State Board of Education kicks off rulemaking for new reading retention law

The Indiana State Board of Education voted last week to begin rulemaking for a new literacy law recently passed by state lawmakers. The process will integrate Senate Enrolled Act 1 into the state’s current education policy.

Lawmakers passed measures this year to retain students who fail the state’s reading test and provide those students with more support.

Now, the State Board of Education must adopt the law. The step is a largely administrative and helps align new laws to existing Indiana code.

The board started that process last week with a resolution directing the Indiana Department of Education to use the universal reading screener in grade two to identify and help students who struggle with reading.

The resolution also requires IDOE to determine how to administer the IREAD-3 exam to all second graders, support locally-designed summer school reading programs and codify the state’s new third grade retention policy — and its exemptions.
 

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There will be at least one public comment period before the board adopts the final rule. The IDOE said the process will likely be simple and straightforward.

Kirsten is Indiana Public Broadcasting's education reporter. Contact her at kadair@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair.