RIGHT TO READ ACT

Creates the Right to Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education shall offer support: to each public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them using structured literacy instruction; and to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading. Requires the State Board of Education to annually compile and post on its website information on the steps it has undertaken to support school districts to deliver high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction, including a list of any Early Literacy Grant recipients, documentation of how the recipient allocated the funding to support improved literacy, and what evidence-based literacy curricula the recipient is utilizing. Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, requires applicants seeking specified licenses to pass a test in reading foundations, which shall include assessment of the applicant's understanding of phonological and phonemic awareness, concepts of print and the alphabetic principle, the role of phonics in promoting reading development, word analysis skills and strategies, vocabulary development, application of reading comprehension skills and strategies, and methods for assessing reading development. In provisions concerning minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, provides that an applicant who has successfully completed a reading foundations test of at least comparable rigor to the Illinois reading foundations test is not required to complete a reading foundations test. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/21B-20 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Makes changes to the General Assembly's findings. Makes changes concerning the support offered by the State Board of Education to a public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them. Makes changes concerning the support offered by the State Board of Education to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, higher education faculty member, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading, including creation of a tool that school districts and the public may use to evaluate professional development and training programs (instead of the creation of an advisory list of rigorous professional development programs). Further amends the School Code. Requires that, before October 1, 2023, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, review and, as needed, amend its professional licensure standards to align with the principles of evidence-based literacy instruction. Makes changes to the amendatory provisions concerning educator testing, including requiring that applicants seeking specified licenses pass a test in reading foundations after October 1, 2025. Makes changes concerning the minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, including providing that applicants must complete coursework concerning evidence-based methods of reading that include explicit and repeated focus on phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics (decoding), spelling instruction (encoding), vocabulary development, including morphology, reading fluency, oral language development, and reading comprehension, including syntax and background (content) knowledge. Effective immediately.