State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Connecticut > Title10 > Chap172 > Sec10-265gSec. 10-265g. Summer reading programs required for priority school districts. Evaluation of student reading level. Personal reading plans. (a) Each local and regional board of education for a priority school district shall offer a summer reading program, as described in subsection (d) of section 10-265f, to children enrolled in kindergarten in the schools under its jurisdiction who are determined by their teachers to need additional reading and reading readiness instruction.
(b) For each school year commencing on or after July 1, 2006, each local and regional board of education for a priority school district shall require the schools under its jurisdiction to evaluate the reading level of students enrolled in grades one to three, inclusive, in the middle of the school year and at the end of the school year. A student shall be determined to be substantially deficient in reading based on measures established by the State Board of Education. Each school shall provide a reading program for such students that incorporates the competencies required for early reading success and effective reading instruction as delineated in section 10-221l. If a student is determined to be substantially deficient in reading based on a middle of the school year or end of the school year evaluation, the school shall notify the parents or guardian of the student of such result and the school shall develop and implement a personal reading plan for such student.
(c) The personal reading plan shall include additional instruction, within available appropriations, such as tutoring, an after school, school vacation, or weekend program or a summer reading program as described in subsection (d) of section 10-265f. Personal reading plans pursuant to this section shall be (1) reviewed and revised as appropriate after each evaluation or state-wide examination, as appropriate, (2) discussed with the provider of the additional instruction, and (3) given to the parent or guardian of the student, in accordance with the provisions concerning notice to parents or legal guardians pursuant to section 10-15b, and include recommendations for reading strategies that the parent or guardian can use at home. For purposes of providing additional instruction, boards of education for priority school districts shall give preference first to elementary schools and then to middle schools, with the highest number of students who are substantially deficient in reading.
(d) Promotion of students with personal reading plans from first, second or third grade shall be based on documented progress in achieving the goals of the personal reading plan or demonstrated reading proficiency. If a decision is made to promote a student who is substantially deficient in reading from first, second or third grade, the school principal shall provide written justification for such promotion to the superintendent of schools.
(e) A personal reading plan that incorporates the competencies required for early reading success and effective reading instruction as delineated in section 10-221l shall be maintained for a student who is substantially deficient in reading until the student achieves a satisfactory grade level proficiency, as determined by a reading evaluation pursuant to this subsection or a state-wide examination pursuant to section 10-14n.
(f) Subject to the provisions of this subsection and within available appropriations, each local and regional board of education for a priority school district shall require for the 2006-2007 school year, and each school year thereafter, students in grades one to three, inclusive, who, based on an end-of-the-year evaluation pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, are determined to be substantially deficient in reading, to attend school the summer following such evaluation. The superintendent of schools may exempt an individual student from such requirement, upon the recommendation of the school principal, based on the student's progress with the student's personal reading plan. If a student does not receive such an exemption, has been offered the opportunity to attend a summer school program and fails to attend summer school, the local or regional board of education shall not promote the student to the next grade.
(g) The superintendent of schools shall report to the Commissioner of Education the information such superintendent receives pursuant to subsection (d) of this section regarding the number of students who are substantially deficient in reading and are promoted from first, second or third grade to the next grade. The State Board of Education shall prepare and publish a report containing such information.
(P.A. 98-243, S. 5, 25; P.A. 99-288, S. 5, 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 22, 54; P.A. 06-135, S. 14.)
History: P.A. 98-243 effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (b) to substitute substantially deficient in reading for "reading below grade level" and deleted requirement to include information in the strategic school profile on the number of students promoted from third to fourth grade who are reading below grade level and added Subsec. (c) re report on number of students promoted from third to fourth grade who are substantially deficient in reading, effective July 1, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subsec. (b) to add requirements for reading program and personal reading plan to incorporate the competencies delineated in Sec. 10-221l, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 06-135 amended Subsec. (b) by requiring, for each school year commencing on or after July 1, 2006, that evaluation be performed at the middle or end of the school year and that plans be implemented, by designating existing language describing the plan as new Subsec. (c) and amending same to expand description, replace transition class with after school, school vacation or weekend instruction and include a plan evaluation process, by designating existing language re promotion as new Subsec. (d) and amending same by changing the grade levels to grades first through third, and by designating existing language re maintenance of the plan as Subsec. (e) and amending same by keying proficiency to mastery examinations, added new Subsec. (f) re students determined to be deficient in reading and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (g) and amended same to change the grade levels to grades first through third and make conforming changes, effective June 6, 2006.
