,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #fjea ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #b1 #bjbj,ms4 ,houlahan 7for herself and ,mr4 ,westerman7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor ,a ,,bill ,to authorize a pilot program for dyslexia screening and early literacy intervention using evidence-based services for students suspected of having an early reading deficiency or dyslexia1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,reading ,early and ,addressing ,dyslexia ,act or the ,,read ,act4 #b4 ,findings2 sense of ,congress 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,more than #cj1jjj1jjj adults in the ,united ,states are not able to read or write above a third-grade level4 7#b7 ,of adults in the ,united ,states who live in poverty1 nearly half have low levels of literacy4 7#c7 ,children whose parents have low levels of literacy are more than #gj percent more likely to also have low levels of literacy and are more likely to get poor grades1 display behavioral problems1 have high absentee rates1 repeat school years1 or drop out4 7#d7 ,the #bjai ,national ,assessment of ,educational ,progress #dth ,grade ,reading ,level ,assessment showed the national average reading score for #bjai was lower than #bjag4 7#e7 ,more than #gj percent of ,state prison inmates have low levels of literacy4 7#f7 ,low levels of literacy are connected to over #bcj1jjj1jjj1jjj a year in health care costs in the ,united ,states4 7#g7 ,dyslexia is thought to be the most common neurocognitive disorder1 affecting about #aj percent of children in school4 7#h7 ,in #aiig1 ,congress asked the ,director of the ,national ,institute of ,child ,health and ,human ,development at the ,national ,institutes of ,health1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,education1 to convene a national panel1 the ,national ,reading ,panel1 to assess the status of research-based knowledge1 including the effectiveness of various approaches to teaching children to read4 ,the report1 released in #bjjj1 documented overwhelming evidence that instruction in phonics enhances all students' success in learning to read4 7#i7 ,in #bjad1 in response to the ,pennsylvania ,general ,assembly's passage of ,act #fi of #bjad1 the ,pennsylvania ,department of ,education developed the ,dyslexia ,screening and ,early ,literacy ,intervention ,pilot ,program1 which established a three-year early literacy intervention and dyslexia pilot program using evidence-based screening and then evidence-based instruction and intervention for students found to be at risk for future reading difficulties4 ,such ,program identified students in kindergarten who were deemed at risk for reading difficulties1 including dyslexia1 using screening tests4 7#aj7 ,alabama1 ,arkansas1 ,colorado1 ,connecticut1 ,kansas1 ,louisiana1 ,montana1 ,new ,jersey1 ,oklahoma1 ,rhode ,island1 and ,south ,carolina have all commissioned task forces on early literacy or dyslexia4 7#aa7 ,arkansas1 ,arizona1 ,oregon1 ,ohio1 ,indiana1 ,illinois1 ,massachusetts1 ,montana1 ,nevada1 ,north ,dakota1 ,south ,carolina1 and ,wyoming have put into place protocols and procedures to screen for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of the ,congress that-- 7#a7 it is in the interest of the ,nation to ensure all children in the ,united ,states1 regardless of ability1 disability1 or circumstance1 be afforded a high-quality education that includes the promotion of literacy skills2 and 7#b7 the ,individual with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adjj et seq47 should be robustly funded4 #c4 ,definitions ,for the purposes of the pilot program authorized by this ,act3 7#a7 ,dyslexia ,the term dyslexia means a condition that-- 7,a7 is characterized by difficulty with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities that typically results from a deficit in one or more processes related to the phonological component of language2 7,b7 is often unrelated to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction2 and 7,c7 may result in problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that may impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge4 7#b7 ,comprehensive literacy instruction ,the term comprehensive literacy instruction has the meaning given such term in section #bbba7;b7 of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ffda7;b774 7#c7 ,intensive intervention 7,a7 ,in general ,the term intensive intervention means a structured literacy program that includes explicit1 multisensory1 and systematic phonics instruction and is delivered in the manner proscribed by the developer of the structured literacy program by a teacher trained in such program4 7,b7 ,phonics instruction terms ,with respect to phonics instruction that is part of intensive intervention-- 7i7 the term explicit means instruction in which a teacher clearly explains and models key skills1 with well-chosen examples1 and students are not expected to develop the skills based mainly on exposure and incidental learning opportunities2 7ii7 the term multisensory means instruction that combines listening1 speaking1 reading1 and a tactile or kinesthetic activity2 and 7iii7 the term systematic means instruction that is planned and provided in specific sequence1 with important prerequisite skills taught before more advanced skills1 and with care taken not to introduce skills in a way that is confusing to students4 7#d7 ,local educational agency ,the term local educational agency has the meaning given such term in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 7#f7 ,state educational agency ,the term ,state educational agency has the meaning given such term in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 #d4 ,early ,literacy and ,dyslexia ,intervention ,pilot ,program 7a7 ,authorization ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall establish an ,early ,literacy and ,dyslexia ,intervention ,pilot ,program 7hereinafter referred to as the ,pilot ,program71 in accordance with this ,act1 to award grants to ,state educational agencies to provide evidence-based early screening1 multi-tier support systems1 and comprehensive literacy education1 using evidence-based methods of screening and intensive intervention identified in accordance with subsection 7d71 for students served by the participating local educational agencies in such ,states4 ,the early screening and support systems identified in accordance with subsection 7d7 and carried out under the ,pilot ,program shall screen and support students for potential risk factors for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia1 such as low phonemic awareness1 low letter and symbol naming1 and inability to remember sequences4 7b7 ,grant selection and distribution 7#a7 ,grant selection ,the ,secretary shall award grants under this ,act to #e ,state educational agencies to participate in the ,pilot ,program4 ,the ,secretary shall ensure that the ,state educational agencies awarded grants under this ,act serve geographically1 racially1 and economically diverse student populations4 7#b7 ,grant period ,a grant awarded to a ,state educational agency under this ,act shall be for a period of #c consecutive school years1 and shall be for not more than #ejj1jjj for each school year of the grant period4 7c7 ,participating local educational agencies ,each ,state educational agency awarded a grant under this ,act shall select no fewer than #b local educational agencies in the ,state to participate in the ,pilot ,program under this ,act4 ,to be eligible to be selected as a participating local educational agency1 a local educational agency shall-- 7#a7 have a total enrollment of at least #c1jjj students2 7#b7 provide full-day kindergarten2 and 7#c7 submit an application to the ,state educational agency at such time and containing such information as may be required by the ,secretary and the ,state educational agency4 7d7 ,identification of evidence-,based methods of screening and intensive intervention ,not later than #f months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall1 in consultation with recognized1 expert organizations described in section #e7;a77#a71 ,state educational agencies the ,secretary is consulting with in accordance with section #e7;b71 and the ,state educational agencies selected to participate in the ,pilot ,program1 identify-- 7#a7 one or more intensive interventions for students in kindergarten through grade #c1 which shall include-- 7,a7 phonological awareness and phonemic awareness2 7,b7 sound symbol recognition2 7,c7 alphabet knowledge2 7,d7 decoding skills2 7,e7 encoding skills2 and 7,f7 rapid naming2 and 7#b7 best practices to instruct educators on-- 7,a7 the science of reading2 7,b7 how to execute the intensive interventions identified in accordance with paragraph 7#a72 7,c7 understanding and identifying early reading deficiencies and dyslexia1 including how to execute methods of screening identified in accordance with paragraph 7#c72 and 7,d7 how to execute the intensive intervention identified in accordance with paragraph 7#d72 7#c7 one or more evidence-based methods of screening appropriate for students in kindergarten through grade #c for potential risk factors for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia1 which may include the ,dynamic ,indicators of ,basic ,early ,literacy ,skills tests and phonological and phonemic processing and rapid automatized naming tests2 7#d7 evidence-based intensive intervention for students identified as being at risk for1 suspected of having1 or having early reading deficiencies or dyslexia1 or both2 and 7#e7 a methodology for evaluating the effects of the ,pilot ,program on the students identified as having early reading deficiencies or dyslexia1 or both4 7e7 ,activities ,each ,state educational agency participating in the ,pilot ,program shall ensure that the following activities are carried out using the methods of screening and intensive intervention identified in accordance with subsection 7d73 7#a7 ,provide intensive interventions identified in accordance with subsection 7d77#a7 that develop basic reading skills and incorporate systematic phonics instruction to every student in kindergarten through grade #c who is served by a participating local educational agency in the ,state4 7#b7 ,three times during each school year during the grant period1 including at the beginning of the school year1 during the middle of the school year1 and during the final academic period of the school year1 use evidence-based methods of screening identified in accordance with subsection 7d77#c7 to screen each student in kindergarten through grade #c enrolled in each participating local educational agency in the ,state for low phonemic awareness and other evidence-based risk factors for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia4 7#c7 ,for each student who is suspected of having an early reading deficiency or dyslexia1 or both1 based on the results of a screening conducted in accordance with paragraph 7#b7-- 7,a7 notify the parent or guardian of such student that the student was screened1 the results of the student's screening1 and that the student is eligible to receive reading intervention services as part of the ,pilot ,program2 7,b7 provide to the parent or guardian of such student information about additional screening and services available through the ,pilot ,program1 and information on other resources available through the local educational agency and ,state to parents and students about early reading deficiencies and dyslexia1 and recommended evidence-based resources and interventions2 and 7,c7 in order to provide additional screening1 diagnostic assessments1 or services to the student under the ,pilot ,program1 require consent from the parent or guardian of such student indicating that the parent or guardian voluntarily and knowingly consents to the continued participation of the student in the ,pilot ,program4 7#d7 ,for each student suspected of having an early reading deficiency or dyslexia based on the results of a screening whose parent or guardian has consented to continued participation in the ,pilot ,program-- 7,a7 conduct diagnostic assessments that-- 7i7 are nationally standardized1 norm-referenced screening assessments of phonological awareness1 alphabetic knowledge1 concept of word and grapheme phoneme correspondence2 and 7ii7 are proven to have predictive validity and classification accuracy2 and 7,b7 provide intensive intervention identified in accordance with subsection 7d77#d7 in areas identified by the screening1 diagnostic assessments1 or progress monitoring data collected by intervention teachers1 that includes timely targeted instruction and strategic reteaching of specific unlearned material or concepts until mastery is achieved4 7f7 ,student participation ,participation of a student in the ,pilot ,program1 including participation in screening and receipt of intensive intervention1 shall not at any time preclude a parent or guardian from requesting or receiving an evaluation of such student for special education services1 including during the course of intensive intervention carried out under the ,pilot ,program4 7g7 ,reports to ,secretary ,at the end of each school year of the ,pilot ,program1 each participating ,state educational agency shall report to the ,secretary on the activities of the ,state educational agency1 and each participating local educational agency in the ,state1 carried out under the ,pilot ,program1 including any data and information the ,secretary may require4 #e4 ,consultation 7a7 ,consultation and grantee assistance ,in establishing1 operating1 and evaluating the ,pilot ,program1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 consult with nationally recognized organizations that recognize1 support1 and advocate for science-based literacy instruction1 and specialize in1 and have expertise with1 the scientific basis of dyslexia and intensive intervention2 and 7#b7 provide ,state educational agencies participating in the ,pilot ,program with assistance related to implementation and execution of the ,pilot ,program1 including access to-- 7,a7 technical support mechanisms 7such as training and printed reference materials72 and 7,b7 the ,state educational agencies consulting with the ,secretary in accordance with subsection 7b74 7b7 ,consultation with ,state educational agencies 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall select at least one ,state educational agency with experience implementing and carrying out a program similar to the ,pilot ,program to be carried out by ,state educational agencies under this ,act4 ,the ,secretary shall consult with the selected ,state educational agencies with respect to providing assistance to ,state educational agencies participating in the ,pilot ,program4 ,such assistance may include designated staff assistance1 conferences1 shadowing1 resource building and sharing1 and any other assistance the ,secretary determines to be appropriate4 7#b7 ,selection ,to be qualified to be selected as a ,state educational agency to consult with the ,secretary in accordance with paragraph 7#a71 a ,state educational agency shall-- 7,a7 submit to the ,secretary an application1 at such time and containing such information as the ,secretary may require2 and 7,b7 have implemented1 before the date of enactment of this ,act1 and carried out for not less than one calendar year before such date1 a statewide program that-- 7i7 incorporated evidenced-based reading instruction for all students served by the ,state2 7ii7 identified students at-risk for early reading deficiencies or dyslexia in kindergarten2 7iii7 provided evidenced-based intensive intervention beginning in kindergarten for students identified as at-risk2 7iv7 collected data to study the impact of such program2 and 7v7 used an outside research institution to analyze the data and determine the impact on student outcomes4 7#c7 ,ineligibility for ,pilot ,program ,any ,state educational agency selected to consult with the ,secretary for the purposes of this subsection shall not be eligible for a grant to participate in the ,pilot ,program4 #f4 ,evaluation 7a7 ,evaluation ,not later than one year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall enter into a contract with a nationally recognized educational evaluation institution or organization to provide an evaluation of the ,pilot ,program1 which shall be completed not later than one year after the completion of the third school year of the ,pilot ,program4 ,such evaluation shall review the effectiveness of evidence-based early reading assistance programs for students with risk factors for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia4 7b7 ,publication of results ,the ,secretary shall make available to the public on the website of the ,department of ,education the results of the evaluation carried out under subsection 7a74 #g4 ,report2 ,study2 ,resource sharing 7a7 ,pilot ,program report ,not later than the #cj days after the completion of the evaluation required under section #f1 the ,secretary shall submit a report to ,congress on the outcome of the ,pilot ,program and other related matters4 ,such report shall include-- 7#a7 qualitative and quantitative data on the outcomes of ,state and local educational agencies and students who participated in the ,program2 7#b7 qualitative and quantitative data on the experience of educators who participated in the ,program2 7#c7 a list of the methods of screening used to evaluate students for low phonemic awareness and other evidence-based risk factors for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia1 and how many participating ,state educational agencies1 participating local educational agencies1 and participating schools used each such method2 7#d7 for each school year of the ,pilot ,program1 the number of students in kindergarten through grade #c in each participating ,state educational agency1 participating local educational agency1 and participating school who were-- 7,a7 screened for low phonemic awareness and other evidence-based risk factors for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia2 7,b7 suspected of having an early reading deficiency or dyslexia based on the results of such screening2 and 7,c7 identified as having early reading deficiencies or dyslexia based on a diagnostic assessment2 and 7#e7 any regulatory1 legal1 or resource barriers to continuing and expanding the ,program4 7b7 ,study ,not later than #ahj days after the completion of the evaluation required under section #f1 the ,secretary shall provide to ,congress1 based on the data collected as part of the ,pilot ,program and evaluation carried out under this ,act and any other data available to the ,secretary-- 7#a7 an assessment of-- 7,a7 the impact of practices put in place under the ,pilot ,program1 including the practice of instructing teachers on the science of reading2 7,b7 the value of the inclusion of the science of reading courses for teacher licensing and certification2 and 7,c7 how students perform when taught by teachers who have received instruction on the science of reading2 and 7#b7 based on the data collected as part of the ,program1 whether the ,secretary recommends reconvening the ,national ,reading ,panel4 7c7 ,resource sharing ,not later than ,january #a1 #bjbd1 the ,secretary shall use the report required under subsection 7a7 and the results of the study under subsection 7b7 to create and make available an online platform to provide ,state and local educational agencies with resources to identify and best serve students in kindergarten through grade #c who are identified as being at risk for1 suspected of having1 or having early reading deficiencies or dyslexia1 which shall include-- 7#a7 evidence-based methods of screening designed specifically for students identified as being at risk for1 suspected of having1 or having early reading deficiencies or dyslexia2 7#b7 methods of targeted instruction for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia2 7#c7 guidance on developing instructional plans for students identified as having early reading deficiencies or dyslexia2 7#d7 developmentally appropriate curricula and engaging instructional materials and practices for students identified as having early reading deficiencies or dyslexia2 7#e7 structured multisensory approaches to teach language and reading skills to all students1 including students identified as being at risk for1 suspected of having1 or having early reading deficiencies or dyslexia2 and 7#f7 a list of suggested training programs for teachers on effective reading instruction methods4 #h4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to award grants to ,state educational agencies in accordance with this ,act1 not more than #b1ejj1jjj for each year of the ,pilot ,program4