A. The Legislature finds that it is essential for children in the public schools to read early and well in elementary school. The Legislature further finds that clear and visible goals, assessments to determine the reading level at each elementary school, use of a scientifically based and researched methodology in reading instruction in addition to regular and periodic measurements of elementary school reading improvement, and accountability in each level of the educational system will result in a significant increase in the number of children reading at or above grade level. B. The purpose of the Strong Readers Act is to ensure that progression from one grade to another is determined, in part, upon proficiency in reading, that school district board of education policies facilitate reading instruction and intervention services to address student reading needs, and that each student and his or her parent or legal guardian be informed of that student’s reading progress. C. Each public school district in this state shall ensure that all students receive a well-rounded education that is focused on building deep foundations in reading, writing, and mathematics. The State Board of Education shall encourage school districts to integrate the teaching of the other curricular areas in the subject matter standards adopted by the Board with the instruction of reading, writing, and mathematics. All teachers of reading in the public schools in this state in kindergarten through third grade shall incorporate into instruction the five elements of reading instruction which are phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. D. It is the intent of the Legislature that beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, school districts and charter schools in this state shall be prohibited from using the three-cueing system model of teaching students to read. For the purposes of this section, the “three-cueing system” means any model of teaching students to read based on meaning, structure, syntax, and visual cues, which may also be known as meaning, structure, and visual (MSV), balanced literacy, or whole language. Added by Laws 1997, c. 349, § 2, eff. July 1, 1997. Amended by Laws 2001, c. 421, § 1, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2004, c. 197, § 1, eff. July 1, 2004; Laws 2005, c. 431, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2005; Laws 2006, c. 16, § 78, emerg. eff. March 29, 2006; Laws 2006, c. 146, § 1, emerg. eff. May 12, 2006; Laws 2009, c. 456, § 9, eff. July 1, 2009; Laws 2011, c. 100, § 1; Laws 2014, c. 430, § 9, emerg. eff. June 5, 2014; Laws 2016, c. 360, § 6, eff. July 1, 2016; Laws 2019, c. 289, § 1, eff. July 1, 2019; Laws 2024, c. 411, § 4, eff. July 1, 2024.
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