ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Forty-ninth Legislature, Second Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2732
schools; third grade retention
Purpose
Requires the State Board of Education to adopt specific competency requirements for the promotion of third grade pupils and establishes the Task Force on Reading Assessment.
Background
Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) §15-701 details the duties and responsibilities of the State Board of Education (SBE). Among those responsibilities is the requirement for the SBE to prescribe the minimum course of study for common (elementary) schools. The SBE is also charged with prescribing competency requirements for promoting third grade and eight grade students. The competency requirements for third grade promotion must incorporate, at a minimum, the adopted academic standards in reading, writing, math, science and social studies. The statute also directs the SBE to distribute guidelines for school districts to follow in adopting criteria related to the promotion of elementary school students. The guidelines must include recommended procedures for taking into account students’ cultural background in the application of promotion criteria.
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) launched a statewide reading initiative in 2001, AZ READS. AZ READS goal is for every Arizona child to read proficiently by third grade and remain a proficient reader through twelfth grade. As part of the initiative, ADE recommended statutory changes, which resulted in Laws 2002, Chapter 295 establishing reading proficiency requirements for reading programs in for students in kindergarten and grades one through three. Public schools must conduct screening and reading assessments and utilize the data for intervention purposes. Additionally, the legislation required the adoption of scientifically based reading curriculum. Currently, if a third grade student fails to meet the reading standards as measured by the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test the student must receive intensive reading instruction until the standards are met. A public school’s governing body must review its reading program if 25 percent of their students fail to meet the reading standards as measured by the AIMS test (ARS §15-704).
Provisions
Third Grade Promotion
1. Specifies what must be included in the SBE adopted competency requirements for third grade promotion as:
a) a prohibition on the promotion of a student whose AIMS reading score indicates the students is reading far below the third grade level;
b) a mechanism for governing boards to promote a student whose AIMS reading score indicates the students is reading far below the third grade level but meets one of the specified good cause exemptions;
c) intervention and remedial strategies developed by the SBE for students who are not promoted.
2. Stipulates the following good cause exemptions from the competency requirements:
a) student has a disability and did not take AIMS;
b) student has a disability and did take AIMS but has been previously retained;
c) student is an English Language Learner (ELL) or is Limited English Proficient (LEP) and received less than 2 years of English instruction;
d) student has a reading deficiency and has been previously retained; or
e) student demonstrated reading proficiency on an SBE approved alternate assessment.
3. Requires the intervention and remedial strategies developed by the SBE for students who are not promoted to include:
a) requiring the student be assigned to a different teacher for reading instruction;
b) summer school reading instruction;
c) intensive reading instruction in the next academic year occurring before, during, after, (or any combination of the three) the regular school day; or
d) online reading instruction.
4. Directs school district governing boards to offer at least one of the intervention and remedial strategies developed by the SBE.
5. Requires a parent or guardian of a student who is not promoted to choose one of the intervention and remedial strategies for the student.
6. Requires the SBE to provide for universal screening of students in preschool and kindergarten programs and in grade one through three designed to identify students with reading deficiencies.
Task Force on Reading Assessment
7. Establishes the 7-member Task Force on Reading Assessment (Task Force) to be appointed by the SBE and specifies its membership.
8. Directs the Task Force to:
a) examine the experiences and outcomes of other states who require reading tests to promote third grade students;
b) develop methodologies, models and other recommendations for an assessment to measure the reading abilities of students in grades one and two;
c) develop recommendations integrating mid-year promotion; and
d) submit findings and recommendations in a written report to the SBE, Governor, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate and the Secretary of State by February 15, 2011.
9. Specifies the recommended reading assessment must rely on the following concepts:
a) phonics;
b) phonemic awareness;
c) reading comprehension;
d) fluency; and
e) vocabulary
10. Permits the Task Force to use the services and expertise of legislative and staff.
11. Repeals the Task Force on September 15, 2011.
Miscellaneous
12. Makes technical and conforming changes.
13. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
ED 2/22/10 DPA 9-1-0-0
3rd Read 3/24/10 54-0-6-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 29, 2010
SM/tam
