DELAY READING REQUIREMENT

Senate Bill 70

Sponsor:  Sen. Nancy Cassis

House Committee:  Education

Senate Committee:  Education

Complete to 6-11-07

A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 70 AS PASSED BY THE SENATE 5-3-07

Public Act 118 of 2006 (Senate Bill 327) amended the Revised School Code to require a teacher to receive reading instruction within the first six years of teaching in order to renew a provisional teaching certificate or advance to a professional teaching certificate. The requirement is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2007.  Senate Bill 70 would delay the requirement until July 1, 2008.  The bill also would allow an individual to complete the required course as part of teacher preparation training or during the first six years of teaching.

[The specific requirement is that a teacher successfully complete at least a three-credit course in the diagnosis and remediation of reading disabilities and differentiated instruction.  The course is to include English language learning screening, visually and auditory discrimination tools, language expression and processing screening, phonemics, phonics, vocabulary, fluency comprehension, spelling and writing assessment tools, and instructional strategies.]

MCL 380.1531

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would have no fiscal impact.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   Chris Couch

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Mary Ann Cleary

                                                                                                                           Bethany Wicksall

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.