Reading assessment and intervention amendments.

25LSO-0094

ORIGINAL Senate

ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0013

ENROLLED ACT NO. 9,

SENATE

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 General Session

AN ACT relating to reading assessment and intervention; eliminating the permissive use of group reading plans in individualized reading plans; modifying the requirements for school and district improvement plans; amending requirements for screening students for signs of reading difficulties; amending requirements for individualized reading plans; amending school district reporting requirements; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 21
‑
3
‑
401(a) through (c) is amended to read:

21
‑
3
‑
401.

Reading assessment and intervention.

(a)

Each school district shall select and implement a reading assessment and intervention program that uses
an instrument
one (1) or more instruments
identified by the state superintendent under subsection (d) of this section that screens for signs of reading difficulties, including but not limited to dyslexia or other reading deficiencies, not less than three (3) times per year in kindergarten through grade three (3) and that implements with fidelity an evidence based intervention program
for students at
‑
risk for reading failure
.

The program shall include instruments identified by the state superintendent under subsection (d) of this section that monitor and measure reading progress and assess student reading skills and progress to provide data that informs any intervention. The assessment and intervention program shall be administered to all students in kindergarten through grade three (3). The program shall also include implementation of evidence based core curricula aligned to the uniform content and performance standards and evidenced based interventions to meet the needs of all students. The program shall be multi
‑
tiered and shall include evidence based interventions to facilitate
skill
‑
specific
remediation of any reading difficulty as early as possible.

(b)

As soon as practicable after the
assessment or
screening is conducted under the program established in subsection (a) of this section, each school district shall provide a copy of the screening results, including an explanation of the screening results, to the parent, guardian or other person having control of a student showing signs of reading difficulties, including but not limited to dyslexia or other reading deficiencies, or not showing appropriate reading competence under this section. Students
not showing appropriate reading competence
found to be high
‑
risk for reading failure
under this section shall be placed on an individualized reading plan
anytime between the middle of the school year in kindergarten through the end of grade three (3)
to remedy the reading related difficulty utilizing an appropriate evidence based intervention program
, which may include a group reading plan

that does not occur during literacy core instructional time
. For students under an individualized education program (IEP) which addresses reading difficulties, the IEP shall be deemed sufficient to meet the requirements of this subsection and no additional plan shall be required.

(c)

Each district shall annually report to the department of education on the progress of each of its schools toward achieving the goal of eighty
‑
five percent (85%) of all students reading at grade level upon completion of the third grade. This report shall include cohort analysis for kindergarten through grade three (3) for those students identified by the screening instruments as having signs of reading difficulties, including but not limited to dyslexia or other reading deficiencies. The report shall include the percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency levels for the annual reporting period.

The reporting shall also include the aggregate number of students identified by the screening instruments as having signs of reading difficulties, including but not limited to dyslexia or other reading deficiencies, in addition to listing the evidence based
core literacy curricula and
interventions implemented in each district by grade. This report shall include kindergarten through grade three (3) progress toward achieving the goal of eighty
‑
five percent (85%) proficiency in the specific skills known to be predictive of grade three (3) reading proficiency and that are listed in subsection (d) of this section.
This report shall also include g
rade three (3) reading proficiency
shall be
determined by the grade three (3) statewide assessment administered pursuant to W.S. 21
‑
2
‑
304(a)(v). Each school not meeting the eighty
‑
five percent (85%) goal specified under this subsection shall submit an improvement plan to the school district, and the school district shall submit an overall improvement plan to the department. At a minimum, each school and district improvement plan shall outline its general strategy for increasing reading proficiency for the next school year and shall specifically address the evidence based program of instruction, assessment and intervention being implemented
,

and
the specific training in those programs that reading teachers have received
.
, the student
‑
teacher ratio, the use of certified tutors and the use of instructional facilitators and paraprofessionals in kindergarten through grade three (3) trained in the delivery of the evidence based instruction and intervention program selected by the district.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2025
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

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