) How to implement effective literacy instruction using high quality
13 instructional materials that do not include the three-cueing systems model.
14 (d) How to administer literacy screeners to students, interpret results using
15 state-established benchmarks, and apply data to instructional planning and
16 intervention decisions.
17 (e) How to understand the negative impacts of the three-cueing systems
18 model, how to identify it in curricula, and the reasons why it is a flawed model of
19 teaching children to read.
20 (12)(a) That a program for special education and secondary education
21 teacher candidates include instruction on adolescent literacy skills that includes the
22 following:
23 (i) Effective strategies for teaching reading aligned to instruction based on
24 the science of reading, including explicit and systematic instruction in phonological
25 awareness, the alphabetic principle, oral language development, comprehension,
26 content literacy instruction, disciplinary literacy instruction, writing, and advanced
27 phonics including encoding, fluency, and morphology including etymology.
28 (ii) Implementation of reading instruction using high quality instructional
29 materials as identified by the state Department of Education.
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1 (iii) Provision of effective instruction on interventions for all students,
2 including students with dyslexia.
3 (iv) Understanding and use of student data to make instructional decisions.
4 (v) Incorporation of content literacy across disciplinary areas.
5 (b) For the purposes of this Paragraph, "adolescent literacy", "content
6 literacy", and "disciplinary literacy" shall be defined as in R.S. 17:24.14.
7 (13) That the requirements in Paragraphs (11) and (12) of this Subsection be
8 aligned to ensure continuity and progression of instruction across certification areas
9 and grade spans.
10 * * *
11 §24.10. Early literacy instruction and screening; foundational numeracy skills
12 instruction and screening; parental notification; reporting
13 * * *
14 K.(1) Each public school governing authority shall ensure that any individual
15 student plan as provided for in this Section or a consolidated student plan as provided
16 for in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection that was developed in a prior school year is
17 annually reviewed during the first eight weeks of school. For each plan, the review
18 shall include:
19 (a) Evaluation of the effectiveness of prior-year interventions, additional
20 support, and services offered to the student in the previous year.
21 (b) Identification of updates needed to the support offered through the plan.
22 (c) Input from any members of the team that initially developed the plan,
23 including but not limited to the teacher, reading specialist or interventionist,
24 principal, other pertinent school personnel, and the parent or guardian.
25 (2) The following plans may be consolidated into a single plan for each
26 student, as applicable:
27 (1) (a) Individual reading improvement plans as provided for in Subsection
28 F of this Section.
29 (2) (b) Individual numeracy improvement plans as provided for in
30 Subsection J of this Section.
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1 (3) (c) Individual reading plans as provided for in R.S. 17:24.11.
2 (4) (d) Plans for accelerated instruction as provided for in R.S. 17:100.13(H).
3 (3) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to supersede, conflict with, or
4 override the requirements of an individualized education program or an
5 individualized accommodation plan, including the provision of any related services
6 or accommodations required by federal law. The provisions of any such program or
7 plan shall supersede and control to the extent of a conflict with any provision of this
8 Section.
9 * * *
10 §24.14. Adolescent literacy instruction and assessment; parental notification;
11 professional development
12 A. For purposes of this Section:
13 (1) "Adolescent literacy" means the development and application of reading,
14 writing, language, and comprehension skills necessary for students in grades four
15 through eight to access, understand, analyze, and produce grade-level text across all
16 subject areas.
17 (2) "Adolescent literacy intervention course" means a professional learning
18 course that includes all of the components of an adolescent literacy professional
19 development course as defined in Paragraph (3) of this Subsection and all of the
20 following:
21 (a) Comprehensive training on the science of reading, including explicit and
22 systematic instruction in phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, including
23 decoding and encoding, fluency, vocabulary, syntax, and comprehension.
24 (b) Approaches to assist educators in determining which students may be at
25 risk for development of reading and writing difficulties, including dyslexia,
26 dysgraphia, and other learning differences.
27 (c) Training in the identification of and the use of appropriate interventions,
28 accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with reading and writing
29 difficulties, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other learning differences.
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1 (d) Training in the identification of reading deficiencies based on reading
2 assessment data.
3 (3) "Adolescent literacy professional development course" means a
4 professional learning course that is based on the science of reading designed for the
5 professional development of educators and includes all of the following:
6 (a) Strategies to increase educator knowledge of how to teach reading and
7 writing skills for students.
8 (b) Identification of literacy skills essential to specific content areas.
9 (c) Explicit and systematic instruction in advanced phonics, vocabulary,
10 morphology, comprehension, content literacy, disciplinary literacy, knowledge
11 building, and writing.
12 (d) Scientifically based reading research strategies for how to identify and
13 address reading deficiencies in adolescent learners.
14 (4) "Content literacy" means a literacy instructional approach where students
15 use general reading and writing strategies to learn information across subject and
16 content areas.
17 (5) "Disciplinary literacy" means a literacy instructional approach that
18 teaches students how to use literacy to think, interpret text, and engage in advanced
19 participation and conversations like a disciplinary expert would.
20 (6) "Student" means a student in grades four through eight.
21 (7) "Teacher" means each fourth through eighth grade teacher who teaches
22 reading or English language arts.
23 B. The state Department of Education, referred to in this Section as the
24 "department", shall:
25 (1) Develop an adolescent literacy program for students, including special
26 education students.
27 (2)(a) Develop an approved list of one or more reliable and valid reading
28 assessments for students. In developing this list, the department shall consider:
29 (i) The time required to conduct the assessment, with the intention of
30 minimizing the impact on instructional time.
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1 (ii) The timeline of statewide assessments during the spring semester.
2 (iii) The availability of appropriate accommodations for students with
3 specialized plans.
4 (iv) The timeliness in reporting assessment results to teachers,
5 administrators, and parents.
6 (v) How assessment results can be used to inform instruction and
7 intervention, including diagnosis of and progress monitoring for students who may
8 qualify for high-dosage tutoring pursuant to R.S. 17:100.13.
9 (vi) The availability of comprehensive training on any department-approved
10 assessment system to ensure teachers have the knowledge and skills to administer
11 the assessment and can use the data to inform instruction and interventions based on
12 student needs.
13 (b) Any approved reading assessment shall include:
14 (i) A universal screener that identifies students at risk of reading failure with
15 progress monitoring capabilities.
16 (ii) A diagnostic tool which identifies specific skill deficits in early
17 foundational skills as well as deficits in advanced phonics, vocabulary, and
18 sentence-level comprehension.
19 (iii) A benchmark indicator for use throughout the school year to assess
20 progress and proficiency level overall and on discrete skills.
21 (3)(a) Develop or identify and approve adolescent literacy professional
22 development courses and adolescent literacy intervention courses.
23 (b) Make available resources for job-embedded coaching support for
24 administrators and teachers, including:
25 (i) Training on evidence-based reading instructional strategies and
26 data-based decision making.
27 (ii) Content literacy and disciplinary literacy instructional support to
28 reinforce student use of general reading and writing strategies as students learn
29 information across subjects and content areas.
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1 (iii) Demonstration of lessons, co-teaching, modeling, and teacher
2 observation.
3 (iv) Feedback for improvement.
4 C. Each public school shall:
5 (1) Provide each student with core instruction that includes advanced
6 phonics, morphology, etymology, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing
7 according to grade-level standards for English language arts. Daily class schedules
8 shall be adaptable and allocate sufficient instructional time for core instruction,
9 intervention, and academic enrichment as deemed appropriate by analysis of student
10 data.
11 (2) Within the first thirty days of each school year, administer an approved
12 reading assessment as provided in Paragraph (B)(2) of this Section to any student
13 who scored below mastery in English language arts on the state assessment
14 administered the prior school year.
15 (3) Within fifteen days of identifying that a student has demonstrated reading
16 deficiencies based on the results of the reading assessment, notify the student's parent
17 or legal guardian in writing that the student has been identified as having such
18 deficiencies. Such notification shall include:
19 (a) Notification that an individual reading improvement plan is being
20 developed as provided in Paragraph (5) of this Subsection.
21 (b) A description of the current services that are provided to the student and
22 suggested resources or strategies that the parent can use to support reading at home.
23 (c) Notification that the parent shall be informed in writing of the student's
24 progress toward becoming a skilled reader throughout the school year with each
25 progress report.
26 (4) Provide each student identified as having such deficiencies with intensive
27 interventions to address the specific deficiencies. The student shall be provided with
28 all of the following:
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1 (a) Regular access to instruction from an individual who has completed an
2 approved adolescent literacy intervention course as provided in Paragraph (B)(3) of
3 this Section and is a reading teacher, reading specialist, or reading interventionist.
4 (b) Reading interventions and support using high quality instructional
5 materials in accordance with Paragraph (6) of this Subsection.
6 (c) Time in the student schedule, in addition to core instruction, for intensive
7 interventions.
8 (d) Targeted small group reading intervention based on student needs and
9 specified in an individual reading improvement plan.
10 (e) Summer school remediation programs or other forms of remediation as
11 appropriate to meet the academic needs of the student based on the results of the
12 universal screener, diagnostic tool, or the English language arts state assessment.
13 (5) Provide each student, within thirty days of being identified as having
14 such deficiencies, with an individual reading improvement plan. The plan shall be
15 created by the teacher, reading specialist or interventionist, principal or designee, and
16 other pertinent school personnel in collaboration with the parents or guardians, who
17 shall be provided a written copy of the plan. The plan shall offer intensive reading
18 instructional intervention time for the student, while continuing grade-level
19 instruction, and shall remain in place until the student no longer demonstrates a
20 deficiency in reading in accordance with the approved reading assessment or the
21 state assessment in English language arts. The plan shall be documented using the
22 template provided by the department and shall include the following:
23 (a) The specific deficiencies in reading as determined by the state assessment
24 and the reading assessment system.
25 (b) The goals and benchmarks for student growth in reading.
26 (c) A description of the specific measures that shall be used to evaluate and
27 monitor the student's reading progress.
28 (d) A description of the proposed interventions and supplemental
29 instructional services aligned with scientifically based reading research that are
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1 designed to remedy each identified reading deficiency and that shall be provided to
2 the student.
3 (e) Strategies, resources, and materials that shall be provided to the parent
4 or guardian to support student reading progress at home.
5 (f) For students who receive special education services, the alignment with
6 the student's Individualized Education Plan.
7 (g) Any additional services the teacher deems available and appropriate to
8 accelerate the student's reading development.
9 (6) Ensure, pursuant to R.S. 17:351.1, that all textbooks and instructional
10 materials used to teach and provide intervention services for students are
11 high-quality, fully aligned to state content standards, content-rich, aligned with
12 scientifically based reading research, and focus on advanced phonics, vocabulary,
13 comprehension, and content writing embedded throughout all core subject areas.
14 Curricula, supplemental materials, and interventions used to teach reading shall
15 focus on decoding, fluency, and language structure as well as vocabulary,
16 comprehension, and content writing instruction and shall not include the use of the
17 three-cueing systems model.
18 (7)(a) Beginning September 1, 2026, and triennially thereafter, develop and
19 submit to the department an adolescent literacy skills plan for students and post the
20 plan on its website. Each plan shall include:
21 (i) The amount of time to be spent daily on literacy skills instruction and a
22 description of how the instructional time shall be used.
23 (ii) A list of English language arts textbooks and instructional materials used
24 by the school.
25 (iii) A description of the interventions and support available to students
26 identified as having literacy skills below grade level.
27 (iv) A description of any professional development in literacy instruction
28 provided to teachers.
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1 (b) This plan may be consolidated with the foundational literacy skills plan
2 provided for in R.S. 17:24.10(C) into a single school plan that meets the
3 requirements of this Paragraph and that Subsection.
4 (c)(i) Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 17:3996(B)(24), a charter
5 school with a school performance letter grade or progress index of "A", "B", or "C"
6 is exempt from the provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph.
7 (ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph,
8 a charter school with a school performance letter grade or progress index of "D" or
9 "F" shall submit the adolescent literacy skills plan required by that Subparagraph to
10 its chartering authority instead of the department.
11 D.(1) Each public school governing authority shall ensure that any individual
12 reading improvement plan as provided for in Paragraph (C)(5) of this Section or a
13 consolidated student plan as provided for in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection that was
14 developed in a prior school year is annually reviewed during the first eight weeks of
15 school. For each plan, the review shall include:
16 (a) Evaluation of the effectiveness of prior-year interventions, additional
17 support, and services offered to the student in the previous year.
18 (b) Identification of updates needed to the support offered through the plan.
19 (c) Input from any members of the team that initially developed the plan,
20 including but not limited to the teacher, reading specialist or interventionist,
21 principal, other pertinent school personnel, and the parent or guardian.
22 (2) The following plans may be consolidated into a single plan for each
23 student, as applicable:
24 (a) Individual reading improvement plan as provided for in Paragraph (C)(5)
25 of this Section.
26 (b) Plan for accelerated instruction as provided for in R.S. 17:100.13(H).
27 E. Any adolescent literacy intervention course or adolescent literacy
28 professional development course shall be completed during existing weekly,
29 job-embedded teacher collaboration time. Nothing in this Section shall be construed
30 to require or authorize an increase in such time or to extend the teacher's work day
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1 or work year. If completion of any such course occurs during a teacher's planning
2 time as provided in R.S. 17:434 or outside of any employee's regular work hours, the
3 employee shall be compensated as provided in R.S. 17:418(A)(3)(a). Any
4 requirement for such a course shall be implemented in a manner consistent with R.S.
5 17:419.4(A).
6 F. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall adopt rules
7 in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions
8 of this Section.
9 * * *
10 §100.13. Expanded academic support
11 * * *
12 N. A school board may provide ongoing coaching support in evidence-based
13 instruction to tutors delivering high-dosage tutoring.
14 O. For teachers who serve as tutors as provided in this Section, any
15 professional learning course, intervention course, or coaching support shall be
16 completed during weekly, job-embedded teacher collaboration time and shall not
17 require an increase in such time. If such activities occur during a teacher's planning
18 time as provided R.S. 17:434 or outside of any employee's regular work hours, the
19 employee shall be compensated as provided in R.S. 17:418(A)(3)(a). Any
20 requirement for a professional learning course, intervention course, or coaching
21 support shall be implemented in a manner consistent with R.S. 17:419.4(A).
22 * * *
23 §3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements
24 * * *
25 B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
26 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
27 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
28 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
29 exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are
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1 applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for
2 the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:
3 * * *
4 (24) Adolescent literacy, R.S. 17:24.14.
5 * * *
6 Section 2. R.S. 17:24.9(C) is hereby repealed in its entirety.
7 Section 3.(A) The provisions of R.S. 17:24.14 as enacted by Section 1 of this Act
8 shall be implemented beginning with the 2027-2028 school year except for the September 1,
9 2026, plan submission deadline provided for in R.S. 17:24.14(C)(7).
10 (B) The provisions of R.S. 17:7.2(A)(12) and (13) as enacted by Section 1 of this
11 Act shall be applicable to persons entering teacher education programs during or after the
12 2027-2028 academic year.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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