(a) As used in this section:

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(1) “Achievement gaps” means the existence of a significant disparity in the academic performance of students among and between (A) racial groups, (B) ethnic groups, (C) socioeconomic groups, (D) genders, and (E) multilingual learners and students whose primary language is English.

(2) “Opportunity gaps” means the ways in which race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, community wealth, familial situations or other factors intersect with the unequal or inequitable distribution of resources and opportunities to contribute to or perpetuate lower educational expectations, achievement or attainment.

(3) “Scientifically-based reading research and instruction” means (A) a comprehensive program or a collection of instructional practices that is based on reliable, valid evidence showing that when such programs or practices are used, students can be expected to achieve satisfactory reading progress, and (B) the integration of instructional strategies for continuously assessing, evaluating and communicating the student’s reading progress and needs in order to design and implement ongoing interventions so that students of all ages and proficiency levels can read and comprehend text and apply higher level thinking skills. Such comprehensive program or collection of practices includes, but is not limited to, instruction in the following areas of reading: Oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, rapid automatic name or letter name fluency and reading comprehension.

(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, the Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success, established pursuant to section 10-14gg, shall oversee an intensive reading instruction program to improve student literacy in grades kindergarten to grade three, inclusive, and close the achievement gaps that result from opportunity gaps. Such intensive reading instruction program shall include routine reading assessments for students in kindergarten to grade three, inclusive, scientifically-based reading research and instruction, an intensive reading intervention strategy, as described in subsection (c) of this section, supplemental reading instruction and reading remediation plans, as described in subsection (d) of this section, and an intensive summer school reading program, as described in subsection (e) of this section. For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, the Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success shall provide, upon request of a local or regional board of education for a town designated as an alliance district, as defined in section 10-262u, the intensive reading instruction program to such board, or may include the intensive reading instruction program in the tiered supports in early literacy provided under the reading readiness program pursuant to section 10-14y.

(c) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, the Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success, shall develop an intensive reading intervention strategy which shall be available to local and regional boards of education for a town designated as an alliance district that have any elementary schools that enroll students who are not reading at or above grade level to ensure that such students are reading proficiently by grade three in such schools. Such intensive reading intervention strategy shall (1) include, but not be limited to, (A) rigorous assessments in reading skills, (B) scientifically-based reading research and instruction, (C) external literacy coaches who have experience and expertise in the science of teaching reading, who will work with the reading data collected, support the principal of the school as needed, observe, and coach classes and supervise the reading interventions, (D) reading interventionists who will develop a reading remediation plan for any student who is reading below proficiency, be responsible for all supplemental reading instruction, and conduct reading assessments as needed, and (E) training for teachers and administrators in scientifically-based reading research and instruction, including, training for school administrators on how to assess a classroom to ensure that all children are proficient in reading by grade three, and (2) outline, at a minimum, how (A) reading data will be collected, analyzed and used for purposes of instructional development, (B) professional and leadership development will be related to reading data analysis and used to support individual teacher and classroom needs, (C) schools will communicate with parents and guardians of students on reading instruction strategies and student reading performance goals, and on opportunities for parents and guardians to partner with teachers and school administrators to improve reading at home and at school, (D) teachers and school leaders will be trained in the science of teaching reading, (E) periodic student progress reports will be issued, and (F) such intensive reading intervention strategy will be monitored at the classroom level. The commissioner shall review and evaluate the intensive reading intervention strategy for model components that may be used and replicated in other alliance districts to ensure that all children are proficient in reading by grade three.

(d) (1) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education for a town designated as an alliance district shall, in consultation with the Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success, provide supplemental reading instruction to students in kindergarten to grade three, inclusive, who are reading below proficiency, as identified by the reading assessment described in section 10-14t. Such supplemental reading instruction shall be provided by a reading interventionist during regular school hours.

(2) A reading remediation plan shall be developed by a reading interventionist for each student enrolled in an elementary school in an alliance district in kindergarten to grade three, inclusive, who has been identified as reading below proficiency to address and correct the reading deficiency of such student. Such remediation plan shall include instructional strategies that utilize research-based reading instruction materials and teachers trained in reading instruction, parental involvement in the implementation of the remediation plan and regular progress reports on such student.

(3) The principal of each elementary school in an alliance district shall notify the parent or guardian of any student in kindergarten to grade three, inclusive, who has been identified as being below proficiency in reading. Such notice shall be in writing and (A) include an explanation of why such student is below proficiency in reading, and (B) inform such parent or guardian that a remediation plan, as described in subdivision (2) of this subsection, will be developed for such student to provide supplemental reading instruction, including strategies for the parent or guardian to use at home with such student.

(e) (1) Each local and regional board of education for a town designated as an alliance district shall, in consultation with the Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success, provide any student in kindergarten to grade three, inclusive, who is reading below proficiency at the end of the school year with an intensive summer school reading instruction program. Such intensive summer school reading instruction program shall include, (A) a comprehensive reading intervention program, (B) scientifically-based reading research and instruction strategies and interventions, (C) diagnostic assessments administered to a student prior to or during an intensive summer school reading instruction program to determine such student’s particularized need for instruction, (D) teachers who are trained in the teaching of reading and reading assessment and intervention, and (E) weekly progress monitoring to assess the reading progress of such student and tailor instruction for such student.

(2) Each local and regional board of education for a town designated as an alliance district providing supplemental reading instruction as part of the intensive reading instruction program under this section shall submit reports to the Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success, at such time and in such manner as prescribed by the Department of Education, on (A) student reading progress for each student reading below proficiency based on the data collected from the screening and progress monitoring of such student using the reading assessments described in section 10-14t, and (B) the specific reading interventions and supports implemented.

(f) Not later than October 1, 2022, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Education shall report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on student reading levels in the intensive reading instruction program. Such report shall include recommendations on model components of the school intensive reading intervention strategy that may be used and replicated in other alliance districts.