Ariz. Admin. Code § 7-2-318

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 49, December 6, 2024

Section R7-2-318 - K through Three Reading Program

A. In this Section, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. "Intensive reading instruction" is a proactive instructional approach used to reduce the likelihood of future reading problems by addressing severe and persistent difficulties with learning to read through the use of evidence-based instruction in smaller-group settings, increased instructional time, and increased intensity that is aligned to individual student needs or deficiencies and is driven by ongoing student performance data from a valid assessment tool.

2. "Interventions" are instructional supports provided to students with the purpose of preventing and remediating reading difficulties. These supports are organized in tiers which provide increasing instructional intensity and support with each level.

3. "Motivational assessments" are measures of motivation or attitudes toward reading and produce information to monitor student progress.

4. "Prevention" is instructional support provided to students before students have experienced failure in learning to read.

5. "Remediation" is instructional support provided to students after a student has experienced significant and persistent difficulties in learning to read.

6. "Universal screeners" are very brief measures based on established standardized benchmarks or performance targets developed through extensive research designed to improve accuracy of identifying students who will likely need additional support for meeting grade level reading standards.

B. Prior to the release of monies generated by the K through three reading support level weight, each school district or charter school shall submit to the Department on or before October 1, a comprehensive local education agency K through three reading program plan, using the format prescribed by the Department.

C. Pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 15-211, 15-701 and 15-704, the K through three reading program plan submission shall contain the following components for pupils in half-day and full-day kindergarten programs and grades one through three:

1. School literacy contacts, literacy team members and master K-3 school schedules, to include all subject areas, with a clear emphasis on literacy instruction and displaying all levels of reading support;

2. A list of the staff who reviewed and approved the individual school K through three reading program plan, including special education directors/staff and staff directly involved with reading instruction;

3. Program expenditures for the prior school year and a budget for the current school year regarding the monies used only on instructional purposes intended to improve reading proficiency from the K through three support level weight and the K through three reading support level weight;

4. An analysis of the effectiveness of the local education agency's K through three reading program for the previous school year and plans for improvement for the current school year, including the specific strategies being employed to support populations currently eligible for exemption from retention, such as struggling readers, English language learners, and students with disabilities;

5. Core reading programs which teach the essential components of reading instruction including explicit and systematic phonics pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-704(H)(1), with a description of the frequency and duration of the instruction;

6. Date of last K through three reading curriculum review for standards alignment;

7. Tier II and Tier III intensive reading intervention programs including reading programs used for students with disabilities (separate from specially designed instruction outlined within a child with a disability's individualized education program), including frequency and duration;

8. A sample template of a parental notification letter;

9. Evidence-based intervention and remedial services provided to students,

10. Evidence of ongoing teacher training based on evidence-based reading research; and

11. Assurance that all parts of the assessment system are accessible to all students as required by federal law.

D. The local education agency shall submit universal screening data by October 1, winter data by February 1 and spring data by June 1 for pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one through three. Beginning with school year 2025-2026, reported data to the Arizona Department of Education will include third grade statewide ELA exam data disaggregated by subgroups.

1. Student counts of subgroups that are less than 11 are to be reviewed by the LEA, but are to be redacted for reporting purposes by the Arizona Department of Education.

2. Subgroups:

a. All,

b. English Learners,

c. American Indian or Alaska Native,

d. Asian,

e. African American/Black,

f. Hispanic or Latino,

g. Multiple Races,

h. Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander,

i. White,

j. Income Eligibility 1 and 2, and

k. Students with Disabilities.

E. Each school district or charter school governing body shall submit data for the prior school year on the total number of pupils that were subject to retention, the total number that were promoted, the total number actually retained and the interventions administered pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-701 to the Department no later than October 1 and prior to the release of monies generated by the K through three reading support level weight.

F. The State Board [p]rescribes competency requirements for the promotion of pupils from the eighth grade and competency requirements for the promotion of pupils from the third grade incorporating the academic standards in at least the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. The competency requirements for the promotion of pupils from the third grade include the following:

1. A pupil shall not be promoted from the third grade if the pupil obtains a score on the reading portion of the statewide assessment that does not demonstrate sufficient reading skills as established by the state board. A pupil may not be retained pursuant to this subsection if data regarding the pupil's performance on the statewide assessment is not available before the end of the current academic year and may not be retained due to Move On When Reading more than once. A pupil who is not retained due to the unavailability of test data must receive evidence-based intervention and remedial strategies pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-701(A)(2)(c) if the third-grade assessment data subsequently does not demonstrate sufficient reading skills.

a. Each school district shall continue to provide targeted reading interventions and supports for students who are promoted to fourth grade due to one of the good-cause exemptions. As an example, implementing the following evidence-based practices:

i. Placement with a highly-effective teacher, as determined by teacher evaluations;

ii. Use of a valid literacy assessment to determine specific areas of struggle with reading;

iii. High-dose tutoring targeted to the specific areas of struggle, including:

(1) Continued development of phonological awareness skills;

(2) Continued development of decoding skills;

(3) Continued development of fluency skills;

iv. Use of a valid and reliable literacy assessment for regular progress monitoring;

v. Regular communication with the parents/guardians of students receiving supports to detail the reports received at school and specific strategies that parents can use to support students in the home.

b. Each school district or charter school governing body shall use a valid and reliable literacy assessment to collect and provide updated data on the progress of students who are promoted to fourth grade due to one of the good-cause exemptions.

2. A school district governing board or the governing body of a charter school may promote a pupil from the third grade who does not demonstrate sufficient reading skills pursuant to R7-2-318(F)(1) of this section if the pupil:

a. Is an English learner or a limited English proficient student as defined in A.R.S. § 15-751 and has had fewer than three years of English language instruction.

b. Is in the process of a special education referral or evaluation for placement in special education, has been diagnosed as having a significant reading impairment, including dyslexia, or is a child with a disability as defined in A.R.S. § 15-761 if the pupil's individualized education program team and the pupil's parent or guardian agree that promotion is appropriate based on the pupil's individualized education program.

c. Has demonstrated or subsequently demonstrates sufficient reading skills or adequate progress toward sufficient reading skills of the third grade reading standards as evidenced through a collection of valid and reliable reading assessments approved by the State Board of Education, which includes an alternative standardized reading assessment approved by the state board. The approved alternative standardized reading assessment shall be a re-administration of the statewide third-grade English language arts exam, which shall be administered by the Arizona Department of Education, and shall use the same State Board approved K-3 Reading (Move On When Reading) cut score.

d. Receives intervention and remedial services during the summer or a subsequent school year pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-701(A)(2)(c) and demonstrates sufficient progress based on guidelines issued in A.R.S. § 15-701(B)(7). Sufficient progress toward reading may be demonstrated by meeting the State Board of Education approved cut score for the K-3 Reading Program (Move On When Reading) on a readministration of the statewide third-grade English language arts exam as administered by the Arizona Department of Education.

G. On or before December 15, the Department of Education shall submit an annual report on the K-3 reading program to the governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and shall provide a copy of this annual report to the Secretary of State, the State Board of Education and the chairpersons of the education committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The report shall contain all of the following:

1. Information on the improvement of K-3 reading in this state, including achievement data statewide and achievement data at the school district and charter school level. The information pursuant to this paragraph shall include data and information on continued proficiency on the statewide assessment in subsequent grades.

2. A description of the activities of the department to support school districts and charter schools in improving K-3 reading.

3. Specific findings on methods by which the department may continue to improve support and assistance for school districts and charter schools in the administration of K-3 reading program plans.

4. Information and data on K-3 reading program plans throughout this state and the expenditure of K-3 reading monies by school districts and charter schools.

5. Information on the progress towards reading at grade level of students who were promoted in the previous year due to a good cause exemption, including strategies used to support these students and the progress they have made towards grade-level reading.

a. Example Strategies:

i. Placement with a highly-effective teacher, as determined by teacher evaluations;

ii. Use of a valid literacy assessment to determine specific areas of struggle with reading;

iii. High-dose tutoring targeted to the specific areas of struggle, including;

(1) Continued development of phonological awareness skills;

(2) Continued development of decoding skills;

(3) Continued development of fluency skills;

iv. Use of a valid literacy assessment for regular progress monitoring;

b. Data reported pursuant to A.R.S. § section 15-701(A)(2)(d).

c. Beginning with school year 2025/2026, the Arizona Department of Education shall disaggregate and report the data submitted by local education agencies by subgroup by grade level for each of the three data submission windows.

6. Student counts of subgroups that are less than 11 are to be redacted for reporting purposes.

a. Subgroups:

i. All,

ii. English Learners,

iii. American Indian or Alaska Native,

iv. Asian,

v. African American/Black,

vi. Hispanic or Latino,

vii. Multiple Races,

viii. Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander,

ix. White,

x. Income Eligibility 1 and 2,

xi. Students with Disabilities;

b. Subgroups:

i. Autism,

ii. Developmental delay,

iii. Emotional disability,

iv. Hearing impairment,

v. Other health impairment,

vi. Specific learning disability,

vii. Mild, moderate, or severe intellectual disability,

viii. Multiple disabilities,

ix. Multiple disabilities with severe sensory impairment,

x. Orthopedic impairment,

xi. Preschool severe delay,

xii. Speech/language impairment,

xiii. Traumatic brain injury,

xiv. Visual impairment.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R7-2-318

New Section made by exempt rulemaking at 23 A.A.R. 1637, effective 5/22/2017. The hyphen between "K-3" and the numeral "3" have been corrected to the words "through three" for consistency in Chapter style and format (Supp. 21-2). Amended by final exempt rulemaking at 29 A.A.R. 2532, effective 9/25/2023.