Senate Bill 438 - Excellent Public Schools Act of 2019

• Requires Individual Reading Plans (IRPs) for kindergarten through third grade students identified as below grade level in reading, including specific skill deficiencies, goals, progress monitoring methods, and evidence-based instructional strategies tailored to each student.

• Establishes a Digital Children's Reading Initiative providing free online and printable literacy resources for parents and families, organized by skill deficiency and grade level, to be deployed by the Department of Public Instruction by January 15, 2020.

• Convenes a task force to develop a Comprehensive Plan to Improve Literacy Instruction addressing educator preparation, professional development, teacher licensure, and evidence-based literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading.

• Requires local school administrative units to submit reading camp plans for approval by the Department of Public Instruction, with camps providing at least 72 hours of instruction taught by qualified, compensated teachers based on demonstrated reading outcomes.

• Modifies educator preparation program requirements to include high-quality, evidence-based coursework in reading instruction and literacy interventions, effective for programs applying for approval on or after July 1, 2020.