AB 971

This bill 1) limits the authority of certain schools to promote a pupil from the

third grade to the fourth grade based on passage of the standardized reading

assessment; 2) makes various changes to the current reading readiness assessment

program for public school pupils enrolled in four-year-old kindergarten to second

grade; 3) creates a grant program for the 2023-24 school year to increase licensure

of reading teachers; 4) sunsets the Achievement Gap Reduction program; 5) requires

certain schools to develop or adopt programs to identify and address pupils with

dyslexia; and 6) prohibits parents of pupils in grades kindergarten to three from

excusing their pupils from taking standardized tests.

Promotion of pupils from the third grade to the fourth grade

Under current law, school districts, independent charter schools, and private

schools participating in parental choice programs must administer a standardized

reading test to certain third grade pupils. Under the bill, 1) a school board may not

promote a third grade pupil enrolled in the school district, including a pupil enrolled

in a charter school located in the school district, to the fourth grade unless the pupil

scores proficient or higher on the test; 2) the operator of an independent charter

school may not promote a third grade pupil attending the charter school to the fourth

grade unless the pupil scores proficient or higher on the test; and 3) the governing

body of a private school participating in a parental choice program may not promote

a third grade pupil who is attending the private school under the parental choice

program to the fourth grade unless the pupil scores proficient or higher on the test.

The bill also provides an exception to the third grade promotion prerequisite

created in the bill. Under the exception, the school board, operator, or governing body

may promote a pupil if the pupil meets any of the good cause reasons specified in the

bill and all of the following conditions are met:

1. The pupil's teacher submits documentation of the pupil's good cause reason

to the principal or administrator of the pupil's school.

2. The principal or administrator of the pupil's school discusses the

documentation with the teacher and the pupil's parent, determines that promoting

the pupil is appropriate, and submits that recommendation to the school board,

operator, or governing body.

3. The pupil's parent agrees with the recommendation.

4. The school board, operator, or governing body reviews the recommendation

and agrees that promoting the pupil is appropriate.

Assessments of reading readiness

Under current law, school boards and operators of independent charter schools

must annually assess pupils enrolled in four-year-old kindergarten to second grade

for reading readiness using an assessment of literacy fundamentals selected by the

school board or operator. Under current law, if a reading readiness assessment

indicates that a pupil is at risk of reading difficulty, the school board or operator must