HB 50 -- Promotion of Students

Sponsor:  Relford

This bill completely revises a section that currently prohibits
promoting a student if the student's reading ability is more
than a grade level lower than the student's grade level.  The
bill clarifies that reading assessment methods will be
determined by each school district, which will give an
assessment to any third-grade student or any student who
transfers into a district in grades 4, 5, or 6 who has not been
determined to be reading at grade level during the current
school year.  The bill exempts students receiving special
education.  With the 2002-2003 school year, each student whose
third-grade assessment shows the student reading below second--
grade level will be provided with a reading improvement plan to
contain a minimum of 30 hours of additional reading instruction
during the fourth-grade year.  Such students will be assessed
again near the end of fourth grade and, if necessary, provided
with a plan for the fifth-grade year.  If a student reaches the
end of sixth grade still reading more than one grade level low,
the district will note on the student's record that the student
has not met reading standards.

School districts are required to offer summer school reading
instruction to students with reading improvement plans and may
fulfill this obligation through cooperative arrangements with
neighboring districts.  Districts may adopt policies that
require retention of students who do not attend required summer
school; however, each district may retain any student in
accordance with its own policies when retention is in the best
interest of the student.

The bill also defines key terms, prohibits the Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education from using information about
the number of students receiving reading improvement instruction
in accreditation matters, and requires districts to make an
effort to inform parents about their methods and materials for
teaching reading.

The bill contains an emergency clause.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated September 13, 2001 at 2:00 pm