(a) The State Superintendent of Education shall convene a standing task force by December 1, 2019, to provide recommendations for comprehensive core reading and reading intervention programs, a state continuum of teacher development for approved science of reading pursuant to subsection (e) of Section 16-6G-6, and an annual list of vetted and approved assessments that are valid and reliable reading screening, formative, and diagnostic assessment systems for selection and use by local education agencies. The task force shall meet in regular session at least twice a year. All appointing authorities shall coordinate their appointments so that diversity of gender, race, and geographical areas is reflective of the makeup of this state. The membership of the task force shall include all of the following appointees, each of whom shall have at least three years of experience with scientifically based reading instruction:
(1) Two public K-12 teachers appointed by the Executive Director of the Alabama Education Association.
(2) One public K-12 special education teacher appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
(3) Three Certified Academic Dyslexia Therapists, who have been certified for a minimum of three years, appointed by the Alabama Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.
(4) Two public school principals appointed by the Executive Director of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools.
(5) One local superintendent of education appointed by the Executive Director of the School Superintendents of Alabama.
(6) One local board of education member appointed by the Alabama Association of School Boards.
(7) One Regional Education Lab member appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
(8) One early childhood educator appointed by the Secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education.
(9) One dean of a college of education appointed by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
(b) Each approved assessment system shall do all of the following:
(1) Provide screening and diagnostic capabilities for monitoring student progress.
(2) Measure, at a minimum, phonological awareness, the alphabetic principle, decoding, encoding, accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension.
(3) Identify students who have a reading deficiency, including identifying students with characteristics of dyslexia.
(c) In determining which assessment systems to approve for use by local education agencies, the task force, at a minimum, shall also consider all of the following factors:
(1) The time required to conduct the assessments, with the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time.
(2) The level of integration of assessment results with instructional support for teachers and students.
(3) The timeliness in reporting assessment results to teachers, administrators, and parents.
Last modified: May 3, 2021