1. A. School districts and charter schools shall train teachers who teach reading and site administrators on how to administer the provisions of the High-Quality Literacy Instruction Act. The training shall also cover how to provide differentiated core instruction and other interventions for students with a reading difficulty and how to use evidence-based practices for English language learners, biliteracy, differentiation, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and instructional leadership for bilingual and dual language programs.
2. B. Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, the department shall assign a literacy instructional coach to public elementary schools that have an average reading proficiency in the bottom quartile for reading proficiency in the state.
3. C. A literacy instructional coach assigned to a public elementary school shall work with that school for three consecutive school years, regardless of the school's improvements in reading proficiency, and shall have the primary duty of supporting teachers with literacy instruction. Subject to the availability of funding, a literacy instructional coach may be placed full-time at one elementary school or may split time between multiple schools.

4. D. A literacy instructional coach shall be a certified academic language therapist or have the following qualifications:

   1. (1) a valid level two or level three teaching license;
   2. (2) a bachelor's degree in education and advanced coursework or professional development in the science of reading, multisensory language instruction or other advanced training approved by the department;
   3. (3) a reading endorsement or certification or eligibility for a reading endorsement or certification;
   4. (4) additional qualifications required by department rule; and
   5. (5) for a department-designated school with a significant English language learner enrollment, training and experience in biliteracy or English language development.

History: 1978 Comp., § 22-15G-5, enacted by Laws 2026, ch. 54, § 6.

ANNOTATIONS

Effective dates. — Laws 2026, ch. 54, § 7 made Laws 2026, ch. 54, § 6 effective July 1, 2026.