1. A. As used in the Strong Readers Act:

   1. 1. "Grade-level targets" means the grade-specific benchmark scores established for the screening instrument selected by the State Board of Education in coordination with the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability;
   2. 2. "Highly qualified teacher" means a teacher or provider with appropriate training and demonstrated competency in evidence-based reading intervention;
   3. 3. "Literacy coach" means an educator with demonstrated expertise in evidence-based literacy instruction who provides job-embedded professional learning, modeling, observation, and feedback to teachers to strengthen core instruction and intervention practices within a multi-tiered system of supports framework. The primary responsibility of a literacy coach is to support educators and administrators in improving instructional practices and schoolwide literacy systems. A literacy coach shall not serve in a supervisory or evaluative capacity to maintain a nonevaluative role that fosters professional trust and growth;
   4. 4. "Multi-tiered system of supports" or "MTSS" means a framework that provides strong core literacy instruction to all students and increasingly intensive levels of instructional support based on student need and demonstrated response to instruction;
   5. 5. "Reading deficiency" means performance below grade-level targets on a screening or diagnostic assessment indicating that a student is not meeting grade-level expectations in one or more reading skill areas;
   6. 6. "Reading interventionist" means an educator trained in evidence-based reading instruction who provides supplemental or intensive intervention to students identified with a reading deficiency or significant reading deficiency, aligned to student data and delivered in addition to core instruction;
   7. 7. "Reading specialist" means an educator who has completed advanced preparation in literacy instruction and assessment and is responsible for designing, delivering, and monitoring targeted and intensive reading intervention services, as well as supporting teachers in addressing reading deficiencies across grade levels. A reading specialist shall have completed a graduate-level specialist degree in reading or literacy and passed the applicable certification examination and shall hold a valid teaching certificate with a reading specialist endorsement;
   8. 8. "Science of reading" means the body of scientifically based research conducted over several decades and across multiple countries, drawing from multiple disciplines including cognitive psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and education, that explains how individuals learn to read and write. The science of reading informs instructional practices that are explicit, systematic, and cumulative, and are aligned to the development of phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, written expression, and oral language development;
   9. 9. "Significant reading deficiency" means a reading deficiency that persists despite supplemental intervention and indicates a need for intensive intervention based on student data and response to instruction;

   10. 10. "Tier 1 – Core Instruction" or "Tier 1" means:

       1. a. the evidence-based reading instruction provided to all students as part of the general education program. Tier 1 instruction shall include high-quality, standards-aligned literacy instruction grounded in the science of reading and delivered during the regular instructional day,
       2. b. Tier 1 shall include universal screening in kindergarten through third grade and ongoing assessment used to identify students who may require additional instructional support. Tier 1 may also include targeted instructional supports delivered within the core instructional setting to address emerging reading needs, and
       3. c. Tier 1 instruction is intended to meet the needs of the majority of students through strong classroom instruction and prevention-focused supports;

   11. 11. "Tier 2 – Supplemental Intervention" or "Tier 2" means:

       1. a. targeted reading intervention provided in addition to Tier 1 core instruction for students identified through screening and progress-monitoring data as requiring additional instructional support to meet grade-level reading expectations. Tier 2 intervention shall:

          1. (1) provide additional instructional time beyond Tier 1 core instruction,
          2. (2) be delivered in small-group settings, typically consisting of three to five students, using evidence-based instructional practices aligned with the science of reading,
          3. (3) target specific skill deficits identified through assessment data, and
          4. (4) include regular progress monitoring to determine the effectiveness of the intervention and guide instructional adjustments, and
       2. b. a student shall be designated as receiving Tier 2 supplemental intervention only when the student is actively participating in scheduled intervention services beyond Tier 1 instruction; and

   12. 12. "Tier 3 – Intensive Intervention" or "Tier 3" means:

       1. a. individualized or highly targeted reading intervention provided in addition to Tier 1 core instruction and Tier 2 supplemental intervention for students demonstrating a significant reading deficiency. Tier 3 intervention shall:

          1. (1) provide substantially increased instructional intensity and frequency beyond Tier 2 supports,
          2. (2) be delivered in individualized or small group settings, typically consisting of one to three students,
          3. (3) be guided by diagnostic assessment to address specific reading skill deficits, and
          4. (4) include frequent progress monitoring to evaluate student response to intervention and guide instructional decision-making, and
       2. b. a student shall be designated as receiving Tier 3 intensive intervention only when the student is actively participating in scheduled intensive intervention services beyond Tier 1 instruction.
2. B. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules establishing implementation guidance for each tier defined in paragraphs 10 through 12 of subsection A of this section including expectations related to instructional time, group size, documentation requirements, and progress-monitoring practices necessary to ensure the effective delivery of intervention services.

Laws 2026, SB 1778, c. 34, § 3, emerg. eff. April 21, 2026.