Adolescent Literacy Initiatives; require MDE to establish for Grades 4-8.

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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative McCarty

HOUSE BILL NO. 1213

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE ADOLESCENT LITERACY INITIATIVE FOR 1
GRADES FOUR THROUGH EIGHT TO IMPROVE READING AND WRITING 2
PROFICIENCY THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED AND SCIENTIFICALLY RESEARCHED 3
INSTRUCTION; TO DEFINE KEY TERMS RELATED TO THE SCIENCE OF 4
READING, DYSLEXIA, ASSESSMENTS, INTERVENTIONS AND HIGH-QUALITY 5
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS; TO REQUIRE STATEWIDE ALIGNMENT OF 6
LITERACY STANDARDS, ASSESSMENTS AND CURRICULA WITH THE SCIENCE OF 7
READING AND TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF BALANCED LITERACY AND 8
THREE-CUEING SYSTEMS; TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE PROFESSIONAL 9
LEARNING, JOB-EMBEDDED COACHING AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION 10
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTENT AREA TEACHERS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL; TO 11
REQUIRE UNIVERSAL SCREENING, DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS, TARGETED 12
INTERVENTIONS AND INDIVIDUAL READING PLANS FOR STUDENTS WITH 13
READING DEFICIENCIES; TO MANDATE PARENTAL NOTIFICATION, ONGOING 14
PROGRESS MONITORING, ANNUAL REPORTING AND STATE OVERSIGHT; TO 15
REQUIRE THE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING OF READING SPECIALISTS AND 16
DYSLEXIA THERAPISTS; TO AUTHORIZE ENFORCEMENT AND FUNDING BY THE 17
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSE 18
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 19
SECTION 1. (1) Sections 1 through 11 of this act shall be 20
known and may be cited as the "Adolescent Literacy Initiative." 21
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that each student's 22
progression from one grade to another be determined, in part: 23
upon proficiency in reading and writing; that district school 24
board policies facilitate reading instruction and intervention 25
services to address student reading and writing needs; and that 26
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each student and his or her parent or guardian be informed of that 27
student's progress. 28
The fundamental goal of an education system is to enable each 29
student to develop the skills necessary for success in school and 30
life. The Nation's Report Card reflects no statistically 31
significant improvement in Grade 8 National Assessment of 32
Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading scores in thirty (30) years, 33
from 1992 through 2024, with one-third (1/3) of the nation's 34
eighth grade students reading below the basic level. It is the 35
ultimate goal of this Legislature that every student becomes a 36
skilled reader through: (i) the implementation of evidence-based 37
reading instruction, which has been proven to accelerate the 38
progress of all students, including those exhibiting a reading 39
deficiency; and (ii) the coordinated integration of content areas 40
in text reading, text discussion, and writing in response to 41
reading. 42
Therefore, the Legislature finds that it is essential for a 43
system of supports to be provided for students in middle grades 44
who continue to demonstrate difficulty with foundational reading 45
and writing skills. 46
SECTION 2. As used in Sections 1 through 11 of this act, the 47
following terms shall have the meanings ascribed in this section, 48
unless the context of use clearly requires otherwise: 49
(a) "Science of reading" refers to the large body of 50
evidence that informs how proficient reading and writing develop; 51
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why some students have difficulty; and how educators can most 52
effectively assess, teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes 53
through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties. 54
(b) "Three-cueing system" is any model of teaching 55
students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax, and 56
visual cues, which may also be known as "MSV". This model is 57
antiquated, misaligned with the science of reading, and largely 58
ineffective, especially for students with dyslexia. 59
(c) "System of assessments" means a comprehensive 60
assessment system which provides screening, diagnostic, and 61
summative assessments for use in a school district or charter 62
school. The system of assessments shall assess key indicators of 63
reading success, including word recognition, vocabulary, fluency 64
and comprehension. 65
(d) "Universal screener" means an assessment that is 66
administered three (3) times per year (beginning, middle, and end) 67
to identify or predict students who may be at risk for reading 68
failure and is typically brief and conducted with all students at 69
a particular grade level. 70
(e) "Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)" is a 71
framework for supporting and increasing academic, behavioral, and 72
social-emotional outcomes for all students. 73
(f) "High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM)" 74
refers to instructional curricula and intervention programs, 75
including, but not limited to, textbooks, teacher guides and 76
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supplemental materials, that are grounded in the science of 77
reading and evidenced-based research approaches which help all 78
students achieve grade level learning goals. HQIM incorporates 79
best practices for building skills essential to reading, follow a 80
sequential order of lessons which are explicit, systematic, and 81
cumulative, contain challenging texts that build student 82
background knowledge, support academic language development, and 83
critical thinking skills across core content areas, and are 84
aligned to a state's academic standards. These materials are 85
rigorous, comprehensive and regularly reviewed and updated to 86
align to research and best practices. They also provide 87
curriculum-specific professional development that prepares 88
teachers to effectively plan and prepare lessons and assessments, 89
differentiate instruction and monitor student progress. 90
(g) "Evidence-based" references instructional 91
strategies or practices with clear and convincing proof from 92
scientifically based research studies which have been 93
peer-reviewed. 94
(h) "Scientifically based reading research" applies 95
rigorous, systematic, and objective methods to gain knowledge from 96
multiple disciplines to understand how children learn to read, 97
strategies and methods which can be used to teach children to 98
read, and how they can overcome reading difficulties. 99
(i) "Department" is the State Department of Education. 100
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(j) "Dyslexia" is a specific learning disability that 101
is neurobiological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by 102
difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition and poor 103
spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically 104
result from a deficit in the phonological component of language 105
that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities 106
and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary 107
consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and 108
reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary 109
and background knowledge. 110
(k) "Dyslexia screening" is a brief assessment which 111
measures critical skills which identify potential risks and is a 112
predictor of future reading success. 113
(l) "Comprehensive dyslexia evaluation" is the process 114
of gathering information to identify factors contributing to a 115
student's difficulty learning to read and spell. An evaluation 116
encompasses identification, screening, testing, diagnosis and all 117
the other information gathering involved when the student, his or 118
her family, and a team of professionals work together to determine 119
why the student is having difficulty. 120
(m) "Dyslexia diagnosis" is a clear diagnostic 121
statement included in a written evaluation report to document the 122
presence of dyslexia. The evaluation is conducted by a 123
professional psychologist, psychometrist, or speech-language 124
pathologist. 125
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(n) "Structured literacy" is an evidence-based approach 126
to teaching oral and written language aligned to the science of 127
reading. It is based on the science of how kids learn to read and 128
is characterized by direct explicit, systematic, sequential, 129
cumulative, and diagnostic instruction in phonology, phonemic 130
awareness, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, 131
morphology, syntax and semantics. 132
(o) "Reading intervention" includes evidence-based 133
strategies from scientifically based reading research frequently 134
used to improve reading where deficiencies exist and includes, but 135
is not limited to, individual instruction, multisensory 136
approaches, dyslexia therapy, tutoring, mentoring, or the use of 137
technology that targets specific reading skills and abilities. 138
(p) "Accommodations" allow a student to complete the 139
same assignment or test as other students, but with a change in 140
the timing, formatting, setting, scheduling, response and 141
presentation. Accommodation is provided for both testing and 142
instruction and changes the way students access information and 143
demonstrate their knowledge, skills and abilities without lowering 144
learning or performance expectations and without changing academic 145
standards or what is being measured. The purpose is to ensure 146
equal access to the full school experience for students with 147
dyslexia or other learning disabilities (e.g., providing extended 148
exam time for a student who has slow processing speed affecting 149
academic fluency). Accommodation does not change the content of 150
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instruction, give students an unfair advantage, or change the 151
skills or knowledge that a test measures. 152
(q) "Educator Preparation Program" or "EPP" means any 153
program that prepares individuals for certification as educators, 154
school administrators, or other school personnel. 155
(r) "Content area teacher" includes all subject area 156
teachers. 157
(s) "Multilingual students" include newcomers or 158
students with limited or interrupted education. 159
SECTION 3. The department shall provide a system of support 160
for school and district instructional leaders, content area 161
teachers, literacy coaches, dyslexia therapists, interventionists, 162
tutors, and other identified personnel across content areas of 163
fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students to ensure 164
that they have the knowledge and skills to support students with 165
reading difficulties. The system of support shall include: 166
(a) Professional learning for district instructional 167
leaders, principals, school level literacy leaders, content area 168
teachers, special education teachers, literacy coaches, dyslexia 169
therapists, interventionists, tutors, ELL teachers and other 170
identified personnel across content areas of fourth, fifth, sixth, 171
seventh and eighth grade students on the following: 172
(i) Comprehensive training grounded in the science 173
of reading to ensure all teachers have the knowledge and skills to 174
support a range of students with diverse needs, students with 175
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reading difficulties, multilingual students, and students with 176
characteristics of or diagnosis of dyslexia, including: 177
1. Explicit, systematic, developmentally and 178
age-appropriate instruction in phonological awareness, the 179
alphabetic principle, oral language development, decoding, 180
encoding, fluency including accuracy, morphology – including 181
morphological awareness and etymology, vocabulary, syntax, 182
comprehension and building content knowledge; 183
2. Strategies to increase educator knowledge 184
of reading and writing basics for students in Grades 4 through 8; 185
3. Evidence-based strategies for motivating 186
and engaging adolescent learners; 187
4. Scientifically researched and 188
evidenced-based reading strategies for accommodations and 189
scaffolding instruction for struggling readers and writers; and 190
5. Approaches to assist educators in 191
determining causes of reading difficulties, including dyslexia, 192
and other learning differences, for students in Grades 4 through 8 193
and how word reading, vocabulary, content knowledge, comprehension 194
and writing are affected; and 195
(ii) The department-approved assessment system 196
selected by school districts to ensure teachers have the knowledge 197
and skills to administer the assessment and use the assessment 198
data to inform instruction based on student needs (i.e., universal 199
screening, diagnostic screening, summative assessment); 200
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(b) Job-embedded coaching support for teachers of 201
Grades 4 through 8 that shall include the following: 202
(i) Provide on-site teacher training on 203
evidence-based reading strategies and data-based decision making; 204
(ii) Demonstrate lessons; 205
(iii) Co-teach and/or observe teaching; 206
(iv) Provide immediate feedback for improvement; 207
and 208
(v) Provide support to teachers and administrators 209
in data-based decision making; and 210
(c) Educator preparation programs that equip candidates 211
seeking certification for elementary, special education and 212
secondary education with training and instruction to: 213
(i) Effectively teach reading aligned to 214
scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading instruction, 215
including explicit and systematic instruction in phonological 216
awareness, the alphabetic principle, decoding, encoding, fluency, 217
morphology including etymology, syntax, vocabulary, comprehension 218
and building content knowledge; 219
(ii) Implement reading instruction using 220
high-quality instructional materials; 221
(iii) Provide training on the identification of 222
students not reading on grade level, the selection of appropriate 223
interventions, and effective instruction and interventions for a 224
range of students with diverse needs, including multilingual 225
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students, students with characteristics of dyslexia, or diagnosed 226
with dyslexia; 227
(iv) Understand and use student data to make 228
instructional decisions; and 229
(v) Incorporate literacy instruction across 230
content areas. 231
SECTION 4. (1) State standards for literacy in kindergarten 232
through Grade 8 shall align with evidence-based strategies and 233
scientifically based reading research, and all students shall have 234
access to high-quality Tier 1 core instruction that is 235
differentiated to meet students' diverse needs. 236
(2) The State Department of Education shall develop a list 237
of High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) core literacy 238
curricula, interventions and supplemental materials aligned with 239
scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading instruction 240
and state standards for use in districts for students in Grades 4 241
through 8. Standards, as well as HQIM, shall be designed to 242
address word recognition and language comprehension skills, build 243
background knowledge and expand students' knowledge across content 244
areas. Balanced literacy, including, but not limited to, the 245
three-cueing systems model, which research shows is inconsistent 246
with scientifically based reading instruction and the science of 247
reading, shall not be used to teach reading in Mississippi public 248
schools, state agencies or by anyone who receives state funding. 249
The list shall be approved by the State Board of Education. 250
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(3) The department shall provide an approved list of one or 251
more reliable and valid reading assessment systems for school 252
district use for screening and monitoring student progress toward 253
becoming a skilled reader. The reading assessment system shall: 254
(a) Provide a screener to be administered three (3) 255
times per year (beginning, middle, and end) with progress 256
monitoring capabilities and a diagnostic tool to support teachers 257
with targeting instruction based on student needs; 258
(b) Measure, at a minimum, fluency and comprehension; 259
and 260
(c) For students who demonstrate difficulty with these 261
skills, additional diagnostic screening in foundational skills 262
(phonological awareness and phonics) is provided to identify 263
specific skill deficits. 264
(4) In determining which assessment systems to approve for 265
use by school districts, the department shall also consider, at a 266
minimum, the following factors: 267
(a) The time required to conduct the assessment, with 268
the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time; 269
(b) The availability of accommodation for students with 270
specialized plans; 271
(c) The timeliness in reporting assessment results to 272
teachers, administrators, and parents; and 273
(d) The integration of assessment and instruction the 274
system provides. 275
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(5) Districts shall offer reading intervention services to 276
each fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade student who 277
exhibits deficiencies in reading based upon the approved literacy 278
screener administered within the first thirty (30) days of school, 279
middle of the year, and end of the year and subsequently 280
administered diagnostics to inform targeted interventions. 281
Reading intervention shall be provided to struggling students in 282
addition to core reading instruction that is provided to all 283
students in the general education classroom. School districts 284
should adhere to the MTSS guidance process for Mississippi and 285
shall consider multiple data points. These services shall: 286
(a) Ensure that all students in Grades 4 through 8 who 287
are identified with reading deficiencies, as determined by the 288
department, must be provided with appropriate interventions. This 289
includes students who meet the approved assessments system cut 290
scores, fourth grade students promoted from third grade with a 291
good cause exemption, students receiving special education 292
services, students diagnosed with or showing characteristics of 293
dyslexia, and multilingual learners; 294
(b) Ensure the determination for the need for 295
intervention will be made by the examination of multiple data 296
points, including a diagnostic assessment within the first thirty 297
(30) days of school; 298
(c) Provide explicit and systematic instruction in age 299
and developmentally appropriate phonological awareness, phonics 300
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including decoding and encoding, fluency, vocabulary, morphology 301
and comprehension, as applicable; 302
(d) Provide explicit and systematic reading strategies 303
to develop reading strategies in phonemic awareness, phonics, 304
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, with more extensive 305
opportunities for guided practice, error correction and feedback; 306
(e) Monitor the reading progress of each student's 307
reading skills throughout the school year and provide 308
differentiated instruction based on screening, diagnostic and 309
progress monitoring to adjust instruction to meet students' 310
specific needs; 311
(f) Be implemented during regular school hours in 312
addition to any offerings provided before, during or after school 313
with a trained educator; 314
(g) Be implemented by a reading specialist, dyslexia 315
therapist, interventionist or school-based coach who shall have 316
training in scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading 317
instruction, fidelity to the selected intervention and 318
evidence-based literacy instruction practices; and 319
(h) Be age and developmentally appropriate 320
interventions should primarily be delivered by a trained educator. 321
If technology is used, it will serve as supplemental support. 322
(6) Local school boards, in collaboration with district 323
literacy leaders, shall develop and implement programs of 324
prevention, intervention, or remediation for students who are 325
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educationally at-risk including, but not limited to, those who 326
fail to achieve a passing score on the English-Language Arts state 327
summative assessment in Grades 3 through 8, multilingual students 328
and students who show characteristics of or diagnosed with 329
dyslexia in middle grades. Such programs shall include strategies 330
and methods that are proven through scientifically researched and 331
evidence-based instruction. Local school boards shall also 332
implement programs in Grades 4 through 8 to enhance success. 333
(7) Each local school board shall employ at least one (1) 334
reading specialist, interventionist, and/or dyslexia therapist in 335
any school serving fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth grade 336
students. Each such reading specialist shall be required to 337
participate in professional learning grounded in the science of 338
reading to include: 339
(a) Training in the identification of and the use of 340
appropriate interventions, accommodations and teaching techniques 341
for students with dyslexia or a related reading disorder and shall 342
serve as an advisor on dyslexia and related reading disorders; and 343
(b) State approved training on the definition of 344
dyslexia and knowledge of: 345
(i) Techniques to help a student with dyslexia on 346
the continuum of skills; 347
(ii) Dyslexia characteristics that may manifest at 348
different ages and grade levels; 349
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(iii) The basic foundational keys to reading, 350
including direct, explicit, sequential, systematic and 351
multisensory and multimodal reading instruction; and 352
(iv) Appropriate interventions, accommodations and 353
assistive technology support for students with dyslexia. 354
SECTION 5. Any fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth 355
grade student who exhibits deficiencies in reading at any time, 356
based upon the vetted and approved assessment system, shall 357
receive an individual reading plan no later than thirty (30) days 358
after the identification of the reading deficiency. The 359
individual reading plan shall be created by the teacher, 360
interventionist, principal, other pertinent school personnel and 361
the parent or legal guardian, and shall describe the 362
scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading intervention 363
services the student shall receive to remedy the reading deficit. 364
If at all possible, students and parents should have a voice in 365
scheduling decisions especially when changes affect classes or 366
electives the student values. Each student shall receive 367
intensive reading intervention until the student no longer has a 368
deficiency in reading as determined by multiple data points, 369
including an approved literacy screener, diagnostic assessment, 370
and the state's summative assessment. The individual reading plan 371
shall follow the template provided by the department and include 372
the documentation of reading intervention services and strategies 373
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outlined within the MTSS Guidance Document, which, at a minimum, 374
shall include: 375
(a) The student's specific deficiencies in reading as 376
determined or identified by diagnostic assessment data or the 377
literacy screener provided or approved by the department; 378
(b) The goals and benchmark cut scores for student 379
growth in reading; 380
(c) A description of the specific measures that will be 381
used to evaluate and monitor the student's reading progress; 382
(d) The alignment to an Individualized Education Plan 383
(IEP) for students who receive special education services; 384
(e) The specific evidence-based literacy instruction 385
that the student will receive; 386
(f) The strategies, resources, and materials that will 387
be provided to the student's parent or guardian to support their 388
student at home in making reading progress; 389
(g) Any additional services the teacher deems available 390
and appropriate to accelerate the student's reading development; 391
and 392
(h) May include the following services for the student: 393
instruction from a reading specialist, dyslexia therapist, trained 394
paraprofessional, or classroom teacher with support from an aide, 395
extended instructional time in the school day or school year, or, 396
for students in Grades 6 through 8, a literacy course, in addition 397
to the required core English-Language Arts course, that provides 398
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the specific evidence-based literacy instruction identified in the 399
student's reading plan. 400
SECTION 6. The parents of any students in fourth, fifth, 401
sixth, seventh or eighth grade who exhibits deficiencies in 402
reading at any time during the school year shall be notified in 403
writing within ten (10) business days after the identification of 404
the reading deficiency, and the written notification shall be made 405
available in the parent's home language, follow the template 406
provided by the department, and include the following: 407
(a) That his or her child has been identified as having 408
deficiencies in reading, and an individual reading plan will be 409
developed by the teacher(s), interventionist, dyslexia therapist, 410
principal, other pertinent school personnel and the parent or 411
legal guardian; 412
(b) A description of the current services that are 413
provided to the student; 414
(c) A description of the proposed interventions and 415
supplemental instructional services or dyslexia therapy which are 416
from scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading 417
instruction and supports that will be provided to the child that 418
are designed to remedy the identified area(s) of reading 419
deficiency; 420
(d) Notification that the parent will be informed in 421
writing of their child's progress towards becoming a skilled 422
reader with each progress report; and 423
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(e) Strategies for parents to use at home to help their 424
child succeed in reading. 425
SECTION 7. (1) Any incoming student in fourth, fifth, 426
sixth, seventh and eighth grades identified with deficiencies in 427
reading shall be provided with supplemental or intensive 428
interventions dependent upon the severity of the deficit skills to 429
address his or her specific deficiency. Intervention services 430
shall include effective instructional strategies to accelerate 431
student progress and be delivered by a reading teacher, reading 432
specialist, dyslexia therapist or an interventionist who has 433
received intensive training in remediation of reading difficulties 434
and fidelity to the selected intervention curriculum. The 435
district shall provide the following: 436
(a) Access to a reading teacher, reading specialist, 437
dyslexia therapist, or interventionist who has received intensive 438
training in remediation of reading difficulties; and 439
(b) Reading intervention services and supports from a 440
vetted and approved list to address the identified area(s) of 441
reading deficiency, including, but not limited to: 442
(i) Use of reading strategies and/or programs that 443
are verified by scientifically and evidenced-based research and 444
have proven results in accelerating student reading achievement 445
within the same school year; 446
(ii) Prescribed targeted small group reading 447
intervention or dyslexia therapy based on student needs, including 448
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explicit and systematic instruction with detailed explanations, 449
extensive opportunities for guided practice, and opportunities for 450
error correction and feedback; and 451
(iii) Scheduled progress monitoring throughout the 452
time in which the student is in intervention to adjust instruction 453
according to student needs. 454
(2) Summer school remediation programs or other forms of 455
remediation appropriate to the academic needs of the students may 456
be offered to students based on the results of the universal 457
screener, diagnostic assessment, intervention progress monitoring 458
data and ELA state summative assessment. Summer school 459
remediation shall not be used to promote a student who failed the 460
grade level prior to summer school. 461
(3) A Read-at-Home plan shall be provided in the family's 462
home language by the district which includes strategies for 463
parents to use at home to help their child succeed in reading. 464
SECTION 8. (1) (a) The school district shall conduct an 465
annual review of individual reading plans during the first twenty 466
(20) days of school for students who had a plan from the previous 467
school year. The review shall assess the effectiveness of prior 468
interventions, and any additional support and services needed to 469
address the identified areas of reading deficiency. This may 470
include supplemental, scientifically-researched and 471
evidenced-based reading interventions provided before or after 472
school by a teacher or tutor with specialized reading training. 473
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(b) Current screener and diagnostic data shall be used 474
to determine continued reading intervention support. 475
(2) Each local school board shall annually report in writing 476
to the department and publish on its website by October 1 of each 477
year, the following information on the prior school year: 478
(a) By grade, the number and percentage of all students 479
in Grades 4 through 8 performing below grade level on local or 480
statewide assessments; 481
(b) By grade, the number and percentage of students in 482
Grades 4 through 8 who received supplemental or intensive reading 483
intervention the previous year; 484
(c) By grade, the number and percentage of students in 485
Grades 4 through 8 who had an individual reading plan but no 486
longer qualify for them; 487
(d) By grade, the number and percentage of students 488
retained in kindergarten through Grade 8; and 489
(e) By grade, the number and percentage of students 490
retained in Grades 4 through 8 who have an individual reading 491
plan. 492
SECTION 9. (1) The department shall provide a uniform 493
format for school districts to report the required information no 494
later than ninety (90) days prior to the annual due date. 495
(2) The department shall provide guidance and technical 496
assistance to aid school districts in implementing Sections 1 497
through 11 of this act. 498
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ST: Adolescent Literacy Initiatives; require
MDE to establish for Grades 4-8.
SECTION 10. Education preparation programs shall require all 499
candidates graduating from educator preparation programs in the 500
State of Mississippi in the areas of social studies, science, and 501
English-Language Arts Education for Grades 4 through 8 shall be 502
required to successfully complete AIM Pathways to Proficient 503
Reading training or an equivalent reading training program 504
approved by the State Department of Education before 505
certification. 506
SECTION 11. (1) The State Board of Education shall have 507
authority to enforce Sections 1 through 11 of this act. 508
(2) The Legislature shall allocate sufficient funding for 509
the implementation of Sections 1 through 11 of this act. 510
SECTION 12. This act shall take effect and be in force from 511
and after July 1, 2026. 512