House Bill 727 Summary

• Requires the State Board of Education to approve three valid, reliable, formative, and diagnostic reading assessment instruments for kindergarten through third grade students, rather than developing and providing a single assessment.

• Each approved assessment instrument must include a minimum of four benchmark assessments, interim formative assessments, and progress monitoring capabilities.

• Directs the State Board to consider assessment approval factors including time required to conduct assessments, integration of results with instructional support, timeliness of reporting to teachers and administrators, and ability to report results to parents and guardians.

• Allows local school administrative units to select one of the three State Board-approved reading assessments for use in their schools, rather than being required to use a single state-provided assessment.

• Prohibits approval of assessments exceeding a cost threshold of funds appropriated for this purpose divided by projected enrollment of students in kindergarten through third grade.