79-2605. Supplemental reading intervention program; school district; duties.

(1) Each school district shall provide a supplemental reading intervention program for the purpose of ensuring that students can read at or above grade level at the end of third grade. School districts may work collaboratively with a reading specialist at the State Department of Education, with educational service units, with learning communities, or through interlocal agreements to develop and provide such supplemental reading intervention programs. Each supplemental reading intervention program shall:

(a) Be provided to any student identified as having a reading deficiency;

(b) Be implemented during regular school hours in addition to regularly scheduled reading instruction unless otherwise agreed to by a parent or guardian; and

(c) Make available a summer reading program each summer for any student who has been enrolled in grade one or higher and is identified as continuing to have a reading deficiency at the conclusion of the school year preceding such summer reading program. Such summer reading program may be held in conjunction with existing summer programs in the school district or in a community reading program not affiliated with the school district or may be offered online.

(2) The supplemental reading intervention program may also include:

(a) Reading intervention techniques that are based on scientific research and best practices;

(b) Diagnostic assessments to frequently monitor student progress throughout the school year and adjust instruction accordingly;

(c) Intensive intervention using strategies selected from the following list to match the weaknesses identified in the diagnostic assessment:

(i) Development in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension;

(ii) Explicit and systematic instruction with detailed explanations, extensive opportunities for guided practice, and opportunities for error corrections and feedback; or

(iii) Daily targeted individual or small-group reading intervention based on student needs as determined by diagnostic assessment data subject to planned extracurricular school activities;

(d) Strategies and resources to assist with reading skills at home, including parent-training workshops and suggestions for parent-guided home reading; or

(e) Access to before-school or after-school supplemental reading intervention with a teacher or tutor who has specialized training in reading intervention.

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