House Bill 988

AN ACT TO CREATE THE INCREASING READING EFFICIENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY DEVELOPMENT (IREAD) PILOT PROGRAM WITHIN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY IN SCHOOLS WITH EVIDENTIARY DATA REPORTS OF CHRONIC READING INEFFICIENCY AND UNDERPERFORMING READERS BEGINNING WITH THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROGRAM SHALL FOCUS ON ENHANCING THE OUTPUTS OF LITERACY PROFICIENCY AMONG ELEMENTARY STUDENTS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT IREAD PILOT PROGRAM AS AN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM TO ASSIST TEACHERS, LITERACY COACHES AND PARENTS IN PROMOTING READING; TO REQUIRE THE BOARD TO ADOPT POLICIES GOVERNING THE PROGRAM AND ESTABLISH MINIMUM CRITERIA; TO PRESCRIBE THE MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR SERVICES AND PROGRAM ELEMENTS TO BE PROVIDED BY THE SELECTED TECHNOLOGY VENDOR; TO REQUIRE THE LEGISLATURE TO APPROPRIATE $750,000.00 TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION, SUPPORT AND CONTINUATION OF THE IREAD PILOT PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO SUBMIT A REPORT ON THE IREAD PILOT PROGRAM TO THE EDUCATION AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE BY JANUARY 1, 2026; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO A MINIMUM OF 10,000 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 3 IN SCHOOLS SELECTED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION IN EACH OF THE FOUR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS; TO PROVIDE THAT PRIORITY FOR INCLUSION IN THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE GIVEN TO SCHOOLS WITHIN EACH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN ELIGIBLE SCHOOLS IN "D" AND "F" RATED SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVING PROPORTIONALLY THE LARGEST POPULATION OF UNDERSERVED AT-RISK FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) There is created the Increasing Reading Efficiency and Accountability Development (iREAD) pilot program within the State Department of Education for the purpose of improving early childhood literacy in schools across the state that have evidentiary data reports of chronic reading inefficiency and underperforming readers. The program shall be first made available beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, and shall focus on enhancing the outputs of literacy proficiency among elementary students in kindergarten through Grade 3 through the science of reading with scope and sequence with the use of instructional technology tools, application-based (app-based) software, programming and assisting interactive devices.

(2) The State Board of Education shall develop and implement the Increasing Reading Efficiency and Accountability Development (iREAD) pilot program as an educational technology platform to assist teachers, literacy coaches and parents in promoting reading, word recognition, phonemic awareness and comprehension. The board shall adopt policies governing the program which must include, at a minimum, the following:

(a) Provide iREAD technology assistance and devices to a minimum of ten thousand (10,000) elementary students enrolled in schools with evidentiary data reports of chronic reading inefficiency and underperforming readers;

(b) Eligibility criteria for the selection of schools for participation in the pilot program, including a definition of the term "chronic reading inefficiency";

(d) The process for the issuance of and the deadline for receipt of requests for proposals (RFPs);

(e) Criteria, rules and regulations governing the process by which vendors and programs will be selected to provide literacy technology services through the program by the State Department of Education;

(f) The administration of three (3) annual assessments based on Oral Reading Fluency;

(g) Technology and software programs, which, at a minimum:

(i) Have the ability to test weekly or every two (2) weeks within the technology's software program;

(ii) Provides access to at least twelve thousand (12,000) interest-based books in a Lexile scored content library;

(iii) Automatically prompts a comprehension questionnaire after completion of certain books;

(iv) Provides real-time words correction per minute after every book read;

(v) Includes a feature that provides definition, usage and speaks words;

(vi) Provides real-time data within the app-based software which is available to parents, students, teachers and literacy coaches; and

(vii) Provides seamless integration with the Clever Portal of secured digital resources;

(h) An interchangeable platform of multiple languages;

(i) Interest-based content versus curriculum or theme-based content, giving student choice over forced curriculum demands;

(j) Voice recognition software that authenticates and adapts to the student's vocal intonation, frequency and pitch, which aid in the measurements of porosity, fluency and pronunciation;

(k) A deterred focus on gamification of learning, but primarily focuses on the science of reading and student reading;

(l) Real-time data and Lexile scoring;

(m) Video streaming capability for peer-to-peer reading with students;

(n) Availability to and accessibility by students three hundred sixty-five (365) days, twenty-four (24) hours per day;

(o) Accessibility and compatibility for interfacing on iOS, Android and Microsoft devices;

(p) Being developed on the foundational principles of the science of reading with scope and sequence;

(q) A list of data collection needs to be used in implementation and evaluation of the program; and

(r) Such other matters determined by the board as necessary and desirable for the successful implementation of the pilot program.

(3) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, and each year thereafter, the Legislature shall appropriate to the State Department of Education funds in the amount of Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($750,000.00) for the implementation, support and continuation of the Increasing Reading Efficiency and Accountability Development (iREAD) pilot program.

(4) Before January 1, 2026, the State Board of Education shall submit a report to the Education and Appropriations Committees of the House of Representatives and Senate on the Increasing Reading Efficiency and Accountability Development (iREAD) pilot program. The report must include information documenting:

(a) The effectiveness of the pilot program;

(b) The progression of students in the pilot program;

(i) Students in pilot program schools in the same school district;

(ii) Students in pilot program schools in different school districts;

(iii) Students within the same school district who are not in a pilot program school; and

(iv) Students in different school districts who are not in a pilot program school; and

(d) Recommendations on whether or not the program should be expanded to include additional participants and schools.

SECTION 2. Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, with funds appropriated by the Legislature, the Increasing Reading Efficiency and Accountability Development (iREAD) Pilot Program shall be made available to a minimum of ten thousand (10,000) elementary students in kindergarten through Grade 3 in pilot schools selected by the State Board of Education in each of the four (4) congressional districts, using the criteria developed by the board in accordance with Section 1(3) of this act. With any remaining funds available, the pilot program shall be expanded to additional schools within each congressional district, such schools having evidentiary data reports of chronic reading inefficiency and underperforming readers. Priority shall be given to implementing the program first within each congressional district in eligible schools in "D" and "F" rated school districts having proportionally the largest population of underserved at-risk four-year-old children. Unexpended funds from the prior fiscal year for this program shall be carried forward and shall remain in the program.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.