Sec. 13. Definitions
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Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the terms used in this Act have the meanings given such terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 ). In this Act: The term child with a disability has the same meaning given the term in section 602(3) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1401(3) ). The term classroom-based instructional assessment means an assessment for children in third grade or younger that— is valid and reliable for the age and population of children served in the program, and is used to evaluate children’s developmental progress and learning, including systematic observations by teachers of children performing tasks, including academic and literary tasks, that are part of their daily classroom experience; and is used to improve classroom instruction.
The term diagnostic assessment means an assessment that— is developmentally, linguistically, and culturally appropriate; is valid, reliable, and based on scientifically valid research on language, literacy, and English language acquisition; is used for the purposes of— identifying a student’s specific areas of strengths and weaknesses in oral language and literacy; determining any difficulties that the student may have in language and literacy and the potential cause of such difficulties; and helping to determine possible literacy intervention strategies and related special needs of the student; and in the case of young children, is conducted after a screening assessment that identifies potential risks for delayed development or later academic difficulties.
The term eligible entity means— when used with respect to children from birth through kindergarten entry— one or more local educational agencies providing early learning programs, or one or more public or private early learning programs, serving children from birth through kindergarten entry, such as a Head Start agency, an Early Head Start program, a child care program, a State-funded pre-kindergarten program, a public library program, or a family literacy program that has a demonstrated record of providing effective literacy instruction for the age group such agency or program is proposing to serve under section 7; or one or more local educational agencies providing early learning programs, or one or more public or private early learning programs, serving children from birth through kindergarten entry, such as a Head Start agency, an Early Head Start program, a child care program, a State-funded pre-kindergarten program, a public library program, or a family literacy program in partnership with one or more public or private nonprofit organizations or agencies that have a demonstrated record of effectiveness— in improving the early literacy development of children from birth through kindergarten entry; and in providing professional development aligned with the activities described in section 7(e)(1); and when used with respect to students in kindergarten through grade 12, a local educational agency or consortium of local educational agencies that— is among the local educational agencies in the State with the highest numbers or percentages of students reading and writing below grade level, based on the most current State data, where available; and has the highest numbers or percentages of children who are counted under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6333(c)), in comparison to other local educational agencies in the State.
The term English language acquisition means the process by which a non-native English speaker acquires proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing the English language. For an English language learner in school, such term includes not only the social language proficiency needed to participate in the school environment, but also the academic language proficiency needed to acquire literacy and academic content and demonstrate the student’s learning. The term English language learner means an individual who is limited English proficient, as defined in section 9101(25) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801(25) ).
The term essential components of early literacy instruction means providing, for children prior to the age of kindergarten entry, interactive experiences in a print- and literacy-rich environment that promote the development of— oral language, including vocabulary, grammar, and syntax; motivational aspects of early literacy, including enjoyment of reading and books; book-reading behaviors, including book handling and orientation; recognition and understanding of pictures and story concepts; concepts about print; alphabet knowledge; phonological awareness, including the awareness of rhymes, sounds, and syllables; emergent writing skills, including use of writing materials; and integration of print concepts into play.
The term essential components of reading and writing instruction means, for students in kindergarten through grade 12, developmentally appropriate, explicit, and systematic instruction that provides students the following: With respect to students in kindergarten through grade 12— high-quality professional development for teachers, instructional staff, and principals; diverse texts at the appropriate reading and interest level of students; differentiated instructional approaches; instruction and supports to increase students’ motivation to read, including self-directed learning; as appropriate, systematic and intensive one-to-one and small group instruction, including extended time for intense intervention for students reading significantly below grade level, which can be provided both inside and outside the classroom as well as during and outside regular school hours; opportunities to write individually and collaboratively; instruction in uses of print materials, multimedia, and technological resources for research and for generating and presenting content and ideas; and use of screening, diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments.
With respect to students in grades kindergarten through grade 3— strategic and explicit instruction using phonological awareness, phonic decoding, vocabulary, language structure, reading fluency and reading comprehension; use of oral modeling techniques to build language skills; and coordinated involvement of families, caregivers, school leaders, and instructional staff. With respect to students in grades 4 through 12— direct and explicit comprehension instruction; direct and explicit instruction that builds academic vocabulary; multiple opportunities to write with clear purposes and critical reasoning appropriate to the topic and purpose and with specific instruction and feedback from teachers; text-based collaborative learning; and coordinated involvement of school leaders and instructional staff that are interdisciplinary and interdepartmental and that analyze student work over time and plan literacy instruction.
The term family literacy services means services provided to participants on a voluntary basis that are of sufficient intensity in terms of hours, and of sufficient duration, to make sustainable changes in a family, and that integrate all of the following activities: Interactive literacy activities between parents and their children. Training for parents regarding how to be the primary teacher for their children and full partners in the education of their children. Parent literacy training that leads to economic self-sufficiency.
An age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences. The term formative assessment means assessment questions, tools, and processes that are— developmentally, linguistically, and culturally appropriate; embedded in instruction; and used by teachers and students to provide timely feedback for purposes of adjusting instruction to improve learning. The term high-quality professional development means professional development that— is job-embedded, ongoing, and based on scientifically valid research; is sustained, intensive, and classroom focused, if such workshop or conference is part of a professional development plan for the attendee; is designed to increase the knowledge and expertise of instructional staff in implementing the essential components of early literacy instruction and the essential components of reading and writing instruction, as appropriate; includes and supports teachers and early learning providers in administering age- and developmentally appropriate assessments; and analyzing the results of these student assessments when implementing the essential components of early literacy instruction and the essential components of reading and writing instruction for the purposes of planning, monitoring, adapting, and improving classroom instruction or teaching strategies to improve student learning, as appropriate; for kindergarten through 12th grade, supports the integration of literacy instruction in core academic subjects and, to the extent practicable, other subjects taught at school, such as career and technical education; includes information on one-to-one, small group, and classroom-based instructional materials and approaches based on scientifically valid research on literacy; provides ongoing instructional literacy coaching— to ensure high-quality implementation of effective practices of literacy instruction that is content centered, integrated across the curricula, collaborative, and school, setting, and classroom embedded; and that uses student data to improve instruction; includes and supports teachers in setting high reading and writing achievement goals for all students and provides the teachers with the instructional tools and skills, including strategies consistent with the principles of universal design for learning, to help students reach such goals; and is differentiated for educators working with children from birth through kindergarten entry, students in kindergarten through grade 5, and students in grades 6 through 12, and, as appropriate, by student grade or student need.
The term instructional staff means individuals who have responsibility for teaching students to read and write, or in the case of children from birth to kindergarten entry, teaching early literacy skills and language development. Such term includes principals, teachers, early learning providers, supervisors of instruction, pupil services personnel, librarians, library school media specialists, teachers of academic subjects other than reading or writing, other school leaders, literacy coaches, and other individuals who have responsibility for assisting children to learn to read and write.
The term literacy coach means a professional— who— has previous teaching experience and— for the purpose of literacy coaches working with early learning programs, has expertise in early childhood development and early literacy; and for the purpose of literacy coaches working with kindergarten through grade 12— a master’s degree with a concentration in reading and writing education; or has demonstrated proficiency in teaching reading or writing in a core academic subject; and is able to demonstrate the ability to help early learning providers or teachers— use evidence-based research on how children and students become successful readers, writers, and communicators; use multiple forms of assessment to guide instructional decisionmaking; for the purpose of literacy coaches working with— early learning programs, support and coordinate the language and literacy curricula and activities with the overall early childhood education program; and teachers in kindergarten through grade 12, improve student writing and reading in and across content areas such as mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts; develop and implement differentiated instruction and teaching approaches to serve the needs of diverse learners, including English language learners and children with disabilities; use the principles of universal design for learning in instructional strategies and in selecting materials and tools to serve the diverse needs of all learners, including English language learners and children with disabilities; employ best practices in engaging instructional staff to change school cultures to better encourage and support literacy development and achievement; use data to improve instruction; and for the purpose of literacy coaches working with— early learning programs, set developmentally appropriate early literacy goals and select and acquire instructional tools and skills to help children reach such goals; and kindergarten through grade 12, set high reading and writing achievement goals for all students and select and acquire instructional tools and skills to help students reach such goals; and whose role with early learning providers, teachers and school personnel is— to provide high-quality professional development opportunities in literacy and language development for early learning providers, teachers and school personnel, including in the case of early learning providers, helping staff in planning and implementation of ongoing professional development; to work cooperatively and collaboratively with principals, teachers, early learning providers and other professionals in planning programs to help, as appropriate— early learning providers identify children’s early literacy needs so that such providers can meet the early literacy needs of children at risk for delayed development and later academic difficulties; and teachers identify student literacy needs and teach literacy across the content areas so that the teachers can meet the needs of students reading and writing below grade level; and to work cooperatively and collaboratively with other professionals in planning programs to help early learning providers and teachers teach literacy across content areas so that the early learning providers and teachers can meet the needs of diverse learners, including children with disabilities, English language learners, and students who are reading at grade level.
The term local educational agency — has the meaning given to that term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and includes any public charter school that constitutes a local educational agency under State law. The term multitier system of supports means a comprehensive system of differentiated supports that includes evidence-based instruction, universal screening, progress monitoring, formative assessment, and evidence-based interventions matched to student needs, and educational decisionmaking using student outcome data.
The term reading means a complex system of deriving meaning from print that requires all of the following: The skills and knowledge to understand how phonemes, or speech sounds, are connected to print. The ability to decode unfamiliar words. The ability to read fluently. Sufficient background information and vocabulary to foster reading comprehension. The development of appropriate active strategies to construct meaning from print. The development and maintenance of a motivation to read.
The term school leader means an individual who— is an employee or officer of a school; and is responsible for— the school’s performance; and the daily instructional and managerial operations of the school. The term scientifically valid research has the meaning given the term in section 200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1021 ). The term screening assessment means an assessment that— is developmentally, linguistically, and culturally appropriate; is valid, reliable, and based on scientifically valid research on literacy and English language acquisition; and is a procedure designed as a first step in identifying children who may be at high risk for delayed development or later academic difficulties and in need of further diagnosis of the children’s need for special services or additional literacy instruction.
The term State means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The term State literacy leadership team means a team that— is appointed and coordinated by the State educational agency, except that individuals described in subclauses (I)(aa), (I)(hh), and (II)(gg) of clause
(ii)shall be appointed by the State agency that oversees child care programs; and is composed of not less than 13 individuals and includes the individuals described in clause (ii). A State literacy team— shall include— an individual who has literacy expertise with respect to children from birth through kindergarten entry; an individual who has literacy expertise with respect to students in kindergarten through grade 5; an individual who has literacy expertise with respect to students in grades 6 through 12; a school principal; a special education teacher with literacy expertise; a representative from the family literacy community; a teacher or administrator with expertise in teaching English language learners; a representative from the State’s agency that oversees child care programs; a representative from the State educational agency who oversees literacy initiatives; and a representative from higher education who is actively involved in research, development, and teacher preparation in literacy instruction and intervention based on scientifically valid research; and may include— a literacy specialist serving in a school district within the State; a literacy coach; a library media specialist; a school counselor; a teacher of a core academic subject; a special education administrator; an early learning provider; a college or university professor; a parent; a business leader; a representative from the Governor’s office; a representative from the State board of education; a representative from the State legislature; a nonprofit and community-based organization providing literacy instruction and support; and a representative from a school district superintendent's office. If, before the date of the enactment of this Act, a State educational agency established a consortium, partnership, or any other similar body that was considered a literacy partnership for purposes of subpart 1 or 2 of part B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6361 et seq. , 6371 et seq.) and that includes the individuals required under subparagraph (A)(ii)(I), such consortium, partnership, or body may be considered a State literacy leadership team for purposes of subparagraph (A). The term student with a disability has the meaning given the term child with a disability in section 602(3) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(3)). The term summative assessment means an assessment that— is developmentally, linguistically, and culturally appropriate; is valid, reliable, and based on scientifically valid research on literacy and English language acquisition; and measures how young children have progressed over time relative to developmental norms and what students have learned over time. The term universal design for learning has the meaning given the term in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. ). The term writing means— the ability to compose meaning and print to communicate ideas, including the use of vocabulary, tone, and genre to fit purpose, audience and occasion; the use of conventions such as spelling and punctuation; and the ability to revise in order to improve clarity of ideas, coherence, logical development, and precision of language use.
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