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26LSO-0287
2026
STATE OF WYOMING
26LSO-0287
Numbered
2.0
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0142
Literacy screening assessment and intervention.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Jarvis, Brown, L, Clouston, Erickson, Posey and Williams and Senator(s) Anderson and Crago
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to literacy screening assessment and intervention; providing requirements for screening assessments, evidence based interventions and evidence based core literacy instruction for specified grade levels; requiring schools and school districts to submit improvement plans; requiring specific skills for literacy proficiency used in data collection; requiring school districts to maintain records; requiring professional development; requiring school districts to employ or consult with persons with literacy endorsements as specified; specifying additional duties for the Wyoming professional teaching standards board; repealing the reading assessment and intervention program; requiring reporting; requiring rulemaking; making conforming amendments; providing definitions; specifying applicability; and providing for effective dates.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1.
W.S. 21
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3
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402 is created to read:
ARTICLE 4
LITERACY SCREENING ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION
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402.
Literacy screening assessment and intervention.
(a)
As used in this section, "reading difficulties" means conditions or patterns that interfere with the development of accurate and fluent word recognition, spelling or comprehension, including but not limited to dyslexia and developmental language disorder, as demonstrated by a student's performance on literacy screening assessments.
(b)
Each school district shall implement literacy screening assessments and multi
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tiered system of support literacy programming that shall include literacy screening assessments, evidence based intervention programming and evidence based core literacy instruction for grades kindergarten through five (5). Each school district shall select and implement literacy screening assessments that use one (1) or more instruments identified by the state superintendent under subsection (g) of this section that identify students at
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risk for reading difficulties. The literacy screening assessments shall be administered three (3) times per year to all students in kindergarten through grade three (3) and students in grades four (4) and five (5) who scored below the proficient standard in English language arts on the statewide assessment administered under W.S. 21
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2
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304(a)(v) during the previous school year.
(c)
As soon as practicable after the applicable literacy screening assessment administration period has concluded under subsection (b) of this section, each school district shall provide a copy of the literacy screening assessments results, including an explanation of the results, to the parent, guardian or other person having control of a student whose composite score on the literacy screening assessments indicates high risk for reading difficulties. Students identified to be at the highest risk level for reading difficulties on literacy screening assessments under this section shall be placed in the most intensive level of the school district's evidence based intervention programming with an individualized reading plan anytime between the middle of the school year in kindergarten through the end of grade five (5), only if the student's parent or guardian provides written consent. If a student's parent or guardian does not provide written consent under this subsection then the student may receive classroom based skill
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specific evidence based literacy instructional supports during intervention or enrichment times. Each school district shall maintain individual reading plan records of all evidence based interventions implemented for each student identified as at
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risk for reading difficulties, including but not limited to, progress monitoring data. Literacy interventions shall not occur during literacy core instructional time. For students under an individualized education plan (IEP) or English language learning plan (ELP) that addresses reading difficulties, the IEP or ELP shall be deemed sufficient to meet the requirements of this subsection and no additional documentation shall be required.
(d)
Each school district shall implement multi
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tiered evidence based intervention programming that shall provide skill
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specific evidence based interventions for students identified by the literacy screening assessments or additional literacy diagnostic assessments as at
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risk for reading difficulties.
(e)
Each school district shall implement evidence based core literacy instruction to all students. The evidence based core literacy instruction implemented under this subsection shall include instructional opportunities for:
(i)
Grades kindergarten through three (3) in phonological or phonemic awareness;
(ii)
Grades kindergarten through five (5) in:
(A)
Decoding and encoding;
(B)
Reading comprehension;
(C)
Language comprehension, including vocabulary; and
(D)
Written expression.
(iii)
Grades one (1) through five (5) in oral reading fluency.
(f)
Not later than June 30, 2026 and each June 30 thereafter, each school district shall annually report to the department of education on the progress of each of its schools toward achieving the goal of eighty percent (80%) of all students in grades kindergarten through three (3) scoring low risk for reading difficulties as determined by the end of the school year literacy screening assessments. This report shall also include grade level data for kindergarten through grade five (5) for those students identified as high risk for reading difficulties by the literacy screening assessments. The report shall include a list of the evidence based core literacy instruction and intervention programming resources implemented in each grade level. Each school not meeting the eighty percent (80%) goal specified under this subsection or not showing improvement the past three (3) years toward meeting the eighty percent (80%) goal shall submit an improvement plan to the school district, and the school district shall submit an overall improvement plan for that school to the department not later than November 15, 2026 and each November 15 thereafter. At a minimum, each school district improvement plan for each school not meeting the eighty percent (80%) goal shall outline its evidence based strategies for increasing literacy proficiency for the next school year and shall specifically address the changes in evidence based instruction, intervention or professional development. Each school district that is required to submit a school improvement plan to the department under this subsection may combine any literacy requirements under this subsection with the improvement plan submitted under W.S. 21
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204(h)(v).
(g)
The state superintendent, in consultation with Wyoming school districts, professionals in the area of literacy and administration and other stakeholders, shall promulgate rules to assist school districts in the selection of literacy screening assessments to assess the skills in paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this subsection. Based on the criteria incorporated by rule, the state superintendent shall identify literacy screening assessment instruments and recommended diagnostic assessments that are approved for use by school districts to provide data that informs identification and intervention of students at
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risk for reading difficulties as required under subsection (b) of this section. The rules shall provide mechanisms for the state superintendent to support schools and school districts in meeting the goals of school improvement plans developed pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. The rules shall establish procedures for the state superintendent to impose corrective action on any school district that for three (3) consecutive years after being placed on a school improvement plan has failed to show improvement toward meeting the eighty percent (80%) goal of all students scoring low risk for reading difficulties pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. To accomplish the purposes of this subsection, the department of education shall collect kindergarten through grade five (5) statewide longitudinal data from literacy screening assessments selected and performed by each school district, which measures the risk levels in the following areas of literacy in:
(i)
Grades kindergarten through five (5) in:
(A)
Decoding and encoding;
(B)
Oral reading fluency;
(C)
Reading comprehension; and
(D)
Language comprehension, including vocabulary.
(ii)
Grades kindergarten through two (2) in phonological or phonemic awareness.
(h)
Commencing with school year 2026
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2027, each school district shall require each district employee who holds an elementary education endorsement, an early childhood education endorsement, an exceptional generalist endorsement or exceptional specialist endorsement, who provides instruction in grades kindergarten through five (5) within the district and who does not hold a Wyoming structured literacy certificate endorsement, dyslexia specialist endorsement or a reading endorsement to receive not less than fourteen (14) hours of professional development annually in evidence based literacy instruction, intervention and assessment until the district employee obtains a Wyoming structured literacy certificate endorsement, a dyslexia specialist endorsement or a reading endorsement. Commencing with school year 2026
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2027 and every three (3) years thereafter, each school district shall require each school district employee that provides or supports instruction in grades kindergarten through five (5) within the district or who holds a Wyoming structured literacy certificate endorsement, a dyslexia specialist endorsement or a reading endorsement to receive not less than three and one
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half (3.5) hours of professional development in evidence based literacy instruction. The rules required under subsection (g) of this section shall contain criteria recommendations identifying appropriate and suitable professional development for district employees in evidence based literacy instruction.
(j)
Commencing with school year 2029
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2030, each school district shall employ or consult with not less than one (1) person who holds a Wyoming structured literacy certificate endorsement, a dyslexia specialist endorsement or a reading endorsement to support school district literacy professional development.
Section 2
.
W.S. 21
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2
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802(a) by creating a new paragraph (iv) and 21
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3
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110(a)(xxiii) are amended to read:
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802.
Powers and duties; teacher certification; suspension and revocation; certification fees; disposition of collected fees; required data submissions to department of education.
(a)
The board shall promulgate rules and regulations:
(iv)
Not later than school year 2027
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2028, establish a structured literacy certificate endorsement and a dyslexia specialist endorsement for grades kindergarten through twelve (12).
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110.
Duties of boards of trustees.
(a)
The board of trustees in each school district shall:
(xxiii)
Implement and administer
the reading
literacy
screening
assessment
and
intervention program
multi
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tiered system of support literacy programming
for students in kindergarten through grade
three (3)
five (5)
as required by W.S.
21
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3
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401
21
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402
;
Section 3.
W.S. 21
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3
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401 is repealed.
Section 4.
This act shall apply to school year 2026
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2027 and each school year thereafter.
Section 5
.
The department of education and the Wyoming professional teaching standards board shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.
Section 6
.
(a)
Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2026.
(b)
Sections 5 and 6 of this act are effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
(END)
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HB0142