HB 2461 -- Student Academic Progression

Sponsor:  Dieckhaus

This bill requires each school district to establish requirements
for student academic progression.  A district must develop
standards for evaluating performance; specify reading levels,
including when remediation will be required; and provide
appropriate alternative placement for students retained for two
or more years.  A district must allocate its remedial and
supplemental instruction resources to readers who are struggling
at the end of third grade and to students who do not meet the
district's standards for progression.  Student progress will be
monitored using district performance levels and the state
assessment for reading; and if a student is not meeting
proficiency requirements, a plan for targeted instruction must be
developed.  If a student's deficiency remains unremediated, he or
she may be retained.  All students who do not meet grade level
standards for reading will continue to receive additional
instruction until they are reading at grade level, graduate from
high school, or are no longer subject to compulsory school
attendance.

Any student in kindergarten through third grade who exhibits a
substantial deficiency in reading will be given intensive
instruction as soon as the deficiency is identified.  Beginning
in the 2012-2013 school year, retention will be required of
students who are not proficient in reading by the end of third
grade.  Parents must be notified in writing about the deficiency,
the type of services currently being provided, the services that
are proposed, and other specified information.  Promotion
decisions must not be made solely on age or other factors that
constitute social promotion except for good cause.  Good cause
exemptions from retention are specified as well as the procedure
for requesting an exemption.

Students who are retained must be given intensive intervention
for their specific deficiencies.  By school year 2014-2015, each
district must review student progress monitoring plans for
struggling readers and intensive programs for others.  Midyear
promotion to fourth grade is allowed under certain specified
circumstances.  The bill lists instructional options that parents
may choose including an initiative targeted to third graders at
risk of being retained and an intensive acceleration class for
students who score below the basic level on the reading portion
of the state assessment.

Each district must annually report individual results to each
parent and the aggregated data to the State Board of Education.
The state board is authorized to enforce the bill's provisions,
and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must
provide any needed technical assistance to district school
boards.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:14 pm