|
With Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford as the lead sponsor,
Senate Bill 2243 passed by a 56-0 vote, paving the way for the bill
to now advance to the desk of Gov. JB Pritzker.
“Every child deserves the instruction and support that meets their
needs to become a proficient reader,” Lightford said in a news
release. “This initiative moves Illinois off the sidelines and into
the action to fight for every student to have access to the literacy
instruction they deserve.”
In 2022, only three out of every 10 students in the state between
the third and eighth grade were found to be at or exceeding state
standards in reading as measured by the Illinois Assessment of
Readiness exam. With research showing that students who aren’t
proficient in reading by third grade more likely to become
drop-outs, the most recent numbers represent a 7.5% drop from just
three years earlier in 2019.
SB 2243 further stipulates that the state board develop and adopt a
comprehensive literacy plan by Jan. 31, 2024, and create a rubric by
July 1, 2024. The bill also requires the state to develop training
opportunities for educators by Jan. 1, 2025.
Going forward, elementary school teachers for grades first through
sixth will also be tested on their knowledge of literacy on a
content-area exam they are required to take before securing a
license.
State officials said a team of educators, administrators, parents,
community organizations and experts in literacy, special education,
and bilingual education are all now working on the draft of a
literacy plan.
Illinois joins at least 19 other states that have started to rethink
how reading is taught in schools over the past four years, with
Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia and New Mexico having all
passed laws this year that require schools to teach evidence-based
reading instruction, ensure that teacher preparation programs are
training students on the science of reading and require the state to
create standards for literacy and create a rubric to vet curriculum.
|
|
