In 2022, the General Assembly approved the Read to Succeed Act, which aims to strengthen early literacy across the commonwealth by investing in teachers and promoting evidence-based reading instruction. Recognizing that reading proficiency is essential to long-term academic and life success, the Act requires every elementary school to provide comprehensive, standards-aligned reading instruction; implement a multi-tiered system of supports to help all students read proficiently by the end of third grade; ensure high-quality instruction and targeted intervention by well-trained staff; and establish clear expectations to strengthen foundational preparation within Educator Preparation Programs.
KRS 164.306
Evidence-based reading instructional programming — Teacher preparation tests — Report.
1) Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, postsecondary institutions offering teacher preparation programs for interdisciplinary early childhood education or elementary regular education shall include evidence-based reading instructional programming related to reading instruction in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension and on:
- a) The administration of specific assessment processes and programs used to identify student strengths and needs and that are determined by the Department of Education to be reliable and valid;
- b) The use of assessment data for designing instruction and interventions;
- c) Progress monitoring of student performance; and
- d) Instructional strategies that address students’ individual differences.
2) By January 1, 2024, the Education Professional Standards Board shall develop and maintain a list of approved teacher preparation tests that are determined by the board to be an effective evaluation of reading instruction knowledge and skills.
3) Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, all new teachers seeking certification in interdisciplinary early childhood education or elementary education shall successfully pass an approved teacher preparation test that includes an evaluation of reading instruction knowledge and skills.
4) The Education Professional Standards Board shall report program data to an external evaluator for analysis of postsecondary teacher preparation programs for interdisciplinary early childhood education or elementary regular education for the goal of increasing the success of new teacher candidates in demonstrating reading instruction knowledge and skills.
