Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB3900
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Full Text of SB3900  102nd General Assembly

SB3900 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  

 


 
102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB3900

 

Introduced 1/21/2022, by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
See Index

    Creates the Right to Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education shall offer support: to each public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them using structured literacy instruction; and to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading. Requires the State Board of Education to annually compile and post on its website information on the steps it has undertaken to support school districts to deliver high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction, including a list of any Early Literacy Grant recipients, documentation of how the recipient allocated the funding to support improved literacy, and what evidence-based literacy curricula the recipient is utilizing. Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, requires applicants seeking specified licenses to pass a test in reading foundations, which shall include assessment of the applicant's understanding of phonological and phonemic awareness, concepts of print and the alphabetic principle, the role of phonics in promoting reading development, word analysis skills and strategies, vocabulary development, application of reading comprehension skills and strategies, and methods for assessing reading development. In provisions concerning minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, provides that an applicant who has successfully completed a reading foundations test of at least comparable rigor to the Illinois reading foundations test is not required to complete a reading foundations test. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.


LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT
MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3900LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Right
5to Read Act.
 
6    Section 5. Legislative findings.
7    (a) The General Assembly finds that:
8        (1) the 2019 Illinois Assessment of Readiness found
9    that, among 3rd grade students, just 37% met or exceeded
10    learning standards in English language arts;
11        (2) the 2019 National Assessment of Educational
12    Progress similarly showed that just 35% of fourth grade
13    students in Illinois are proficient or advanced in English
14    language arts;
15        (3) research from the Annie E. Casey Institute found
16    that students who are not proficient readers in 3rd grade
17    are 4 times more likely not to finish high school, while
18    students from low-income families who are non-proficient
19    readers in 3rd grade are more than 6 times more likely not
20    to finish high school;
21        (4) the Literacy Project Foundation estimates that 60%
22    of all prison inmates are illiterate and 85% of juvenile
23    offenders struggle with reading;

 

 

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1        (5) 20 states require elementary teacher candidates to
2    pass a licensure test that is well-grounded in the science
3    of reading and fully measures knowledge in reading
4    foundations for all elementary candidates yet Illinois
5    does not measure the competencies of the science of
6    reading in the current licensure exam;
7        (6) the Simple View of Reading states that reading
8    comprehension is the product of the words one can decode
9    (word recognition) and the language one understands
10    (language comprehension) and word recognition requires an
11    understanding of phonics and phonological awareness, while
12    language comprehension requires an understanding of
13    background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, and
14    verbal reasoning; and
15        (7) strengthening early literacy instruction and
16    supports for students in Illinois will pay dividends in
17    the future, empowering students by providing the skills
18    they will need to graduate, find fulfilling careers, and
19    be productive members of their communities and of our
20    democracy.
21    (b) The General Assembly further finds that:
22        (1) reading is a critical skill that every child must
23    develop early in the child's educational career to be
24    successful;
25        (2) research shows that direct, systematic,
26    cumulative, sequential, and explicit reading instruction

 

 

SB3900- 3 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1    that is focused on the foundational reading skills of
2    phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary
3    development, reading fluency including oral skills, and
4    reading comprehension is highly effective in teaching
5    young children to read; and
6        (3) ensuring that every child has access to
7    high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction
8    implemented using a structured literacy approach is a
9    foundational component of Illinois' public education
10    system and a responsibility shared among federal, State,
11    and local education agencies.
 
12    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
13    "Board" means the State Board of Education.
14    "Cueing" means an instructional strategy in which students
15are encouraged to infer what words say by looking at picture
16clues or guessing or predicting words from repeated text
17patterns or context, rather than encouraging them to decode
18text as the primary method for recognizing a word while
19reading.
20    "Evidence-based practice" refers to methodologies that
21have been shown, through externally-validated research, to
22effectuate positive educational results in a predictable
23manner on a particular population. Evidence-based practices
24meet a higher standard of evidence than research-based
25practices.

 

 

SB3900- 4 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1    "Explicit" refers to a specific, direct, intentional, and
2highly-structured manner of presentation in which topics are
3broken down into small parts and taught individually,
4involving direct demonstration, guidance, and practice.
5    "MTSS" means a multi-tiered system of support, which is an
6educational intervention system, focused on
7continuous-improvement using data-based problem solving and
8decision-making at all levels of the educational system.
9    "Phonemic awareness" means the ability to identify and
10manipulate individual sounds in spoken words.
11    "Phonics" means a method that demonstrates relationships
12between letters or groups of letters of the alphabet
13(graphemes) and sounds of spoken language (phonemes).
14    "Phonological awareness" means the ability to identify and
15manipulate the spoken word parts, including syllables and
16individual sounds.
17    "Reading comprehension" means the ability to decode words
18in printed text and accurately understand and interpret their
19meaning, making connections and drawing conclusions from what
20they read.
21    "Reading fluency" means the ability to read with
22appropriate speed, automaticity, accuracy, and expression.
23    "Research-based practice" refers to methodologies
24suspected to affect a desired change. "Research-based
25practices" represent a lower standard of evidence when
26compared to evidence-based practices.

 

 

SB3900- 5 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1    "Structured literacy" is an approach to reading
2instruction where teachers carefully structure important
3literacy skills, concepts, and the sequence of instruction, to
4facilitate children's literacy learning and progress.
5"Structured literacy" is characterized by the provision of
6systematic, explicit instruction that integrates listening,
7speaking, reading, and writing and emphasizes the structure of
8language across the speech sound system (phonology), the
9writing system (orthography), the structure of sentences
10(syntax), the meaningful parts of words (morphology), the
11relationships among words (semantics), and the organization of
12spoken and written discourse.
13    "Systematic" means an approach to content delivery that
14builds sequentially upon prior learning in a strategic manner,
15that is, building from simple to complex.
 
16    Section 15. Local education provider procedures, plan, and
17training.
18    (a) The Board shall offer support to each public school
19district to select evidence-based core reading instruction
20programs and implement them using structured literacy
21instruction. The curricula shall include phonemic awareness, a
22systematic approach to phonics, explicit spelling instruction,
23vocabulary development, reading fluency including oral skills,
24and reading comprehension. Word recognition strategies shall
25rely on orthographic and phonological processes rather than

 

 

SB3900- 6 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1cueing. The core reading instruction must include connected
2text, such as texts intended to reinforce words with the
3phonetic patterns previously taught in sequence. This support
4shall include:
5        (1) creation of a specific set of criteria that core
6    curricula must meet, as well as a list of evidence-based
7    literacy core curricula based on the given criteria, with
8    dissemination of the list to school districts by February
9    1, 2023; and
10        (2) establishment of a pilot program to award Early
11    Literacy Grants to districts that commit to comprehensive
12    reform of core literacy curriculum and support for
13    teachers implementing instruction of the new material by
14    September 1, 2025. At a minimum, grantees of the program
15    must commit to:
16            (A) comprehensive professional development
17    ensuring that each teacher employed to teach kindergarten
18    or any of grades 1 through 3 and each administrator in an
19    elementary school successfully completes or has
20    successfully completed evidence-based training in teaching
21    reading; and
22            (B) adoption and implementation of core and
23    supplemental reading curricula at each grade level from
24    kindergarten through grade 2 that is designed around
25    teaching the foundational reading skills.
26    (b) The Board shall offer support to each early childhood,

 

 

SB3900- 7 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist,
2literacy coach, and administrator to complete evidence-based
3training in teaching reading. Such training shall focus on
4systematic and explicit instruction in the areas of phonemic
5awareness, phonics, orthography, morphology, vocabulary
6development, reading fluency including oral skills, and
7reading comprehension and include rigorous evaluations of
8learning throughout and at the end of the course. This support
9may include:
10        (1) development of a microcredential in the Science of
11    Reading to be affixed to professional educator licenses
12    upon completion of the required coursework, assessment, or
13    both;
14        (2) creation of an advisory list of rigorous
15    professional development programs related to structured
16    literacy and dissemination of the list to school districts
17    and regional offices of education;
18        (3) evaluation of current, pending, and future
19    professional development providers approved by the Board
20    pursuant to Section xx to ensure that training aligns with
21    evidence-based literacy instruction practices;
22        (4) completion of a review of current professional
23    development mandates required by federal or state law or
24    administrative rules and recommendations of requirements
25    that could be streamlined, eliminated, or modified to
26    accommodate more time for professional development in

 

 

SB3900- 8 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1    literacy; and
2        (5) development of online training modules on
3    evidence-based literacy instruction available statewide to
4    districts and educators free of charge through December
5    31, 2026 and accepted for continuing professional
6    development units.
7    (c) The Board shall annually compile and post on its
8website information on the steps it has undertaken to support
9school districts to deliver high-quality, evidence-based
10literacy instruction, including a list of any Early Literacy
11Grant recipients, documentation of how the recipient allocated
12the funding to support improved literacy, and what
13evidence-based literacy curricula the recipient is utilizing.
 
14    Section 20. The School Code is amended by changing
15Sections 21B-30 and 21B-35 as follows:
 
16    (105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
17    Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing.
18    (a) (Blank).
19    (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
20State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design
21and implement a system of examinations, which shall be
22required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These
23examinations and indicators must be based on national and
24State professional teaching standards, as determined by the

 

 

SB3900- 9 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
2Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of
3Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to
4implement and administer this Section.
5    (c) (Blank).
6    (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a
7paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an
8applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a
9paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the
10endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other
11requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section
1221B-20 other than the higher education requirements.
13    (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be
14required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area
15of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There
16shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall
17be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record
18until he or she has passed the applicable content area test.
19    (d-5) All applicants seeking a State license in the areas
20of early childhood education, early childhood special
21education, elementary education, English language arts, middle
22grades language arts, reading specialist, reading teacher,
23special education, speech language pathologist, and English
24language learner teacher shall be required to pass a test in
25reading foundations, which shall include assessment of the
26applicant's understanding of phonological and phonemic

 

 

SB3900- 10 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1awareness, concepts of print and the alphabetic principle, the
2role of phonics in promoting reading development, word
3analysis skills and strategies, vocabulary development,
4application of reading comprehension skills and strategies,
5and methods for assessing reading development. The reading
6foundations test must also assess applicants' knowledge of
7assessment, differentiation, and intervention with respect to
8each component of reading for English learners, students with
9special needs, and students with advanced skills in some areas
10of reading. There shall be no exception to this requirement.
11No candidate shall be allowed to student teach or serve as the
12teacher of record until he or she has passed the applicable
13content area test
14    (e) (Blank).
15    (f) Except as otherwise provided in this Article,
16beginning on September 1, 2015, all candidates completing
17teacher preparation programs in this State and all candidates
18subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required to pass a
19teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of
20Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
21and Licensure Board. A candidate may not be required to submit
22test materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation,
23an individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is
24employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district
25designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after
26application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a

 

 

SB3900- 11 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher
2performance assessment under this subsection.
3    (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher
4performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to
5time are designated by the State Board of Education, in
6consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
7Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing
8organization or tests designed by the State Board of
9Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
10and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall
11assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The
12tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no
13person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis
14of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to
15the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The
16score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State
17Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator
18Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be
19administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and
20place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in
21consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
22Board.
23    The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess
24the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of
25applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under
26subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this

 

 

SB3900- 12 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1Code in the English language and in the language of the
2transitional bilingual education program requested by the
3applicant.
4    (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the
5provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school
6district subject to Article 34 of this Code.
7    (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the
8testing requirements under this Section shall include without
9limitation provisions governing test selection, test
10validation and determination of a passing score for all tests
11except the reading foundations test, administration of the
12tests, frequency of administration, applicant fees, frequency
13of applicants taking the tests, the years for which a score is
14valid, and appropriate special accommodations. The State Board
15of Education shall develop such rules as may be needed to
16ensure uniformity from year to year in the level of difficulty
17for each form of an assessment. The State Board shall base its
18rules concerning the passing score of the reading foundations
19test upon the results of a formal standard-setting process.
20(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19;
21101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.)
 
22    (105 ILCS 5/21B-35)
23    Sec. 21B-35. Minimum requirements for educators trained in
24other states or countries.
25    (a) Any applicant who has not been entitled by an

 

 

SB3900- 13 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
2institution of higher education applying for a Professional
3Educator License endorsed in a teaching field or school
4support personnel area must meet the following requirements:
5        (1) the applicant must:
6            (A) hold a comparable and valid educator license
7        or certificate, as defined by rule, with similar grade
8        level, reading foundations, and content area
9        credentials from another state, with the State Board
10        of Education having the authority to determine what
11        constitutes similar grade level and content area
12        credentials from another state;
13            (B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally
14        accredited institution of higher education; and
15            (C) (blank); or
16        (2) the applicant must:
17            (A) have completed a state-approved program for
18        the licensure area sought, including coursework
19        concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional
20        child, methods of reading and reading in the content
21        area, and instructional strategies for English
22        learners;
23            (B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally
24        accredited institution of higher education;
25            (C) have successfully met all Illinois examination
26        requirements, except that:

 

 

SB3900- 14 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1                (i) (blank);
2                (ii) an applicant who has successfully
3            completed a test of content, as defined by rules,
4            at the time of initial licensure in another state
5            is not required to complete a test of content; and
6                (iii) an applicant for a teaching endorsement
7            who has successfully completed an evidence-based
8            assessment of teacher effectiveness, as defined by
9            rules, at the time of initial licensure in another
10            state is not required to complete an
11            evidence-based assessment of teacher
12            effectiveness; and
13                (iv) an applicant who has successfully
14            completed a reading foundations test of at least
15            comparable rigor to the Illinois reading
16            foundations test is not required to complete a
17            reading foundations test; and
18            (D) for an applicant for a teaching endorsement,
19        have completed student teaching or an equivalent
20        experience or, for an applicant for a school service
21        personnel endorsement, have completed an internship or
22        an equivalent experience.
23    (b) In order to receive a Professional Educator License
24endorsed in a teaching field or school support personnel area,
25applicants trained in another country must meet all of the
26following requirements:

 

 

SB3900- 15 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1        (1) Have completed a comparable education program in
2    another country.
3        (2) Have had transcripts evaluated by an evaluation
4    service approved by the State Superintendent of Education.
5        (3) Have a degree comparable to a degree from a
6    regionally accredited institution of higher education.
7        (4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards
8    concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional
9    child, methods of reading and reading in the content area,
10    and instructional strategies for English learners.
11        (5) (Blank).
12        (6) (Blank).
13        (7) Have successfully met all State licensure
14    examination requirements. Applicants who have successfully
15    completed a test of content, as defined by rules, at the
16    time of initial licensure in another country shall not be
17    required to complete a test of content. Applicants for a
18    teaching endorsement who have successfully completed an
19    evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness, as
20    defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in
21    another country shall not be required to complete an
22    evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness.
23    Applicants who have successfully completed a reading
24    foundations test of at least comparable rigor to the
25    Illinois reading foundations test shall not be required to
26    complete a reading foundations test.

 

 

SB3900- 16 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1        (8) Have completed student teaching or an equivalent
2    experience.
3        (9) (Blank).
4    (b-5) All applicants who have not been entitled by an
5Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
6institution of higher education and applicants trained in
7another country applying for a Professional Educator License
8endorsed for principal or superintendent must hold a master's
9degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher
10education and hold a comparable and valid educator license or
11certificate with similar grade level and subject matter
12credentials, with the State Board of Education having the
13authority to determine what constitutes similar grade level
14and subject matter credentials from another state, or must
15meet all of the following requirements:
16        (1) Have completed an educator preparation program
17    approved by another state or comparable educator program
18    in another country leading to the receipt of a license or
19    certificate for the Illinois endorsement sought.
20        (2) Have successfully met all State licensure
21    examination requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of
22    this Code. Applicants who have successfully completed a
23    test of content, as defined by rules, at the time of
24    initial licensure in another state or country shall not be
25    required to complete a test of content.
26        (2.5) Have completed an internship, as defined by

 

 

SB3900- 17 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1    rule.
2        (3) (Blank).
3        (4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards
4    concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional
5    child, methods of reading and reading in the content area,
6    and instructional strategies for English learners.
7        (4.5) (Blank).
8        (5) Have completed a master's degree.
9        (6) Have successfully completed teaching, school
10    support, or administrative experience as defined by rule.
11    (b-7) All applicants who have not been entitled by an
12Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
13institution of higher education applying for a Professional
14Educator License endorsed for Director of Special Education
15must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited
16institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and
17valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level
18and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of
19Education having the authority to determine what constitutes
20similar grade level and subject matter credentials from
21another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:
22        (1) Have completed a master's degree.
23        (2) Have 2 years of full-time experience providing
24    special education services.
25        (3) Have successfully completed all examination
26    requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.

 

 

SB3900- 18 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1    Applicants who have successfully completed a test of
2    content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial
3    licensure in another state or country shall not be
4    required to complete a test of content.
5        (4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards
6    concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional
7    child, methods of reading and reading in the content area,
8    and instructional strategies for English learners.
9    (b-10) All applicants who have not been entitled by an
10Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
11institution of higher education applying for a Professional
12Educator License endorsed for chief school business official
13must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited
14institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and
15valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level
16and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of
17Education having the authority to determine what constitutes
18similar grade level and subject matter credentials from
19another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:
20        (1) Have completed a master's degree in school
21    business management, finance, or accounting.
22        (2) Have successfully completed an internship in
23    school business management or have 2 years of experience
24    as a school business administrator.
25        (3) Have successfully met all State examination
26    requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.

 

 

SB3900- 19 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1    Applicants who have successfully completed a test of
2    content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial
3    licensure in another state or country shall not be
4    required to complete a test of content.
5        (4) Have completed modules aligned to standards
6    concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional
7    child, methods of reading and reading in the content area,
8    and instructional strategies for English learners.
9    (c) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
10State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such
11rules as may be necessary to implement this Section.
12(Source: P.A. 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20;
13102-539, eff. 8-20-21.)
 
14    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
15becoming law.

 

 

SB3900- 20 -LRB102 24388 CMG 33622 b

1 INDEX
2 Statutes amended in order of appearance
3    New Act
4    105 ILCS 5/21B-30
5    105 ILCS 5/21B-35