RULE NO: RULE TITLE
6A-6.053: K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan Implementation
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of the proposed rule is to provide criteria for the development and implementation of district plans for use of the research-based reading instruction allocation provided in Section 1011.62(9), Florida Statutes. The effect of the rule will be the establishment of criteria by which the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plans will be evaluated and approved pursuant to Section 1001.215(5) and (6), Florida Statutes.
SUMMARY: This rule delineates the requirements for approval of a district’s K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan; provides approval requirements in the areas of professional development, assessment, curriculum, and instruction.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 1001.02(2), 1001.215(5), (6), 1011.62(9) FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1001.02, 1001.215, 1011.62 FS.
A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
DATE AND TIME: April 15, 2008, 8:30 a.m.
PLACE: 325 West Gaines Street, Department of Education, Tallahassee, Florida
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Dr. Evan Lefsky, Executive Director, Just Read, Florida! Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400, (850)245-9699

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

6A-6.053 K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan.

(1) Annually, school districts shall submit a K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan for the specific use of the research-based reading instruction allocation in the format prescribed by the Department for review and approval by the Just Read, Florida! Office pursuant to Section 1011.62, Florida Statutes. The K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan must accurately depict and detail the role of administration (both district and school level), professional development, assessment, curriculum, and instruction in the improvement of student learning. This information must be reflected for all schools and grade levels, including charter schools, alternative schools, and juvenile justice facilities. The K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan must ensure that:

(a) Leadership at the district and school level is guiding and supporting the initiative;

(b) The analysis of data drives all decision-making;

(c) Professional development is systemic throughout the district and is targeted at individual teacher needs as determined by analysis of student performance data;

(d) Measurable student achievement goals are established and clearly described; and

(e) Appropriate research-based instructional materials and strategies are used to address specific student needs.

(2) Research-Based Reading Instruction Allocation. Districts will submit a budget for the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan, including salaries and benefits, professional development costs, assessment costs, and programs/materials costs. Budgets must be in accordance with the district approved plan.

(3) Reading Leadership Teams. Districts must describe the process the principal will use to form and maintain a Reading Leadership Team and report rosters of Reading Leadership Team members to the Just Read, Florida! Office in the fall of each school year.

(4) Professional Development. The plan must make adequate provisions to require principals to:

(a) Target specific areas of professional development need based on assessment data and reflect those goals in the Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP);

(b) Differentiate and intensify professional development for teachers based on progress monitoring data;

(d) Ensure that time is provided for teachers to meet weekly for professional development; and

(e) Provide teachers with the information contained in the K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan.

(5) Charter schools. Charter schools must be given the opportunity to participate in the district plan, but may opt not to participate. Charter schools that choose to participate in the plan must meet the requirements outlined in the District K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan; however, they may meet these requirements through methods that differ from those in the district plan. One plan must be submitted for each district that includes charter schools that choose to participate. The district will maintain documentation of the following:

(a) District’s offer of invitation to charter schools to participate in the plan;

(b) District’s assurance that they will monitor charter schools for fidelity to the plan;

(d) Charter school’s agreement to be monitored by the school district for fidelity to the plan.

As with any school in the district, charter schools are subject to the district prioritization of funds based on school need and do not receive a set amount of funding through the reading allocation based upon their student enrollment. If the charter school declines to participate, the funds that would have been directed to the school remain in the district to serve low performing schools.

(6) Reading/Literacy Coaches.

(a) District leadership must allocate resources to hire reading/literacy coaches for the schools determined to have the greatest need based on:

1. Student performance data;

2. Experience and expertise of the administration and faculty in reading assessment, instruction, and intervention; and

3. Receptiveness of administration and faculty to the coaching model.

(b) The district must ensure that the number of schools served by state, federal, or locally funded reading/literacy coaches is maintained or increased over the previous year and prioritized based on school need.

(c) All reading /literacy coaches must report their time to the Progress Monitoring and Reporting Network (PMRN) on a biweekly basis. Principals will be required to log onto the PMRN prior to the start of each school year to enroll their reading/literacy coach(es). Principals must provide the funding source(s) for each coach at the beginning of the school year. Any reading/literacy coach who is funded through the Research-Based Reading Instruction Allocation in the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) as part of the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan must be a full-time coach. Reading/literacy coaches who split their time between two schools are considered full-time coaches.

(d) Districts must explain how they will monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the coaching model and assure communication between the district, school administration, and the reading coach throughout the year to address areas of concern.

(e) All schools utilizing reading/literacy coaches must implement the Just Read, Florida! reading/literacy coach model as described below:

1. The reading/literacy coach will serve as a stable resource for professional development throughout a school to generate improvement in reading and literacy instruction and student achievement. Coaches will support and provide initial and ongoing professional development to teachers in:

a. Each of the major reading components, as needed, based on an analysis of student performance data;

b. Administration and analysis of instructional assessments; and

c. Providing differentiated instruction and intensive intervention.

2. Coaches will:

a. Model effective instructional strategies for teachers;

b. Facilitate study groups;

c. Train teachers in data analysis and using data to differentiate instruction;

d. Coach and mentor colleagues;

e. Provide daily support to classroom teachers;

f. Work with teachers to ensure that research-based reading programs (comprehensive core reading programs, supplemental reading programs and comprehensive intervention reading programs) are implemented with fidelity;

g. Help to increase instructional density to meet the needs of all students;

h. Help lead and support reading leadership teams at their school(s);

i. Continue to increase their knowledge base in best practices in reading instruction, intervention, and instructional reading strategies;

j. Report their coach logs bi-weekly through the Progress Monitoring and Reporting Network (PMRN);

k. Work with all teachers (including ESE, content area, and elective areas) in the school they serve, prioritizing their time to those teachers, activities, and roles that will have the greatest impact on student achievement, namely coaching and mentoring in classrooms;

l. Work frequently with students in whole and small group instruction in the context of modeling and coaching in other teachers’ classrooms;

m. Not be asked to perform administrative functions that will confuse their role for teachers; and

n. Spend limited time administering or coordinating assessments.

(f) While the reading coach must not be assigned a regular classroom teaching assignment, they are expected to work frequently with students in whole and small group instruction in the context of modeling and coaching in other teachers’ classrooms.

(g) Minimum Qualifications. Reading/literacy coaches must have experience as successful classroom teachers. Coaches must exhibit knowledge of scientifically based reading research, special expertise in quality reading instruction and infusing reading strategies into content area instruction, and data management skills. They must have a strong knowledge base in working with adult learners. Coaches must be excellent communicators with outstanding presentation, interpersonal, and time management skills. The coach must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and advanced coursework or professional development in reading is required. The reading/literacy coach must be endorsed or K-12 certified in the area of reading, or working toward that status by completing a minimum of two (2) reading endorsement competencies of sixty (60) in-service hours each or six (6) semester hours of college coursework in reading per year.

(7) District level monitoring of the District K-12 Reading Plan Implementation. The plan must demonstrate adequate provisions for:

(a) Monitoring the level of implementation of the K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan at the school and classroom level, including an explanation of the data that will be collected, how it will be collected, and the frequency of review. Districts must also explain how concerns are communicated if it is determined that the K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan is not being implemented with fidelity.

(b) Ensuring fidelity of implementation of all reading programs and strategies used at the school level and determining appropriate instructional adjustments.

(c) Incorporating reading and literacy instruction by all content area teachers into subject areas to extend and build discussions of text in order to deepen understanding. This must include a description of the utilization of leveled classroom libraries and independent reading practice.

(d) Reporting of data elements as required by the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan (as indicated in Section 1001.215, Florida Statutes) within the Automated Student and Staff Data Base System for survey periods 2, 3, and 5. These data elements include:

1. Progress Monitoring assessment scores not reported to PMRN,

2. Student Enrollment in Reading Intervention,

3. Reading Endorsement competency status for teachers,

4. Reading Certification progress status for teachers,

5. CAR-PD status for teachers, in accordance with Rule 6A-5.090, F.A.C.

(8) School-level monitoring of District K-12 Reading Plan Implementation.

(a) Districts must describe the process used by principals to monitor implementation of, and ensure compliance with, the reading plan, including weekly reading walk throughs conducted by administrators.

(b) Districts must describe how principals monitor collection and utilization of assessment data, including progress monitoring data, to determine intervention and support needs of students.

(9) Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction.

(a) Elementary schools must offer reading instruction in a dedicated, uninterrupted block of time of at least ninety (90) minutes duration daily to all students. The reading block will include whole group instruction utilizing the comprehensive core reading program and small group differentiated instruction in order to meet individual student needs.

(b) A Comprehensive Core Reading Program (CCRP) must be implemented as the major instructional tool for reading instruction. Districts are provided a performance-based flexibility option which may exempt schools from the use of the CCRP. Districts implementing this flexibility must describe their plan for reading instruction, including the intervention for students reading below grade level in grades K-5 or K-6 as applicable. It is a district decision whether to implement the following performance-based flexibility option:

1. Elementary schools meeting all of the following criteria are not required to implement a Comprehensive Core Reading Program:

a. A current school grade of an A or B;

b. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in reading met for all subgroups;

c. Ninety (90) percent of students meeting high standards in reading (an FCAT score of Level 3 or above).

(c) The second performance-based flexibility option may exempt elementary schools from the use of the CCRP as well as the ninety (90) minute reading block. Districts implementing this flexibility must report the reading instruction that will be provided, including the time allotted for reading instruction. It is a district decision whether to implement the following performance-based flexibility option:

1. For students in grades four and five scoring Level 4 or 5 on FCAT reading, districts should offer enrichment programs steeped in content that continue to develop the child’s reading skills. These students are not required to receive instruction from a Comprehensive Core Reading Program, nor are they required to receive ninety (90) minutes of reading instruction.

(d) K-12 reading instruction will align with Florida’s Formula for Success, 6+4+ii+iii, which includes six (6) components of reading: oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; four types of classroom assessments: screening, progress monitoring, diagnosis, and outcome measures; initial instruction (ii) including considerations for background knowledge, motivation, and the provision for print rich, explicit, systematic, scaffolded, and differentiated instruction, and the reading/writing connection; immediate, intensive intervention (iii): including extended time, flexible grouping, accommodations, and more frequent progress monitoring.

(e) Instructional Materials Charts:

1. Districts are required to submit Instructional Materials Charts that address all research-based instructional materials used to provide reading instruction with a description of how they will be integrated into the overall instructional design:

a. Comprehensive Core Reading Programs (CCRP) – elementary school level only,

b. Developmental Reading Programs – (DRP) – middle school level only,

c. Supplemental Intervention Reading Programs (SIRP),

d. Comprehensive Intervention Reading Programs (CIRP),

e. Educational technology.

2. The instructional materials charts must also address the following:

a. Reading instructional minutes per day – elementary school level only.

b. Assessments listed by grade. Elementary – screening, progress monitoring, diagnostic, and outcome measure. Middle and High School – screening (including fluency with criteria for placement in extended time reading intervention), progress monitoring assessment for fluent and disfluent students, diagnostic, and outcome measure.

c. Reading Intervention. Elementary – minutes per day, days per week, group size cap for intervention. Middle and High School – minutes per day, days per week for both fluent and disfluent students, class size cap for reading intervention courses, and whether content area intervention is offered.

d. All charter schools and juvenile justice facilities must be listed within these charts. Districts must note which charter schools have opted out of the plan.

(f) The plan must demonstrate compliance with Rule 6A-6.054, F.A.C., K-12 Student Reading Intervention Requirements.

(g) Districts are required to develop Assessment/Curriculum Decision Trees to demonstrate how assessment data from progress monitoring and other forms of assessment will be used to determine specific reading instructional needs and interventions for students in grades K-12. The chart must include:

1. Name of assessment(s),

2. Targeted audience,

3. Performance benchmark used for decision-making,

4. Assessment/curriculum connection,

5. An explanation of how instruction will be modified for students who have not responded to a specific reading intervention delivered with fidelity with the initial intensity (time and group size) provided.

Specific Authority 1001.02(2), 1001.215(5), (6), 1011.62(9) FS. Law Implemented 1001.02, 1001.215, 1011.62 FS. History– New________.