Literacy in Grades 4 through 8; develop intervention strategies to support the promotion of.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) DeBar, DuPree, Hopson,
Norwood, Simmons (13th)

SENATE BILL NO. 2487
(As Passed the Senate)

AN ACT TO PROVIDE CERTAIN INTERVENTION AND IMPLEMENTATION 1
STRATEGIES FOR LITERACY PROFICIENCY AMONG STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-8; 2
TO DEFINE TERMINOLOGY; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 3
EDUCATION TO PROVIDE A SYSTEM OF SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL AND DISTRICT 4
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS, CONTENT-AREA TEACHERS, LITERACY COACHES, 5
DYSLEXIA THERAPISTS, INTERVENTIONISTS, TUTORS, AND OTHER 6
IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL TO ENSURE THEY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 7
TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-8 WITH READING DIFFICULTIES; TO 8
PRESCRIBE WHAT THE SYSTEM OF SUPPORTS SHALL ENTAIL; TO REQUIRE 9
THAT ANY STUDENT IN GRADES 4-8 EXHIBITING DEFICIENCIES IN READING 10
SHALL RECEIVE AN INDIVIDUAL READING PLAN (IRP) NO LATER THAN 30 11
DAYS AFTER THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE READING DEFICIENCY; TO 12
SPECIFY THAT THE IRP SHALL BE CREATED BY THE TEACHER, 13
INTERVENTIONIST, PRINCIPAL, OTHER PERTINENT SCHOOL PERSONNEL, AND 14
PARENT AND SHALL DESCRIBE THE SCIENTIFICALLY RESEARCHED AND 15
EVIDENCED-BASED READING INTERVENTION SERVICES THE STUDENT SHALL 16
RECEIVE TO REMEDY THE READING DEFICIT; TO REQUIRE WRITTEN 17
NOTIFICATION OF THE PARENT OF ANY STUDENT IN GRADES 4-8 WITHIN 10 18
BUSINESS DAYS OF THE IDENTIFICATION OF A READING DEFICIENCY; TO 19
REQUIRE THAT ANY INCOMING STUDENT IN GRADES 4-8 IDENTIFIED WITH A 20
READING DEFICIENCY BE PROVIDED WITH SUPPLEMENTAL OR INTENSIVE 21
INTERVENTIONS DEPENDENT UPON THE SEVERITY OF THE DEFICIT SKILLS TO 22
ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC DEFICIENCY; TO PROHIBIT THE PROMOTION OF 23
STUDENTS WHOSE READING DEFICIENCY IS NOT REMEDIED BEFORE THE END 24
OF EIGHTH GRADE; TO SET OUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOL 25
DISTRICTS, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND EDUCATOR 26
PREPARATION PROGRAMS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 27
SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THIS ACT AND MAY PROMULGATE 28
RULES AND REGULATIONS AS NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS 29
ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 30
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 31
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SECTION 1. Legislative intent. (1) It is the intent of the 32
Legislature that: 33
(a) Each student's progression from one grade to 34
another be determined, in part, upon proficiency in reading and 35
writing; 36
(b) District school board policies facilitate reading 37
instruction and intervention services to address student reading 38
and writing needs; and 39
(c) Each student and his or her parent or guardian be 40
informed of that student's progress. 41
(2) The fundamental goal of an education system is to enable 42
each student to develop the skills necessary for success in school 43
and life. The Nation's Report Card reflects no statistically 44
significant improvement in Grade 8 National Assessment of 45
Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading scores in thirty (30) years, 46
from 1992 through 2024, with one-third (1/3) of the nation's 47
eighth-grade students reading below the basic level. Therefore, 48
the Legislature finds that it is essential to provide a system of 49
support for students in middle grades who continue to demonstrate 50
difficulty with foundational reading and writing skills. 51
SECTION 2. Definitions. As used in this act, the following 52
terms shall have the meanings ascribed in this section unless a 53
contrary meaning is clearly evident from the context: 54
(a) "Accommodations" means measures taken to allow a 55
student to complete the same assignment or test as other students, 56
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but with a change in the timing, formatting, setting, scheduling, 57
response, or presentation. Accommodation is provided for both 58
testing and instruction and changes the way students access 59
information and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities 60
without lowering learning or performance expectations and without 61
changing academic standards or what is being measured. The 62
purpose is to ensure equal access to the full school experience 63
for students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities. 64
Accommodation does not change the content of instruction, give 65
students an unfair advantage, or change the skills or knowledge 66
that a test measures. 67
(b) "Comprehensive dyslexia evaluation" is the process 68
of gathering information to identify factors contributing to a 69
student's difficulty learning to read and spell. An evaluation 70
encompasses identification, screening, testing, diagnosis, and all 71
the other information-gathering involved when the student, his or 72
her family, and a team of professionals work together to determine 73
why the student is having difficulty. 74
(c) "Content-area teacher" includes all subject-area 75
teachers. 76
(d) "Department" means the State Department of 77
Education. 78
(e) "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability 79
that is neurobiological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by 80
difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and poor 81
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spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically 82
result from a deficit in the phonological component of language 83
that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities 84
and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary 85
consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and 86
reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary 87
and background knowledge. 88
(f) "Dyslexia diagnosis" means a clear diagnostic 89
statement included in a written evaluation report to document the 90
presence of dyslexia. The evaluation is conducted by a 91
professional psychologist, psychometrist, or speech-language 92
pathologist. 93
(g) "Dyslexia screening" is a brief assessment 94
measuring critical skills and identifying potential risks and is a 95
predictor of future reading success. 96
(h) "Educator preparation program" or "EPPs" means any 97
program that prepares individuals for certification as educators, 98
school administrators, or other school personnel. 99
(i) "Evidence-based" references instructional 100
strategies or practices with clear and convincing proof from 101
scientifically based research studies which have been 102
peer-reviewed. 103
(j) "High-quality instructional materials" or "HQIMs" 104
means instructional curricula and intervention programs, 105
including, but not limited to, textbooks, teacher guides, and 106
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supplemental materials, that are grounded in the science of 107
reading and evidenced-based research approaches that help all 108
students achieve grade-level learning goals. HQIMs incorporate 109
best practices for building skills essential to reading, follow a 110
sequential order of lessons that are explicit, systematic, and 111
cumulative, contain challenging texts that build student 112
background knowledge, support academic language development and 113
critical thinking skills across core content areas, and are 114
aligned to a state's academic standards. These materials are 115
rigorous, comprehensive, and regularly reviewed and updated to 116
align to research and best practices. They also provide 117
curriculum-specific professional development that prepares 118
teachers to effectively plan and prepare lessons and assessments, 119
differentiate instruction, and monitor student progress. 120
(k) "Individual reading plan" or "IRP" means an 121
individually designed reading intervention for a student required 122
under Section 5 of this act. 123
(l) "Multilingual students" include newcomers or 124
students with limited or interrupted education. 125
(m) "Multi-tiered system of support" or "MTSS" means a 126
framework for supporting and increasing academic, behavioral, and 127
social-emotional outcomes for all students. 128
(n) "Reading intervention" includes evidence-based 129
strategies from scientifically-based reading research frequently 130
used to improve reading where deficiencies exist and includes, but 131
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is not limited to, individual instruction, multisensory 132
approaches, dyslexia therapy, tutoring, mentoring, or the use of 133
technology that targets specific reading skills and abilities. 134
(o) "Science of reading" means the large body of 135
evidence that informs how proficient reading and writing develop, 136
why some students have difficulty, and how educators can most 137
effectively assess, teach, and improve student outcomes through 138
prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties. 139
(p) "Scientifically-based reading research" applies 140
rigorous, systematic, and objective methods to gain knowledge from 141
multiple disciplines to understand how children learn to read, 142
together with strategies and methods that can be used to teach 143
children to read and how they can overcome reading difficulties. 144
(q) "Structured literacy" is an evidence-based approach 145
to teaching oral and written language aligned to the science of 146
reading. It is based on the science of how kids learn to read and 147
is characterized by direct, explicit, systematic, sequential, 148
cumulative, and diagnostic instruction in phonology, phonemic 149
awareness, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, 150
morphology, syntax, and semantics. 151
(r) "System of assessments" means a comprehensive 152
system for use in a school district or charter school that 153
provides screening, diagnostic, and summative assessments of key 154
indicators of reading success, including word recognition, 155
vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. 156
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(s) "Three-cueing system" means a largely antiquated 157
and ineffective style of teaching students to read based on "MSV": 158
meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues. 159
(t) "Universal screener" means an assessment that is 160
administered three (3) times per year (beginning, middle, and end) 161
to identify or predict students who may be at risk for reading 162
failure and is typically brief and conducted with all students at 163
a particular grade level. 164
SECTION 3. System of support for educators. The department 165
shall provide a system of support for school and district 166
instructional leaders, content-area teachers, literacy coaches, 167
dyslexia therapists, interventionists, tutors, and other 168
identified personnel across content areas in Grades 4 through 8 to 169
ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to support students 170
with reading difficulties. The system of support shall include: 171
(a) Professional learning for district instructional 172
leaders, principals, school-level literacy leaders, content-area 173
teachers, special-education teachers, literacy coaches, dyslexia 174
therapists, interventionists, tutors, ELL teachers, and other 175
identified personnel across content areas of students in Grades 4 176
through 8 on the following: 177
(i) Comprehensive training grounded in the science 178
of reading to ensure all teachers have the knowledge and skills to 179
support a range of students with diverse needs, students with 180
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reading difficulties, multilingual students, and students with 181
characteristics of or diagnosis of dyslexia, including: 182
1. Explicit, systematic, developmentally and 183
age-appropriate instruction in phonological awareness, the 184
alphabetic principle, oral language development, decoding, 185
encoding, fluency (including accuracy), morphology (including 186
morphological awareness and etymology), vocabulary, syntax, 187
comprehension, and building content knowledge; 188
2. Strategies to increase educator knowledge 189
of reading and writing basics for students in Grades 4 through 8; 190
3. Evidence-based strategies for motivating 191
and engaging adolescent learners; 192
4. Scientifically researched and 193
evidenced-based reading strategies for accommodations and 194
scaffolding instruction for struggling readers and writers; and 195
5. Approaches to assist educators in 196
determining causes of reading difficulties, including dyslexia, 197
and other learning differences, for students in Grades 4 through 8 198
and how word reading, vocabulary, content knowledge, 199
comprehension, and writing are affected; and 200
(ii) The department-approved assessment system(s) 201
selected by school districts to ensure teachers have the knowledge 202
and skills to administer the assessment and use assessment data to 203
inform instruction based on student needs. 204
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(b) Job-embedded coaching support for teachers of 205
Grades 4 through 8 that shall include the following: 206
(i) Provide on-site teacher training on 207
evidence-based reading strategies and data-based decision-making; 208
(ii) Demonstrate lessons; 209
(iii) Co-teach and/or observe teaching; 210
(iv) Provide immediate feedback for improvement; 211
and 212
(v) Provide support to teachers and administrators 213
in data-based decision-making. 214
(c) Educator preparation programs that equip candidates 215
seeking certification for elementary, special education, and 216
secondary education with training and instruction to: 217
(i) Effectively teach reading aligned to 218
scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading instruction, 219
including explicit and systematic instruction in phonological 220
awareness, the alphabetic principle, decoding, encoding, fluency, 221
morphology (including etymology), syntax, vocabulary, 222
comprehension, and building content knowledge; 223
(ii) Implement reading instruction using 224
high-quality instructional materials; 225
(iii) Provide training on the identification of 226
students not reading on grade level, the selection of appropriate 227
interventions, and effective instruction and interventions for a 228
range of students with diverse needs, including multilingual 229
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students and students with characteristics of dyslexia or 230
diagnosed with dyslexia; 231
(iv) Understand and use student data to make 232
instructional decisions; and 233
(v) Incorporate literacy instruction across 234
content areas. 235
SECTION 4. Reading instruction and intervention. (1) It is 236
the ultimate goal of the Legislature that every student become a 237
skilled reader. State standards for literacy in Grades K through 238
8 shall align with evidence-based strategies and scientifically 239
based reading research, and all students shall have access to 240
high-quality Tier 1 core instruction that is differentiated to 241
meet students' diverse needs. Evidence-based reading instruction 242
has been proven to accelerate the progress of all students, 243
including those exhibiting a reading deficiency. 244
(2) The department shall: 245
(a) Develop a list of HQIM core literacy curricula, 246
interventions, and supplemental materials aligned with 247
scientifically researched and evidence-based reading instruction 248
and state standards for use in districts for students in Grades 4 249
through 8. Standards as well as HQIM should address word 250
recognition and language comprehension skills, build background 251
knowledge and expand students' knowledge across content areas. 252
Balanced literacy, including, but not limited to, the three-cueing 253
systems model, which research shows is inconsistent with 254
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scientifically based reading instruction and the science of 255
reading, shall not be used to teach reading in Mississippi public 256
schools or state agencies or by anyone who receives state funding. 257
The list shall be approved by the State Board of Education; and 258
(b) Provide an approved list of one or more reliable 259
and valid reading assessment systems for school district use for 260
screening and monitoring student progress toward becoming a 261
skilled reader. The reading assessment system shall: 262
(i) Provide a screener to be administered three 263
(3) times per year (beginning, middle, and end) with progress 264
monitoring capabilities and a diagnostic tool to support teachers 265
with targeting instruction based on student needs; 266
(ii) Measure, at a minimum, fluency and 267
comprehension; and 268
(iii) For students who demonstrate difficulty with 269
these skills, provide additional diagnostic screening in 270
foundational skills (phonological awareness and phonics) to 271
identify specific skill deficits. 272
(c) Consider, at a minimum, the following factors in 273
determining which assessment systems to approve for use by school 274
districts: 275
(i) The time required to conduct the assessment, 276
with the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time; 277
(ii) The availability of accommodation for 278
students with specialized plans; 279
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(iii) The timeliness in reporting assessment 280
results to teachers, administrators, and parents; and 281
(iv) The integration of assessment and instruction 282
the system provides. 283
(3) School districts shall offer reading intervention 284
services to each student in Grades 4 through 8 who exhibits 285
deficiencies in reading based upon the approved literacy screener 286
administered within the first thirty (30) days of school, middle 287
of the year, and end of the year and subsequently administered 288
diagnostics to inform targeted interventions. Determination for 289
the need for intervention will be made by the examination of 290
multiple data points, including a diagnostic assessment, within 291
the first thirty (30) days of school, Reading intervention shall 292
be provided to struggling students, in addition to core reading 293
instruction that is provided to all students in the general 294
education classroom. School districts shall adhere to the MTSS 295
guidance process for Mississippi and shall consider multiple data 296
points. These services shall: 297
(a) Provide appropriate interventions to all students 298
in Grades 4 through 8 who are identified with reading 299
deficiencies, as determined by the department, including students 300
who meet the approved assessments system cut scores, Fourth-Grade 301
students promoted from Third Grade with a good-cause exemption, 302
students receiving special education services, students diagnosed 303
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with or showing characteristics of dyslexia, and multilingual 304
learners; 305
(b) Provide explicit and systematic instruction in age 306
and developmentally appropriate phonological awareness, phonics 307
(including decoding and encoding), fluency, vocabulary, 308
morphology, and comprehension, as applicable; 309
(c) Utilize explicit and systematic reading strategies 310
to develop phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and 311
comprehension, with more extensive opportunities for guided 312
practice, error correction, and feedback; 313
(d) Monitor the reading progress of each student's 314
reading skills throughout the school year and provide 315
differentiated instruction based on screening, diagnostic, and 316
progress monitoring to adjust instruction to meet students' 317
specific needs; 318
(e) Be implemented during regular school hours in 319
addition to any offerings provided before, during, or after school 320
with a trained educator; 321
(f) Be implemented by a reading specialist, dyslexia 322
therapist or interventionist, or school-based coach who shall have 323
training in scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading 324
instruction, fidelity to the selected intervention, and 325
evidence-based literacy instruction practices; and 326
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(g) Be delivered primarily by a trained educator using 327
age and developmentally appropriate interventions, with any 328
technology used to serve as supplemental support. 329
(4) Local school boards, in collaboration with district 330
literacy leaders, shall develop and implement programs of 331
prevention, intervention, or remediation for students who are 332
educationally at risk, including, but not limited to, those who 333
fail to achieve a passing score on the English - Language Arts 334
State Summative Assessment in Grades 3 through 8, multilingual 335
students, and students who show characteristics of or who are 336
diagnosed with dyslexia in middle grades. Such programs shall 337
include strategies and methods that are proven through 338
scientifically researched and evidence-based instruction. Local 339
school boards shall also implement programs in Grades 4 through 8 340
to enhance success. 341
(5) Each school board shall employ at least one (1) reading 342
specialist, interventionist, or dyslexia therapist in any school 343
serving students in Grades 4 through 8. Each such reading 344
specialist shall be required to participate in professional 345
learning grounded in the science of reading, to include: 346
(a) Training in the identification and use of 347
appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques 348
for students with dyslexia or a related reading disorder; 349
(b) Service as an advisor on dyslexia and related 350
reading disorders; and 351
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(c) State-approved training on the definition of 352
dyslexia and knowledge of: 353
(i) Techniques to help a student with dyslexia on 354
the continuum of skills; 355
(ii) Dyslexia characteristics that may manifest at 356
different ages and grade levels; 357
(iii) The basic foundational keys to reading, 358
including direct, explicit, sequential, systematic, and 359
multisensory/multimodal reading instruction; and 360
(iv) Appropriate interventions, accommodations, 361
and assistive technology support for students with dyslexia. 362
SECTION 5. Individual reading plan. (1) Any student in 363
Grades 4 through 8 who exhibits deficiencies in reading at any 364
time, based upon the vetted and approved assessment system, shall 365
receive an individual reading plan (IRP) no later than thirty (30) 366
days after the identification of the reading deficiency. The IRP 367
shall be created by the teacher, interventionist, principal, other 368
pertinent school personnel, and parent(s) and shall describe the 369
scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading intervention 370
services the student shall receive to remedy the reading deficit. 371
If possible, students and parents should have a voice in 372
scheduling decisions, especially when changes affect classes or 373
electives the student values. Each student shall receive 374
intensive reading intervention until the student no longer has a 375
deficiency in reading, as determined by multiple data points, 376
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including an approved literacy screener, diagnostic assessment, 377
and the state's summative assessment. 378
(2) The IRP shall follow the template provided by the 379
department and include documentation of reading intervention 380
services and strategies outlined within the MTSS guidance 381
document, at a minimum: 382
(a) The student's specific deficiencies in reading as 383
determined or identified by diagnostic assessment data or the 384
literacy screener provided or approved by the department; 385
(b) The goals and benchmark cut scores for student 386
growth in reading; 387
(c) A description of the specific measures that will be 388
used to evaluate and monitor the student's reading progress; 389
(d) The alignment to an Individualized Education Plan 390
(IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for 391
students who receive special education services; 392
(e) The specific evidence-based literacy instruction 393
the student will receive; 394
(f) The strategies, resources, and materials that will 395
be provided to the student's parent or guardian to support the 396
student at home in making reading progress; and 397
(g) Any additional services the teacher deems available 398
and appropriate to accelerate the student's reading development. 399
(3) The IRP may include the following services for the 400
student: 401
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(i) Instruction from a reading specialist, dyslexia 402
therapist, trained paraprofessional, or classroom teacher with 403
support from an aide; and 404
(ii) Extended instructional time in the school day or 405
school year or, for students in Grades 6 through 8, a literacy 406
course, in addition to the required core English - Language Arts 407
course, that provides the specific evidence-based literacy 408
instruction identified in the student's reading plan. 409
SECTION 6. Parent notification. The parent of any student 410
in Grades 4 through 8 who exhibits deficiencies in reading at any 411
time during the school year shall be notified in writing within 412
ten (10) business days after the identification of the reading 413
deficiency, and the written notification shall be made available 414
in the parent's home language, follow the template provided by the 415
department, and include the following: 416
(a) That his or her child has been identified as having 417
deficiencies in reading, and an IRP will be developed by the 418
teacher(s), interventionist, dyslexia therapist, principal, other 419
pertinent school personnel, and parent(s); 420
(b) A description of the current services that are 421
provided to the student; 422
(c) A description of the proposed interventions and 423
supplemental instructional services or dyslexia therapy that are 424
from scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading 425
instruction, and supports that will be provided to the child that 426
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are designed to remedy the identified area(s) of reading 427
deficiency; 428
(d) Notification that the parents will be informed in 429
writing of their child's progress towards becoming a skilled 430
reader with each progress report; and 431
(e) Strategies for parents to use at home to help their 432
child succeed in reading. 433
SECTION 7. Successful progression of incoming students in 434
Grades 4 through 8 identified with a reading deficiency. (1) Any 435
incoming student in Grades 4 through 8 identified with a 436
deficiency in reading shall be provided with supplemental or 437
intensive interventions dependent upon the severity of the deficit 438
skills to address his or her specific deficiency. Intervention 439
services shall include effective instructional strategies to 440
accelerate student progress and shall be delivered by a reading 441
teacher, reading specialist, dyslexia therapist, or 442
interventionist who has received intensive training in remediation 443
of reading difficulties and fidelity to the selected intervention 444
curriculum. The district shall provide the following: 445
(a) Access to a reading teacher, reading specialist, 446
dyslexia therapist, or interventionist who has received intensive 447
training in remediation of reading difficulties; and 448
(b) Reading intervention services and supports from a 449
vetted and approved list to address the identified areas of 450
reading deficiency, including, but not limited to: 451
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(i) Use of reading strategies or programs that are 452
verified by scientifically and evidenced-based research and have 453
proven results in accelerating student reading achievement within 454
the same school year; 455
(ii) Prescribed targeted small-group reading 456
intervention or dyslexia therapy based on student needs, including 457
explicit and systematic instruction with detailed explanations, 458
extensive opportunities for guided practice, and opportunities for 459
error correction and feedback; and 460
(iii) Scheduled progress monitoring throughout the 461
time in which the student is in intervention to adjust instruction 462
according to student needs. 463
(2) Summer school remediation programs, or other forms of 464
remediation appropriate to the academic needs of the students, 465
shall not be used to promote a student who failed the grade level 466
prior to summer school. Summer school remediation may be offered 467
to students based on the results of the universal screener, 468
diagnostic assessment, intervention progress monitoring data, or 469
ELA State Summative Assessment. 470
(3) A read-at-home plan shall be provided in the family's 471
home language by the district and shall include strategies for 472
parents to use at home to help their child succeed in reading. 473
SECTION 8. Eighth-grade reading gate. A public school 474
student may not be assigned a grade level based solely on the 475
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student's age or any other factors that constitute social 476
promotion. 477
Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, if a student's 478
reading deficiency is not remedied by the end of the student's 479
eighth-grade year, as demonstrated by the student scoring at the 480
lowest achievement level in reading on the state annual 481
accountability assessment or on an approved alternative 482
standardized assessment for eighth grade, the student shall not be 483
promoted to ninth grade. 484
SECTION 9. Good cause for promotion. (1) An eighth-grade 485
student who does not meet the academic requirements for promotion 486
to the ninth grade may be promoted by the school district only for 487
good cause. Good-cause exemptions for promotion are limited to 488
the following students: 489
(a) Limited English proficient students who have had 490
less than two (2) years of instruction in an English Language 491
Learner program; 492
(b) Students with disabilities whose individual 493
education plan (IEP) indicates that participation in the statewide 494
accountability assessment program is not appropriate, as 495
authorized under state law; 496
(c) Students with a disability who participate in the 497
state annual accountability assessment and who have an IEP or a 498
Section 504 plan that reflects that the individual student has 499
received intensive remediation in reading for more than two (2) 500
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years but still demonstrates a deficiency in reading and 501
previously was retained in a prior grade; 502
(d) Students who demonstrate an acceptable level of 503
reading proficiency on an alternative standardized assessment 504
approved by the State Board of Education; and 505
(e) Students who have received intensive intervention 506
in reading for two (2) or more years but still demonstrate a 507
deficiency in reading and who previously were retained in a prior 508
grade for a total of two (2) years and have not met exceptional 509
education criteria. A student who is promoted to ninth grade with 510
a good-cause exemption shall be provided intensive reading 511
instruction and intervention informed by specialized diagnostic 512
information and delivered through specific reading strategies to 513
meet the needs of each student so promoted. The school district 514
shall assist schools and teachers in implementing reading 515
strategies that research has shown to be successful in improving 516
reading among students with persistent reading difficulties. 517
(2) A request for good-cause exemptions for an eighth-grade 518
student from the academic requirements established for promotion 519
to ninth grade must be made consistent with the following: 520
(a) Documentation must be submitted from the student's 521
teacher to the school principal which indicates that the promotion 522
of the student is appropriate and is based upon the student's 523
record. The documentation must consist of the good-cause 524
exemption being requested and must clearly prove that the student 525
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is covered by one (1) of the good-cause exemptions listed in 526
subsection (1) of this section. 527
(b) The principal shall review and discuss the 528
recommendations with the teacher and parents and make a 529
determination as to whether or not the student should be promoted 530
based on requirements set forth in this act. If the principal 531
determines that the student should be promoted, based on the 532
documentation provided, the principal must make the recommendation 533
in writing to the school district superintendent, who, in writing, 534
may accept or reject the principal's recommendation. The parents 535
of any student promoted may choose that the student be retained 536
for one (1) year, even if the principal and district 537
superintendent determines otherwise. 538
SECTION 10. District responsibilities. (1) The school 539
district shall conduct an annual review of IRPs during the first 540
twenty (20) days of school for students who had a plan from the 541
last school year. The review shall assess the effectiveness of 542
prior interventions and any additional support and services needed 543
to address the identified areas of reading deficiency. This may 544
include supplemental, scientifically researched, and 545
evidence-based reading interventions provided before and/or after 546
school by a teacher or tutor with specialized reading training. 547
Current screener and diagnostic data shall be used to determine 548
continued reading intervention support. 549
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(2) Each district school board shall annually report in 550
writing to the department and on its website by October 1 of each 551
year, the following information on the prior school year: 552
(a) By grade, the number and percentage of all students 553
in Grades 4 through 8 performing below grade level on local or 554
statewide assessments. 555
(b) By grade, the number and percentage of students in 556
Grades 4 through 8 who received supplemental or intensive reading 557
intervention the previous year. 558
(c) By grade, the number and percentage of students who 559
had an IRP no longer qualify for them. 560
(d) By grade, the number and percentage of students 561
retained in Kindergarten through Grade 8. 562
(e) By grade, the number and percentage of students 563
retained in Grades 4 through 8 who have an IRP. 564
SECTION 11. Department responsibilities. The department 565
shall provide, to each school district no later than ninety (90) 566
days before the annual due date, a uniform format for districts to 567
report the required information. The department shall provide 568
guidance and technical assistance to aid school districts in 569
implementing this act. 570
SECTION 12. Educator preparation program responsibilities. 571
All candidates graduating from educator preparation programs 572
(EPPs) in Mississippi in the areas of social studies, science, and 573
English - Language Arts Education for Grades 4 through 8 shall be 574
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ST: Literacy in Grades 4 through 8; develop
intervention strategies to support the promotion
of.
required to successfully complete AIM Pathways to Proficient 575
Reading training, or an equivalent reading training program 576
approved by the department before certification. 577
SECTION 13. State Board of Education authority. The State 578
Board of Education shall have the authority to enforce this act 579
and may promulgate rules and regulations as necessary for the 580
implementation of this act. 581
SECTION 14. Funding. The Legislature shall provide 582
sufficient funding for the implementation of this act. 583
SECTION 15. This act shall take effect and be in force from 584
and after July 1, 2026, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2026. 585