A. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, the State Department of Education shall establish a three-year pilot program to employ a literacy instructional team to support school districts in implementation of the requirements of Section 1210.508C of this title. The Department shall provide technical assistance for literacy instruction, dyslexia, and related disorders, and serve as a primary source of information and support for schools in addressing the needs of students struggling with literacy, dyslexia, and related disorders. B. The Department shall employ a literacy instructional team with team members who are placed regionally across the state. The literacy instructional teams shall assist general education and special education teachers in recognizing educational needs to improve literacy outcomes for all students including those with dyslexia or identified with the risk characteristics associated with dyslexia. The role of the literacy instructional team shall also include increasing professional awareness and instructional competencies to meet the educational needs of all students including those with dyslexia or identified with risk characteristics associated with dyslexia. The Department shall prioritize supports and interventions including enrollment in reading trainings and professional development for schools which have the highest percentage of students who do not demonstrate sufficient reading skills as established by the State Board of Education. C. Literacy instructional team members employed by the Department shall have training in: 1. The science of how students learn to read including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and language; 2. Foundation of multisensory, explicit, systematic, and structured reading instruction; 3. Identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for struggling students; 4. The requirements of the Strong Readers Act; 5. Special education laws and procedures; and 6. Appropriate interventions, accommodations, and assistive technology supports for students with dyslexia or a related disorder. D. The literacy instructional team members employed by the Department shall report to the Program Director for Literacy at the Department and have: 1. A minimum of five regional literacy leads, at least one who shall be designated by the Department as a dyslexia specialist to provide school districts with support and resources that are necessary to assist students with dyslexia. The Department shall give preference to educators applying for regional literacy lead who: a. have an endorsement or certification as a certified structured literacy dyslexia specialist or certified academic language therapist, b. are knowledgeable of multitiered systems of support, and c. have been trained in the identification of and intervention for dyslexia and related disorders including best practice interventions and treatment models for dyslexia; and 2. A minimum of ten literacy specialists. The Department shall give preference to educators applying for literacy specialist who: a. have training in the science of reading, b. are knowledgeable of multitiered systems of support, and c. have been trained in the identification of and intervention for dyslexia and related disorders including best practice interventions and treatment models for dyslexia. E. The State Department of Education shall electronically submit a report to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by December 31, 2026, that includes an evaluation of the pilot program by school districts, data on whether the program had an impact on increasing the number of students who demonstrate proficiency in reading, and recommendations for changes to the Strong Readers Act.
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