Chapter 861 Oregon Laws 2001

AN ACT

HB 3941

Relating to reading; and declaring an emergency.

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

SECTION 1. The Legislative Assembly finds that:

(1) Reading is the gateway to learning and a key to building a child’s self-esteem.

(2) Children who read below grade level after third grade are at significantly greater risk of truancy, school failure, criminal and at-risk behaviors, early pregnancy and substance abuse.

(3) Research shows that children who have academic problems and exhibit at-risk behavior can be helped most effectively through prevention programs designed specifically to strengthen the collaborative and collective decision-making skills of kindergarten through grade three teachers and administrators within each individual school.

(4) Scientifically based assessment methods can identify as early as kindergarten those children needing extra help to successfully learn to read.

(5) Scientifically based instructional reading materials can provide the reading skills children need to successfully learn to read.

SECTION 2. (1) There is created the Early Success Reading Initiative for the State of Oregon.

(2) The purpose of the initiative is to recognize the essential need of elementary schools to effectively use research-based teaching practices and learning strategies.

(3) The components of the Early Success Reading Initiative include, but are not limited to:

(a) Providing research-based assessment systems to administrators, teachers and the public in order to provide the decision-making and accountability information needed to monitor children’s progress as they learn to read.

(b) Screening and continuously monitoring the reading progress of all children from kindergarten through the completion of the third grade.

(c) Using scientific, research-based reading systems to create school cultures and processes that enable all children to read successfully, including children with disabilities and children with linguistic and cultural diversity and other learning needs.

(d) Enabling administrators and teachers within each individual school to collect, interpret and use student learning data to:

(A) Guide kindergarten through grade three teachers and administrators in instructional decisions;

(B) Implement a kindergarten through grade three schoolwide reading action plan;

(C) Provide strategies for student groups; and

(D) Provide structured interaction with parents.

(e) Establishing a relationship between school districts and the University of Oregon to provide instructional and research support to assist school administrators, teachers and parents to enable students in kindergarten through grade three to learn to read effectively and successfully through means that are in congruence with state standards for reading and common curriculum goals.

(4) The University of Oregon may design, implement and monitor the Early Success Reading Initiative. The University of Oregon may provide consultation services to school districts that establish early success reading sites.

(5) The goal of the initiative is to enable each school district to establish early success reading sites at individual elementary schools. An elementary school that is initially selected as an early success reading site shall serve as a model and as a resource to other elementary schools within its school district as those schools implement the initiative.

SECTION 3. The University of Oregon shall report annually on the implementation, longitudinal progress and results of the Early Success Reading Initiative to the Governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the appropriate legislative committees.

SECTION 4. During the 2001-2003 and 2003-2005 biennia, the University of Oregon shall include in the reports required by section 3 of this 2001 Act a review of the pilot project created pursuant to section 5 of this 2001 Act.

SECTION 5. (1) During the 2001-2003 and 2003-2005 biennia, as part of the Early Success Reading Initiative, the Department of Education may award grants to school districts for a pilot project to establish early success reading sites in individual schools as provided under section 2 of this 2001 Act.

(2) If grants are awarded, the grants shall be awarded to the 30 school districts with the lowest scores on the statewide assessment in reading administered to third grade students during the 2000-2001 school year. Each school district that receives a grant shall use the grant to establish one early success reading site at an elementary school in the district.

(3) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules necessary for the implementation of this section.

(4) The Department of Education may seek and accept gifts, grants and donations from any source and federal funds to support the Early Success Reading Initiative.

SECTION 6. This 2001 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2001 Act takes effect on its passage.

Approved by the Governor July 27, 2001

Filed in the office of Secretary of State July 27, 2001

Effective date July 27, 2001

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