HB 684 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in evidence-based reading instruction, further providing for definitions, providing for school entity duties related to evidence-based reading instruction, for school entity duties related to reading screening, for reading deficiency identification and parental notification, for reading intervention plans, for grant program, for funding, for reporting, for accountability and for construction.

PRINTER'S NO.   1557

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 684
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY ORTITAY, FLEMING, MARCELL, JAMES, FREEMAN,
        M. MACKENZIE, KHAN, CUTLER, DONAHUE, MENTZER, NEILSON, DALEY,
        GREEN, MADDEN, STAATS, WHITE, FIEDLER, D. WILLIAMS, WEBSTER,
        GAYDOS, SMITH-WADE-EL, KOZAK, VENKAT AND KUTZ, APRIL 30, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MAY 1, 2025


                                       AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the public school system, including certain
 3      provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
 4      schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
 5      laws relating thereto," in evidence-based reading
 6      instruction, further providing for definitions, providing for
 7      school entity duties related to evidence-based reading
 8      instruction, for school entity duties related to reading
 9      screening, for reading deficiency identification and parental
10      notification, for reading intervention plans, for grant
11      program, for funding, for reporting, for accountability and
12      for construction.
13      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14   hereby enacts as follows:
15      Section 1.     Section 1501-N of the act of March 10, 1949
16   (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
17   amended by adding a definition to read:
18   Section 1501-N.    Definitions.
19      The following words and phrases when used in this article
20   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
21   context clearly indicates otherwise:
22      * * *
 1      "Parent."     An individual who has legal custody or
 2   guardianship of a student.
 3      * * *
 4      Section 2.     The act is amended by adding sections to read:
 5   Section 1503-N.     School entity duties related to evidence-based
 6                  reading instruction.
 7      A school entity shall do all of the following beginning with
 8   the 2026-2027 school year:
 9            (1)   Adopt an evidence-based reading instruction
10      curriculum.
11            (2)   Approve a professional development training program
12      from a list developed by the council, that satisfies the
13      requirements under section 1205.8(c) for educators providing
14      reading instruction.
15            (3)   Identify an educator responsible for assisting each
16      school with the implementation of the curriculum adopted
17      under paragraph (1).
18            (4)   Demonstrate that each educator responsible for
19      providing reading instruction or coaching is in the process
20      of completing approved professional development under
21      paragraph (2). An educator must complete approved
22      professional development training under paragraph (2) no
23      later than the beginning of the 2028-2029 school year.
24   Section 1504-N.     School entity duties related to reading
25                  screening.
26      (a)   General rule.--A school entity shall do all of the
27   following beginning with the 2026-2027 school year:
28            (1)   Screen each student enrolled in kindergarten through
29      third grade for reading competency three times each school
30      year, once at the beginning of the school year, once during

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 1      the middle of the year and once at the end of the school
 2      year. In conducting the screening, the school entity shall
 3      use a universal reading screener chosen from the list of
 4      approved universal reading screeners under section 1502-N(b).
 5            (2)   Provide educators time during the contractual school
 6      day to complete data entry and compilation associated with
 7      the screener, to communicate with families and carry out any
 8      other responsibility required under this section.
 9      (b)   Exception.--Students with limited English proficiency,
10   students with disabilities and gifted students are subject to
11   the requirements of this section, unless the assessment would
12   conflict with the educational program, plan or service agreement
13   provided in accordance with Federal or State law and regulation.
14   Section 1505-N.     Reading deficiency identification and parental
15                  notification.
16      (a)   Student.--A student in kindergarten through grade three
17   shall be identified as having a reading deficiency if an
18   approved universal reading screener administered under section
19   1504-N identifies the student at risk for reading failure.
20      (b)   Reading deficiency.--A student who is identified as
21   having a reading deficiency under subsection (a) shall remain
22   identified as having a reading deficiency until the student
23   performs at or above an identified threshold level using at
24   least three data points, which may include:
25            (1)   results on a universal reading screener;
26            (2)   the educator's professional judgment on a student's
27      performance;
28            (3)   progress monitoring outcomes;
29            (4)   diagnostic assessments;
30            (5)   benchmark assessments; and

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 1            (6)   formative or summative assessments.
 2      (c)   Parental notification.--A school entity shall notify, in
 3   writing or electronically:
 4            (1)   Each parent of a kindergarten student who exhibits a
 5      deficiency in reading in the third screening at the end of
 6      the school year.
 7            (2)   Each parent of a first through third grade student
 8      who exhibits a deficiency in reading during the school year
 9      after the identification of the reading deficiency, including
10      periodic updates three times per year regarding the student's
11      progress.
12      (d)   Construction.--Nothing under this section shall be
13   construed to prohibit a school entity from identifying a student
14   in another grade level as being in need of reading
15   interventions.
16   Section 1506-N.    Reading intervention plans.
17      (a)   Duty of school entity.--A school entity shall offer a
18   reading intervention plan to each student in kindergarten
19   through grade three who is identified as having a reading
20   deficiency under section 1505-N with the goal of ensuring that
21   the student can read at or above grade level by the end of grade
22   three.
23      (b)   Development.--The reading intervention plan shall be
24   developed by an educator.
25      (c)   Contents.--The reading intervention plan shall, at a
26   minimum, include reading intervention approaches and be provided
27   in addition to:
28            (1)   instruction provided to each student in the general
29      education classroom; and
30            (2)   evidence-based instruction curriculum.

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 1   Section 1507-N.    Grant program.
 2      (a)   Establishment.--The department shall establish a grant
 3   program to aid school entities with costs associated with
 4   training and other resources necessary to implement this
 5   article. The total amount of grants awarded shall be limited to
 6   funds appropriated for this purpose under section 1508-N.
 7      (b)   Application.--The department shall develop an
 8   application form that school entities must use to apply for a
 9   grant under the program. Grant applications must be submitted in
10   accordance with guidelines developed by the department.
11   Section 1508-N.    Funding.
12      The department shall use the following funding sources to
13   award grants to school entities and administer the program,
14   including providing professional coaching and contracting with
15   multiple service providers to provide coaching support in the
16   program as required under section 1205.8:
17            (1)   Appropriations to the department for the purpose of
18      this article.
19            (2)   Appropriations to the department for general
20      government operations.
21            (3)   Money made available to the department from other
22      public and private sources, including the Federal Government.
23   Section 1509-N.    Reporting.
24      (a)   School entity report.--Beginning September 30, 2027, and
25   continuing each September 30 thereafter, a school entity shall
26   report annually to the department the following:
27            (1)   The number and percentage of students, disaggregated
28      by grade and by individual school, identified with a
29      potential reading deficiency at the beginning of the school
30      year according to the first screening of the school year

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 1      required under section 1504-N and the literacy intervention
 2      approaches provided.
 3            (2)   The number and percentage of students, disaggregated
 4      by grade and by individual school, identified with a
 5      potential reading deficiency at the end of the school year
 6      according to the final screening of the school year required
 7      under section 1504-N.
 8            (3)   The number of students, disaggregated by grade and
 9      by individual school, excepted from the assessment under
10      section 1504-N(b).
11            (4)   The evidence-based reading instruction curricula
12      adopted under this article by the school entity.
13            (5)   The number of educators in the school entity who
14      have received professional development under section 1502-
15      N(b)(3) and the type of professional development received.
16      (b)   Department report.--Beginning November 30, 2027, and
17   continuing each November 30 thereafter, the department shall
18   produce an annual report that provides the information reported
19   to the department under subsection (a).
20      (c)   Report data.--Data included in the report shall be
21   deidentified and comply with 20 U.S.C. § 1232g (relating to
22   family educational and privacy rights).
23      (d)   Public posting.--The department shall post the report
24   required under this section on the department's publicly
25   accessible Internet website, and shall submit the report to each
26   of the following:
27            (1)   The Governor.
28            (2)   The State Board of Education.
29            (3)   The President pro tempore of the Senate.
30            (4)   The Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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 1            (5)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
 2      Education Committee of the Senate.
 3            (6)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
 4      Education Committee of the House of Representatives.
 5   Section 1510-N.    Accountability.
 6      (a)     Duties of the department.--The department shall monitor
 7   and enforce school entity compliance with this article as
 8   follows:
 9            (1)   Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, and
10      continuing each school year thereafter, the department shall
11      develop a plan to monitor progress of a school entity's
12      structured literacy program to ensure improved educational
13      outcomes.
14            (2)   If a school entity is not in compliance with this
15      article or its students are not demonstrating progress in
16      reading skills or proficiency, the department shall implement
17      appropriate and evidence-based corrective actions, including
18      literacy coaches and other resources.
19      (b)     Effect of noncompliance.--A school entity that declines
20   department assistance under subsection (a) forfeits grant
21   funding under this article.
22   Section 1511-N.    Construction.
23      Nothing in this article shall be construed to supersede or
24   preempt the rights, remedies and procedures afforded to school
25   employees or labor organizations under Federal or State law or
26   any provision of a collective bargaining agreement negotiated
27   between a school employer and an exclusive representative of the
28   employees in accordance with the act of July 23, 1970 (P.L.563,
29   No.195), known as the Public Employe Relations Act.
30      Section 3.     This act shall take effect immediately.

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