(1) Each local education provider shall adopt the procedures necessary to comply with the requirements specified in this part 12. In adopting procedures, a local education provider shall comply with and may exceed the requirements of this part 12. Procedures may include, but need not be limited to, procedures for:

(a) Creating a READ plan and the contents of a READ plan;

(b) Effectively communicating with parents concerning the creation, contents, and implementation of READ plans; and

(c) Determining whether a student who has a significant reading deficiency will advance to the next grade level.

(2) A local education provider is not required to start a READ plan or convert an individual literacy plan to a READ plan for a student who is enrolled in fourth grade or higher as of the 2013-14 school year.

(3) Each local education provider is encouraged to report to the department the strategies and intervention instruction that the local education provider finds effective in assisting students to attain reading competency and to provide copies of effective materials to the department to assist the department in sharing with local education providers best practices in assisting students to attain reading competency.

(4) Local education providers are encouraged to provide parents opportunities to participate in parent reading workshops throughout the school year to assist parents in developing their own reading skills and in developing the skills necessary to assist their children in reading.