[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3907 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3907
To authorize the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to
assist local educational agencies with ensuring that each elementary
school and secondary school has at least one reading, literacy, or
biliteracy specialist on staff.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 12, 2024
Mr. Heinrich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to
assist local educational agencies with ensuring that each elementary
school and secondary school has at least one reading, literacy, or
biliteracy specialist on staff.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Literacy Improvement for
Transformation Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``English
learner'', ``institution of higher education'', ``local
educational agency'', ``multi-tier system of supports'',
``secondary school'', and ``State educational agency'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 8101 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) IDEA terms.--The terms ``child with a disability'',
``individualized education program'' or ``IEP'', ``special
education'', and ``specific learning disability'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 602 of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401).
(3) Bilingual.--The term ``bilingual'' means a program that
makes instructional use of both English and a child's native
language.
(4) Biliteracy.--The term ``biliteracy'' means the ability
to read and write with high levels of proficiency in 2
languages through the appropriate and effective use of
grammatical, syntactic, graphophonic, semantic, and pragmatic
systems of the 2 languages.
(5) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a local educational agency;
(B) a partnership between a State educational
agency and one or more local educational agencies in
the State, entered into for the purposes of a grant
under this section;
(C) a nonprofit entity with expertise in reading
intervention or specific learning disabilities, in
partnership with a State educational agency or one or
more local educational agencies;
(D) a school operated by the Bureau of Indian
Education or operated by an Indian tribe, or an
organization controlled or sanctioned by an Indian
tribal government, for the children of that tribe under
a contract with, or grant from, the Department of the
Interior under the Indian Self-Determination Act (25
U.S.C. 5321 et seq.) or the Tribally Controlled Schools
Act of 1988 (25 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.); or
(E) an institution of higher education (including a
Tribal College or University (as defined in section 316
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c)).
(6) English language development.--The term ``English
language development'' means instruction designed specifically
for English language learners to develop their listening,
speaking, reading, and writing skills in English. English
language development instruction may include English as a
Second Language, English for Speakers of Other Languages,
English as a New Language, English Language Learner
instruction, and English Learner instruction.
(7) High-need local educational agency.--The term ``high-
need local educational agency'' has the meaning given such term
in section 200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1021).
(8) Reading, literacy, or biliteracy specialist.--The term
``reading, literacy, or biliteracy specialist'' means a
certified professional--
(A) whose primary responsibility is working with
students who struggle with reading and writing;
(B) who has completed additional certifications or
course of study and is able to demonstrate the ability
to implement intervention strategies for the building
of reading and literacy or biliteracy skills; and
(C) who may also be referred to as an
interventionist, reading teacher, or by an alternative
title.
(9) Section 504 plan.--The term ``section 504 plan'' means
a reasonable accommodation developed for students with
disabilities to receive the appropriate educational support
services to fully participate in school activities and have
equal access to educational opportunities, in accordance with
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794).
(10) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(11) Subgroup of students.--The term ``subgroup of
students'' means--
(A) each major racial and ethnic group;
(B) economically disadvantaged students as compared
to students who are not economically disadvantaged;
(C) children with disabilities as compared to
children without disabilities;
(D) English proficiency status; and
(E) gender.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to assist State educational agencies and
local educational agencies with ensuring that every elementary school
and secondary school has at least one full-time certified reading,
literacy, or biliteracy specialist on staff, and to support the
recruitment, hiring, retention, and development of certified reading,
literacy, or biliteracy specialists.
SEC. 4. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, children
who struggle to read proficiently by fourth grade are 4 times
more likely to not graduate from high school than their peers
with grade-level reading skills.
(2) According to the 2022 National Assessment of
Educational Progress, 33 percent of fourth graders and 31
percent of eighth graders scored at or above proficient in
English reading. In 2019, 37 percent of twelfth graders scored
at or above proficient in English reading.
(3) In 2022, 66 percent of fourth graders and 69 percent of
eighth graders scored at or below the National Assessment of
Educational Progress Basic English reading level.
(4) According to leading researchers Thomas and Collier,
students that have access to high-quality bilingual instruction
tend to exhibit higher educational outcomes long-term, as
demonstrated by academic performance and engagement, than their
peers who are not enrolled in bilingual programs.
SEC. 5. LITERACY IMPROVEMENT AND TRANSFORMATION GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Grant Program Authorized.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program to
award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to
carry out the activities described under subsection (d).
(2) Duration.--Grants awarded under this section shall be
for a period of 5 years.
(b) Application.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under this
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require, including--
(1) a needs assessment of the eligible entity that
demonstrates the existence of persistent shortages of reading,
literacy, or bilteracy specialists or persistent shortages of
full-time reading, literacy, or biliteracy specialists;
(2) demographic information about the student population
served by the eligible entity, disaggregated (to the extent
that such information complies with applicable privacy law and
protects personally identifiable information), by--
(A) subgroups of students and grade level; and
(B) status as a student that--
(i) has a section 504 plan;
(ii) has an IEP; and
(iii) is an English learner;
(3) a description of the relevant academic needs of the
student population served by the eligible entity, including--
(A) the ratio of reading and literacy specialists
to whole student population; and
(B) an overview of student performance related to
reading, literacy, and comprehension on formative and
summative reading assessments, standardized tests, and
district and State benchmarks, including such
information disaggregated (to the extent that such
information complies with applicable privacy law and
protects personally identifiable information), by--
(i) subgroups of students and grade level;
and
(ii) status as a student that--
(I) has a section 504 plan;
(II) has an IEP; and
(III) is an English learner;
(4) graduation rates, attendance data, and disciplinary
data (as determined by the Secretary), disaggregated (to the
extent that such information complies with applicable privacy
law and protects personally identifiable information) by--
(A) subgroups of students and grade level; and
(B) status as a student that--
(i) has a section 504 plan;
(ii) has an IEP; and
(iii) is an English learner;
(5) a comprehensive plan for the use of grant funds to
address persistent shortages described in the needs assessment
under paragraph (1), including a description of--
(A) how grant funds will be used in accordance with
subsection (d);
(B) how such activities will improve or strengthen
intervention strategies; and
(C) how such funds will be used to ensure that the
eligible entity will continue to employ and retain
reading, literacy, or bilteracy specialists after the
completion of the grant period;
(6) a description of how the eligible entity will
prioritize recruiting individuals from the communities served
by the eligible entity and from underrepresented populations in
the field of education (as determined by the Secretary by
regulation) to serve as full-time reading, literacy, or
bilteracy specialists, and how the eligible entity will track
progress in meeting any specified hiring goals;
(7) an assurance that the eligible entity will ensure
compliance with the requirement described in subsection (e);
(8) a description of how the eligible entity is meeting the
literacy and second language acquisition needs of English
learners through English language development, English as a
Second Language, or bilingual program offerings;
(9) an assurance that the second language development needs
of English learners will not result in English learners being
placed in remedial reading courses; and
(10) an assurance that Native American English learners
whose home language is orally based are not disadvantaged when
those English learners begin to learn English, especially by
providing an assurance of culturally and linguistically
responsive, engaging, and evidence-based strategies that
promote student success.
(c) Selection and Priority.--In awarding grants under this section,
the Secretary shall--
(1) give a first priority to eligible entities that are
located in a State that is in the lowest quartile of States, in
a ranking of all States, ranked in descending order by the
percentage of students in grades 4 and 8 in the State who score
at or above a level of Proficient on the National Assessment of
Educational Progress reading assessments for students in grades
4 and 8; and
(2) if the priority in paragraph (1) has been satisfied, or
if no applicants described in paragraph (1) apply, then the
Secretary shall give priority to applicants that--
(A) are a high-need local educational agency, or
are a partnership between a State educational agency
and a consortium of high-need local educational
agencies; and
(B) describe and set specific hiring goals towards
increasing the share of reading, literacy, or bilteracy
specialists who are from underrepresented populations
in the field of education.
(d) Activities.--Grant funds awarded under this section shall be
used by an eligible entity to carry out one or more of the following
activities:
(1) Recruiting, hiring, and developing full-time reading,
literacy, or biliteracy specialists.
(2) Providing resources necessary to support the
development of reading, literacy, or biliteracy specialists
from a part-time to full-time capacity at elementary schools or
secondary schools served by the eligible entity, including
through full funding for teachers who are employed by the
eligible entity at the time of the grant to earn an evidence-
based reading, literacy, or biliteracy specialist certification
from an accredited institution of higher education.
(3) Supporting the retention of reading, literacy, or
biliteracy specialists, including by increasing salaries.
(4) Ensuring that at least 1 full-time reading, literacy,
or biliteracy specialist is on staff at each elementary school
and secondary school served by the eligible entity.
(5) Supporting biliteracy development, teaching, and
assessment strategies.
(6) Providing continual professional development
opportunities regarding reading difficulties in students with
disabilities, including how to identify reading disabilities in
students with other diagnoses.
(e) Requirement; Rule of Construction.--
(1) Requirement.--Each grant recipient shall ensure that
any reading, literacy, or biliteracy specialist whose position
is partially or fully funded by grant funds spends not less
than 80 percent of their time in that position working with
teachers and students to improve student outcomes.
(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be
construed to limit the preservation or use of Native American
languages.
(f) Report.--Each eligible entity awarded a grant under this
section shall submit to the Secretary an annual report for each year of
the grant award. Such report shall include--
(1) a summary of the eligible entity's progress in
employing at least 1 full-time reading, literacy, or biliteracy
specialist at each elementary school and secondary school
served by the eligible entity;
(2) data on the number of full-time and part-time reading,
literacy, or biliteracy specialists, disaggregated by major
racial and ethnic groups and gender, employed at each
elementary school and secondary school served by the eligible
entity, and data on the ratio of students to reading, literacy,
or bilteracy specialists at each such school;
(3) a summary of any progress made by the eligible entity
in addressing reading, literacy, and comprehension, as
identified in the needs assessment required under subsection
(b)(2), as a result of the activities carried out with a grant
under this section; and
(4) a summary of the number of students in each subgroup of
students who were served by the reading, literacy, or
biliteracy specialist (to the extent that such information
complies with applicable privacy law and protects personally
identifiable information).
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