HF4984

Purpose

• To change how students’ academic growth is measured and reported in state assessments.
• To strengthen early literacy screening, identify dyslexia characteristics, and ensure targeted reading instruction.
• To expand how assessment data is collected, shared with families, and used to improve instruction and programs.
• To require more detailed, disaggregated data about student performance and to encourage a unified, growth-focused accountability approach.

Key provisions and what they aim to accomplish

• Literacy screening for K–3
  • Schools must universally screen every student in kindergarten through third grade three times per year: within the first six weeks, by February 15, and in the last six weeks of the school year, using an approved tool.
  • Screens must assess foundational reading skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, oral language) and characteristics of dyslexia. Screening for dyslexia can be combined with other reading screens.
  • Students in multilingual programs must be screened in both the student’s languages when possible; if a partner-language screener isn’t available, districts must explain how reading proficiency is assessed and how targeted instruction will be provided in the partner language.
  • Students in grades 4 and up who are not reading at grade level must be screened for reading difficulties and continue with evidence-based instruction and progress monitoring until they reach grade-level proficiency. Parents may opt out in limited cases with teacher input, but progress monitoring continues.
• Data reporting for early literacy
  • Districts must include results in their annual local literacy plan due June 15, including the number of students reading at grade level and those showing typical or above-typical progress.
  • The plan must describe efforts to screen for dyslexia and provide targeted interventions and supports, including for multilingual learners.
  • Districts must report summary screening results to the commissioner and provide strategies for interventions if Dyslexia is identified.
  • Districts are encouraged to use a MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) framework for literacy support.
• Dual language immersion specifics
  • If a program screens in the partner language, the same intervals apply; screening may be in English if English instruction is provided; or in the partner language if instruction occurs there.
  • If no screener exists in the partner language, districts must show how they assess reading proficiency and provide necessary supports in the partner language.
• Comprehensive assessment system and reporting
  • The commissioner, with expert input, must include state-developed tests in the comprehensive assessment system. Tests in non-writing subjects must include multiple-choice items.
  • State assessment reporting must be timely, useful, and understandable; include a growth indicator; and determine if students meet state standards.
  • For annual computer-adaptive assessments, student performance data and progress reports should be available within three school days of testing (except in years with new performance standards).
  • Growth information must be calculated across assessments for each student and across grade levels to help teachers, parents, and administrators plan instruction.
  • The commissioner must provide publicly accessible dashboards and allow districts to import data into their learning management and information systems.
  • Districts must provide parents access to their child’s performance data by email or mail by August 15 each year.
• Language proficiency and reporting
  • The state must develop measures to improve language proficiency assessment and monitor English learners’ progress, including development of outcomes for the child’s native language when used in instruction.
  • Data on English learners and other student categories should be disaggregated in reports, including race/ethnicity, English learner status, foster care involvement, free/reduced-price meals, and other categories identified under the federal ESEA (with some limits on small sample sizes to protect privacy).
• Graduation and readiness measures
  • The state must report core measures on graduates’ readiness for college and careers, including completion of college-prep coursework and participation in rigorous coursework or professional certifications.
  • Data must be disaggregated by student categories and reported in annual summaries, including graduation rates (four- and six-year) and how programs help at-risk students stay on track or recover after setbacks.
• Safety, engagement, and other accountability data
  • Beginning in 2014 (and updated in later years), the state will report on school safety and student engagement, and identify reliable indicators for these areas. This data is to be used for district-level improvement and not for evaluating individual teachers.
• Privacy and parental information
  • Districts must inform parents that providing certain student-category data is optional and will not violate student privacy, and must explain why the data is being collected.

Significant changes to existing law

• Expands and standardizes universal literacy screening in grades K–3, with explicit timelines and dyslexia-focused measures.
• Adds dual language immersion provisions requiring careful consideration of partner-language screening and instruction.
• Reframes assessment reporting to emphasize growth, timeliness, and data usability for teachers and families; requires data dashboards and compatibility with district information systems.
• Introduces a comprehensive, state-developed assessment component and prescribes how tests should be structured (including multiple-choice items in most subjects).
• Strengthens data disaggregation rules to include detailed race/ethnicity categories and English learner status, while balancing privacy protections.
• Formalizes a growth-based accountability framework with explicit targets and the ability to compare growth across students, schools, and districts.
• Expands the use and reporting of graduation readiness measures, including access to college-level and industry-recognition coursework.
• Encourages the use of a MTSS framework and emphasizes targeted interventions for students with dyslexia or reading difficulties.

Potential impacts and considerations

• Increased data collection and reporting requirements for districts and the Department of Education.
• Greater emphasis on early literacy and dyslexia identification, potentially leading to earlier and more targeted interventions.
• More detailed and transparent data available to families, with online dashboards and timely access to child-specific reports.
• Privacy considerations around sensitive student data, especially when disaggregating by many demographic categories; districts must comply with privacy protections and determine when data is too small to publish.
• Schools may need to adjust timelines and MTSS implementation to align with new reporting deadlines and screening schedules.

Relevant Terms - universal screening, foundational reading skills, dyslexia, phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, oral language - multilingual learners, dual language immersion, partner language, screening tool - progress monitoring, MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) - local literacy plan, annual June 15 reporting, August 15 parent reports - comprehensive assessment system, state-developed tests, computer-adaptive assessments - growth indicator, student growth, vertical alignment, measurement scale - race/ethnicity categories, ESEA categories, English learners, Karen community, Asian and Pacific Islander groups, Native groups, Hispanic/Latino groups, Black/African heritage - four- and six-year graduation rates, career and college readiness, rigorous coursework, AP/IB, industry certificates - language development outcomes, native language development, language proficiency measures - data dashboards, LMS compatibility, student information systems, data privacy, nonpublic data - local literacy plan submission, dyslexia characteristics, targeted reading instruction

Relevant Terms (plain list) - universal screening - foundational reading skills - dyslexia - phonemic awareness - phonics - decoding - fluency - oral language - multilingual learners - dual language immersion - partner language - progress monitoring - MTSS - local literacy plan - state-developed tests - computer-adaptive assessments - growth indicator - student growth - race and ethnicity categories - English learners - Karen community - graduation rates - college and career readiness - rigorous coursework - language development outcomes - dashboards - data privacy