DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Colorado State Board of Education RULES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF COLORADO BASIC LITERACY ACT 1 CCR 301-42 [Editor’s Notes follow the text of the rules at the end of this CCR Document.] _________________________________________________________________________ 2207501-R-1.00 Statement of Basis and Purpose.

The statutory basis for these Rules is found in the Colorado Revised Statutes 22-2-106(1)(a) and (c), 22- 2-107(1)(c), and 22-7-501 - 507, Colorado Basic Literacy Act. These Rules establish the standards and criteria for the assessment of literacy in all students Kindergarten through third grades. The Act calls for the State Board of Education to determine the reading readiness level for Kindergarten pupils and literacy and reading comprehension levels for pupils in first, second and third grades; approve and identify to each school district instruments for assessing the basic reading skill and reading comprehension of each pupil in first, second and third grades; and promulgate rules to permit exceptions to the retention of pupils in third grade reading class.

1.01 The Basic Purposes of the Colorado Basic Literacy Act

- To provide a process for the State Board to fulfill its constitutional responsibility for supervising the public schools of the State.

- To provide pupils with the literacy skills essential for success in school and life. - To promote high literacy standards for all students in Kindergarten through third grade. - To help all schools improve the educational opportunities for literacy and performance for all students.

- To ensure that all students are adequately prepared to meet Colorado's 4th Grade Reading Standards and Benchmarks as stated in H.B. 93-1313.

1.02 Introduction

These rules describe the requirements for implementing the Colorado Basic Literacy Act. The first part defines terms used throughout this document. The second part specifies procedures necessary to implement the Colorado Basic Literacy Act. The third part states the criteria for selection of reading assessment instruments. The fourth part lists the exceptions to the law.

2.0 Definitions

2.01 Adequately validated accepted scientific standards : Standards based on rigorous, systematic and objective procedures that allow the user to predict with confidence that a decision (e.g., student assessment result, selection of reading strategy or program) is appropriate.

2.02 All students : Every student regardless of gender, socioeconomic level; disadvantaged status; racial, ethnic, or cultural background; exceptional abilities; or limited English proficiency. (For clarification on implementation of the Rules, refer to Section 5.) Code of Colorado Regulations 1

2.03 Background knowledge : Knowledge that stems from previous experience.

2.04 Body of evidence : A collection of data about a student which, when seen in its entirety, documents a student's performance level.

2.05 Comprehension : The reason for reading; making meaning of the written word.

2.06 Concepts about print : Awareness that print carries a message; that there are conventions of print, such as directionality (left to right, top to bottom); differences between letters and words; spaces between words; distinctions between upper and lower case; and characteristics of a book (such as, title, author, front/back).

2.07 Fluency : The capacity to read words in connected text with sufficient accuracy and speed to comprehend what is read.

2.08 Performance levels : Indications of a student's ability to read and gather information from text of increasing difficulty levels.

2.09 Phonemic awareness : The ability to notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds in spoken words.

2.10 Phonics : The relationships between the letters (graphemes) of written language and the individual sounds (phonemes) of spoken language. Word attack skills will fall under the phonics component.

2.11 Phonological awareness : Awareness of speech at the level of sounds, syllables, words, and phrases.

2.12 Proficiency level : The level of performance that indicates a student is competent at reading and gathering information from text of increasing difficulty levels.

2.13 Progress monitoring assessments : Assessments that determine if students are making adequate progress or need more intervention to achieve grade level reading outcomes.

2.14 Reading assessment instruments : The means of determining a student's reading performance level. For the purposes of this Bill, these instruments need to refer to Colorado Content Standards that focus on reading.

2.15 Reading readiness : Possessing the prior knowledge that will allow a student to progress through early reading instruction successfully.

2.16 Reading comprehension : A process by which the reader constructs meaning from written communication.

2.17 Reading content standards : Statements from Colorado Content Standards focused on reading that define what a student should know and be able to do in order to be proficient in reading.

2.18 Reading process : The course of change in an individual's reading from the beginning to the more mature reading skills of word attack and comprehension in order to become a proficient reader.

2.19 Screening assessments : Assessments that are administered to determine which children are at risk for reading difficulty and who will need additional intervention.

2.20 Sense of story : Understanding that stories have a format, such as beginning, middle, and end. Code of Colorado Regulations 2

2.21 Vocabulary : The words we must know to communicate effectively.

Listening vocabulary : The words we need to know to understand what we hear. Speaking vocabulary : The words we use when we speak.

Reading vocabulary : The words we need to know to understand when we read. Writing vocabulary : The words we use when writing.

2.22 Voice-print match : The one-to-one match between oral reading and the words of a text (i.e. beginning readers are able to point to each word when spoken).

2.23 Schema : A system of cognitive structures stored in memory that are abstract representations of events, objects, and relationships in the world.

3.0 Proficiency levels

Learning to read develops over time as a result of quality instruction and appropriate practice. Thus, the levels of proficiency must be aligned to Colorado Model Content Standards. As a result, continuity in literacy instruction is maintained from Kindergarten through third grade.

3.01 Kindergarten proficiency

3.01(1) By the end of Kindergarten, students will demonstrate a foundation of reading strategies that prepares them for reading at higher levels. This requires knowing: 3.01(1)(a) A sense of story that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being able to do the following:

3.01(1)(a)(i) Tell a simple story with a beginning, middle, and end. 3.01(1)(a)(ii) Retell a known story in own words and in correct sequence. 3.01(1)(a)(iii) Listen to and comprehend a variety of genres. 3.01(1)(a)(iv) Generate a picture/written response to text listened to or read. 3.01(1)(a)(v) Connect information and events in texts to life experiences. 3.01(1)(a)(vi) Identify characters, setting, and key events in a text. 3.01(1)(b) Concepts about print that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, 3.01(1)(b)(i) Handle books correctly.

3.01(1)(b)(ii) Understand directionality of print.

3.01(1)(b)(iii) Focus on word after word in sequence (voice-print match). 3.01(1)(b)(iv) Use pictures to predict print.

3.01(1)(b)(v) Realize that print carries meaning.

Code of Colorado Regulations 3 3.01(1)(c) Phonological and phonemic awareness that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to students being able to do the following:

3.01(1)(c)(i) Recognize, hear, and produce patterns of sound in oral language (i.e., rhyming words).

3.01(1)(c)(ii) Identify, blend, and segment the phonemes of most one-syllable words (e.g., dog, /d/ /o/ /g/).

3.01(1)(d) Letter and word recognition that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being able to do the following:

3.01(1)(d)(i) Recognize and name all letters.

3.01(1)(d)(ii) Apply knowledge of letter-sounds to decode single-syllable words (e.g., dog, cat).

3.01(1)(d)(iii) Know letter sounds.

3.01(1)(d)(iv) Read simple words including a few sight words (e.g., a, the, i, my, you, is, and, are, and simple words used in a child's oral language). 3.01(1)(e) Vocabulary that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being 3.01(1)(e)(i) Talk about words and word meaning as encountered in books and conversation.

3.01(1)(e)(ii) Identify and sort common words within basic categories (e.g., colors, shapes, food).

3.01(1)(f) Fluency that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being 3.01(1)(f)(i) Read orally simple text containing familiar word patterns. 3.01(1)(f)(ii) Express knowledge of words used in instruction such as prepositions, common nouns, verbs, and pronouns.

3.02 First grade proficiency

3.02(1) By the end of first grade, students will use reading strategies to gain meaning from print at the first grade level. These strategies will prepare them for reading narrative and expository material beyond the first grade level. This requires: 3.02(1)(a) An understanding of text read aloud to the child or read by the child, that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being able to do the following: 3.02(1)(a)(i) Use a range of strategies efficiently when constructing meaning from text being listened to or read.

3.02(1)(a)(ii) Activate schema/background knowledge.

3.02(1)(a)(iii) Ask questions.

Code of Colorado Regulations 4 3.02(1)(a)(iv) Retell, summarize, and/or synthesize important information. 3.02(1)(a)(v) Create mental images of places, characters, and events. 3.02(1)(a)(vi) Draw inferences.

3.02(1)(a)(vii) Use a variety of strategies to monitor and maintain 3.02(1)(a)(viii) Read, comprehend, and listen to a range of genres: narrative texts (e.g., stories, songs, poems, plays) and expository texts (e.g., trade books, how-to books).

3.02(1)(a)(ix) Retell narrative text using characters, setting, and sequence of 3.02(1)(a)(x) Retell expository text using main idea and some supporting details. 3.02(1)(a)(xi) Generate a written or oral response to what has been read. 3.02(1)(a)(xii) Connect information and events in texts to life experiences. 3.02(1)(b) Phonemic awareness that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, 3.02(1)(b)(i) Use onset and rime to create new words that include blends and digraphs.

3.02(1)(b)(ii) Hear and identify initial, medial, and final sounds of a given word. 3.02(1)(b)(iii) Hear the similarities of sounds in words and rhythmical patterns in a sequence.

3.02(1)(b)(iv) Recognize alliteration.

3.02(1)(c) Letter and word recognition that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, 3.02(1)(c)(i) Recognize and apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including consonants, consonant blends, digraphs, common short and long vowel patterns to decode words.

3.02(1)(d) Vocabulary that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being 3.02(1)(d)(i) Demonstrate a reading vocabulary of 300-500 words, including sight words and one and two syllable words.

3.02(1)(d)(ii) Use sentence structure and background knowledge to understand word meanings.

3.02(1)(d)(iii) Understand and generate vocabulary specific to content. 3.02(1)(e) Fluency that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being Code of Colorado Regulations 5 3.02(1)(e)(i) Read orally grade level materials, attending to phrasing, intonation, and punctuation.

3.03 Second grade proficiency

3.03(1) By the end of second grade, students will use strategies independently to gain meaning from print at the second grade level. These strategies will prepare them for reading narrative and expository material beyond second grade level. 3.03(1)(a) Efficient use of a range of strategies when constructing meaning from text, that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being able to do the following:

3.03(1)(a)(i) Activate schema/background knowledge.

3.03(1)(a)(ii) Determine importance of information.

3.03(1)(a)(iii) Ask questions.

3.03(1)(a)(iv) Retell, summarize, and/or synthesize important information. 3.03(1)(a)(v) Create mental images of characters, events, and places. 3.03(1)(a)(vi) Draw inferences.

3.03(1)(a)(vii) Use a variety of strategies to monitor and maintain 3.03(1)(a)(viii) Read, comprehend, and listen to a range of genres: narrative texts (e.g., stories, sounds, poems, plays) and expository texts (e.g., trade books, how-to books).

3.03(1)(a)(ix) Retell narrative text using characters, setting, and sequence of 3.03(1)(a)(x) Retell expository text using main idea and some supporting details. 3.03(1)(a)(xi) Generate a written or oral response to what has been read. 3.03(1)(a)(xii) Connect information and events in texts to life experiences. 3.03(1)(a)(xiii) State the purpose for reading.

3.03(1)(a)(xiv) Interpret information from simple diagrams, charts, and graphs. 3.03(1)(a)(xv) Read and follow simple written directions. 3.03(1)(b) Phonemic awareness that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, 3.03(1)(b)(i) Use knowledge of blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes in one or more syllable words.

3.03(1)(b)(ii) Identify the presence of word endings (e.g., -ed, -s, -ing). Code of Colorado Regulations 6 3.03(1)(b)(iii) Recognize alliteration.

3.03(1)(c) Letter and word recognition that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, 3.03(1)(c)(i) Recognize and use knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including diphthongs, common vowel patterns, and common word endings to decode unknown words.

3.03(1)(c)(ii) Demonstrate a reading vocabulary of 1,000 words, including sight words and multisyllabic words.

3.03(1)(d) Vocabulary that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being 3.03(1)(d)(i) Use sentence structure and background knowledge to understand word meanings.

3.03(1)(d)(ii) Understand and generate vocabulary specific to content. 3.03(1)(e) Fluency that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being 3.03(1)(e)(i) Orally read grade level materials attending to phrasing, intonation, and punctuation.

3.03(1)(e)(ii) Adjust reading pace to accommodate purpose, style, and difficulty of text.

3.04 Third grade proficiency

3.04(1) By the end of third grade, students will be fluent readers with a full range of reading strategies to apply to reading a wide variety of increasingly difficult narrative and expository text at the third grade level. This requires:

3.04(1)(a) An understanding of the text that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, 3.04(1)(a)(i) Use a range of strategies efficiently when constructing meaning from text.

3.04(1)(a)(ii) Retell, summarize, and/or synthesize important information. 3.04(1)(a)(iii) Apply information and make connections from reading. 3.04(1)(a)(iv) Activate schema/background knowledge.

3.04(1)(a)(v) Determine importance.

3.04(1)(a)(vi) Ask questions.

3.04(1)(a)(vii) Create images.

3.04(1)(a)(viii) Draw inferences.

Code of Colorado Regulations 7 3.04(1)(a)(ix) Use a variety of strategies to monitor and maintain 3.04(1)(a)(x) Read and understand a wide range of genres (e.g., directions, poems, biographies, historical fiction, expository texts, narratives). 3.04(1)(a)(xi) Retell narrative text using characters, setting, and sequence of 3.04(1)(a)(xii) Retell expository text using main idea and some supporting details.

3.04(1)(a)(xiii) Generate a response to reading citing examples from text. 3.04(1)(a)(xiv) Connect information and events in texts to life experiences. 3.04(1)(a)(xv) State the purpose for reading.

3.04(1)(a)(xvi) Interpret information from simple diagrams, charts, and graphs. 3.04(1)(a)(xvii) Read and follow simple written directions. 3.04(1)(a)(xviii) Summarize text passages.

3.04(1)(a)(xix) Understand literary elements (e.g., content, plot, setting, problem/solution, character development).

3.04(1)(a)(xx) Compare one text to another.

3.04(1)(b) Letter and word recognition that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being able to do the following:

3.04(1)(b)(i) Apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships and syllable spelling patterns to decode words in order to comprehend connected text. 3.04(1)(c) Vocabulary that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being 3.04(1)(c)(i) Understand vocabulary essential to text.

3.04(1)(c)(ii) Understand and generate vocabulary specific to content. 3.04(1)(c)(iii) Use a range of strategies (e.g., context, prefixes, suffixes, roots). 3.04(1)(c)(iv) Use a range of resources (e.g., reference guides). 3.04(1)(c)(vi) Recognize common prefixes, suffixes, and roots in multisyllabic words.

3.04(1)(d) Fluency that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, students being 3.04(1)(d)(i) Read grade level materials attending to phrasing, intonation, and punctuation.

Code of Colorado Regulations 8 3.02(1)(d)(ii) Read silently and often for extended period of time. 3.04(1)(d)(iii) Adjust reading pace to accommodate purpose and difficulty of text.

4.0 Assessment Instruments

4.01 Reading assessment criteria approved by the State Board of Education will be supported by adequately validated accepted scientific standards that reflect the complexity of the reading process. These assessments must also inform reading instruction, provide information about student growth, and yield information about students' reading in relationship to the proficiency level as defined in 3.0.

4.02 The purposes of assessment required for this Bill fall in three categories: 4.02(1) Screening: To identify who needs to be placed on individual literacy plans based on needs related to specific grade level proficiencies 4.02(2) Progress Monitoring: To monitor progress of students who are on individual literacy plans 4.02(3) End-of-Year Proficiency: To assess proficiency levels at the end of grades K-3.

4.03 Instruments for assessing the reading readiness and the reading comprehension levels of readers will reflect the complexity of reading as defined by the following criteria. Assessments must: 4.03(1) Align with local content standards that meet or exceed the Colorado standards for reading.

4.03(2) Align with the K-3 reading performance descriptions as defined in 3.0. 4.03(3) Include multiple measures over time that constitute a body of evidence regarding students' reading performance.

4.03(4) Include a variety of text structures, response formats, and administrative procedures (individual, small group, whole group).

4.04 Along with meeting the criteria stipulated in 4.03, districts must select valid and reliable instruments that assess students' reading performance at the end of third grade that meet the following requirements:

4.04(1) Can be compared across schools and districts.

4.04(2) Yield information about student performance level that can be summarized and aggregated for reporting.

4.04(3) Are among the instruments approved by the State Board of Education.

4.05 The school district has the responsibility to determine that their selected instruments meet the criteria outlined in 4.01 through 4.04.

5.0 Exceptions

Code of Colorado Regulations 9 5.01 As mandated by 22-53-604(5)(a), students continue with reading instruction in the fourth grade reading class when they are reading at or above the reading proficiency level described in 3.04. Those students reading below the proficiency level described in 3.04 will continue to receive intensive grade reading instruction as described in their Individual Literacy Plan and designed to enable them to meet or exceed third grade reading proficiency. 5.01(1) As stated in 22-53-604(5)(b), children with disabilities, as defined in section 22-20- 103(1.5) when the disability is a substantial cause for a pupil's inability to read and comprehend at grade level.

5.02 As reading comprehension is dependent upon students' understanding of the language, children with limited English proficiencies, as determined by the individual district's criteria and documentation, must be assessed in their language of reading instruction, leading to their proficiency in reading English.

_________________________________________________________________________ Editor’s Notes History Code of Colorado Regulations 10