15-217. K-6 technology-based language development and literacy intervention pilot program; educational technology provider; review; reports; fund
(Rpld. 1/1/18)
A. The state board of education shall develop a two-year pilot program for K-6 technology-based language development and literacy intervention. The state board shall develop application procedures and selection criteria for school districts and charter schools that voluntarily decide to participate in the pilot program.
B. The state board shall submit a request for proposals to educational technology providers for the delivery of technology-based language development and literacy intervention software to be made available to all pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one through six who are enrolled in schools that participate in the pilot program and who are identified as english language learners.
C. The state board shall establish the format of the applications, application procedures and selection criteria for educational technology providers that wish to submit a proposal for the delivery of K-6 technology-based language development and literacy intervention software to be used in the pilot program. The state board shall select and award a contract to one educational technology provider to deliver K-6 technology-based language development and literacy intervention software pursuant to this section. The state board shall distribute monies appropriated for this purpose to the selected provider.
D. The K-6 technology-based language development and literacy intervention software for English language learners must differentiate instruction for each pupil and meet all of the following requirements:
1. Include instruction individualized to teach each pupil the following five strands of literacy:
(a) Phonics.
(b) Phonemic awareness.
(c) Vocabulary.
(d) Comprehension.
(e) Fluency.
2. Have components that are created for and aligned to state academic standards. The software must correlate to the Arizona English language proficiency standards.
3. Contain internal assessments, checkpoints, tracking and reports for teachers, administrators and parents.
4. Be used to address varied learner needs and to assist teachers in tracking pupil growth toward important curricular goals. The software must have tools and off-line resources that enable teachers to more effectively meet the individual needs of each pupil.
5. Provide immediate feedback to pupils and provide automatic remediation when needed. The software must provide scaffolding through illustrations, front-loaded vocabulary, audio support, interactive glossary words, instructional feedback, strategic questions and adaptive content that provides extra practice as needed.
6. Include grade-appropriate digital books with literature text and informational text. Pupils must be able to practice reading on the computer by recording readings and comparing those readings to the reading model.
7. Provide implicit and explicit instruction. The software must teach the core areas of listening and reading comprehension, including intertextual comprehension.
8. Teach pupils academic vocabulary using real and virtual experience and visuals to introduce vocabulary. The vocabulary must be related to core content areas and provide additional language development activities for those pupils requiring this assistance.
9. Teach basic interpersonal communicative skills and cognitive academic language proficiency and assess a pupil's understanding of each.
E. The educational technology provider selected pursuant to subsection C of this section must have experience with large statewide implementations and the ability to support a statewide level of implementation. The provider must submit evidence of pupil progress on an annual basis.
F. The joint legislative budget committee shall annually review the results of the delivery of K-6 technology-based language development and literacy intervention for English language learners through software provided pursuant to this section.
G. On or before September 15, 2015, the state board of education shall submit a progress report on the pilot program to the joint legislative budget committee. On or before September 15, 2016, the state board shall submit a report to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives regarding the pilot program and delivery of K-6 technology-based language development and literacy intervention for english language learners through software provided pursuant to this section. The report must include a recommendation of whether the legislature should consider expanding the pilot program as a permanent statewide program and information on the number of school districts, charter schools and pupils who participated in the intervention. The state board shall submit a copy of this report to the secretary of state.
H. The technology-based language development and literacy intervention fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations and monies transferred into the fund. The department of education shall administer the fund. Monies in the fund are subject to legislative appropriation. Monies in the fund must be used for the K-6 technology-based language development and literacy intervention pilot program established pursuant to this section. Monies in the fund are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations.
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