AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 RELATING TO EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS.

Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 252 is identical to Senate Bill No. 252 except that SS 1 for SB 252 corrects a spelling error in the synopsis to avoid confusion. This Act requires that the Department of Education (Department) perform audits of educator preparation programs (program) to assess compliance with the evidence-based reading instruction requirements, known as the "science of reading", that were enacted on June 30, 2021, by Senate Bill No. 133 (151st). If a program is not compliant with these requirements, the audit findings must specifically identify each area in which the program is not compliant, and the Department must require that the program take corrective action for each non-compliant area. If a program is compliant with all of the science of reading requirements, the Department shall award the program a specific distinction. This Act also requires that the Department use these audits to identify how teacher preparation in reading instruction can be improved and that the audit findings be included in the reports the Department already publishes about educator preparation programs.