ESSB 5946: Part 1 Learning to Read, Reading to Learn Implementation Discussion WSSDA Annual Conference November 2014

3rd Grade Reading Bill – SB 5946 What is required in Schools in ? ComponentComment/Questions? - Have a “Comprehensive System of Reading” A useful guide for developing or improving a system can be found at: … Screening assessments/tools to identify at-risk readers in K-4 A review of screening tools is available at: charts/screening-tools-chart. What are you currently using? charts/screening-tools-chart … Family involvement/engagement strategies to help students read Have you found any documents/tools that are especially effective? - For students who are not at “grade- level,” teachers must explain to parents the: How should being at “grade-level” be defined? Should it be “on track” to be reading at the end of 3 rd grade? What assessments will work for this? To what extent should teacher judgment be considered? … Intervention strategies that will be used; and See Based on your real world experience, what strategies work especially well? … Strategies for improving reading skills that can be used at home How can principals, OSPI, others help teachers become more knowledgeable about this? What tools/documents and PD would be useful?

3rd Grade Reading Bill – SB 5946 What is required in Schools in ? Continued… ComponentComment/Questions - Beginning in Spring 2015, if a student receives a score of “below-basic” on the 3 rd grade ELA assessment: … the principal/designee, teacher, and parents to meet before the end of the school year to discuss: The testing window for the 3 rd grade assessments will be March 10 through April 15 (paper)/April 23 (online). Results will be returned to the district by the 3 rd week in May, and earlier if online assessments are completed earlier in the testing window. Would it make sense to schedule meetings with the parents of struggling readers even before the results are obtained?. intensive improvement strategies that is to include a summer program or other option identified by the parents, teacher, principal/ designee.. Appropriate grade placement … Parent consent to be obtained regarding grade placement and the strategies to be implemented What intensive improvement strategies would make a difference? Is the district office working on this? What can OSPI and partners do to assist you in planning for this? What should go into the grade placement decision? What does the literature say regarding grade retention? Would it be helpful to have a state-wide policy on this? Perhaps Paula could lead a group???

3rd Grade Reading Bill – SB 5946 What is required in Schools in ? Continued… ComponentComment/Questions - Report cards to include: … How the student is progressing in acquiring reading skills; and Do your current report cards include this information? If not, does your district need some examples? … Whether the student is at “grade-level” in reading. See discussion regarding “grade-level” earlier in the document. - Report on the number of students at “grade-level”.. Schools to report to the district the number of K-4 students who are reading below “grade- level” and the reading interventions that are being provided, with the info disaggregated by subgroups... Districts to compile data, send it to OSPI, and OSPI to submit a report to the Legislature and Educational Opportunity Gap Committee. What will be the best way to collect this data? Will aggregated data at the district-level suffice? At this point, OSPI plans to request this data at the end of each school year.

Key Issues for Further Exploration Definition of “Reading at grade-level” Criteria and process for determining whether a child is “reading at grade-level” Guidance will be needed when OSPI collects the “grade-level” data in spring 2015 What tools, documents, and PD is needed with regard to providing parents information on how to help their children learn to read? What information would be helpful for principals and teachers in the “grade placement” discussions with parents? What are the characteristics of an effective intensive summer program? How should this information be shared?