(a) By July 31, 2021:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 49-5-5619

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) The department shall develop and submit to the state board for approval, foundational literacy skills standards for use by all educator preparation providers for the instruction of candidates seeking a license to teach students in kindergarten through grade three (K-3);
(2) The department shall develop and submit to the state board for approval, foundational literacy skills standards for use by educator preparation providers in instructional leadership specialty area programs for the instruction of candidates seeking an instructional leader license;
(3) The foundational literacy skills standards must include, at a minimum:

(A) How to effectively teach the foundational literacy skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension;
(B) How to differentiate instruction for teaching students with advanced reading skills and students with significant reading deficiencies, as defined in § 49-1-903;
(C) Dyslexia identification and providing effective instruction for teaching students with dyslexia using appropriate scientific research and brain-based multisensory intervention methods and strategies consistent with § 49-6-3004(c)(1)(A);
(D) How to implement reading instruction using high-quality instructional materials;
(E) Behavior management, trauma-informed principles and practices for the classroom, and other developmentally appropriate supports to ensure that students can effectively access reading instruction; and
(F) How to administer universal reading screeners to students and use the resulting data to improve reading instruction for students.
(b)

(1) Beginning August 1, 2022, educator preparation providers must provide to candidates seeking licensure to teach students in kindergarten through grade three (K-3), as well as candidates seeking an instructional leader license, training on reading instruction focused primarily on the foundational literacy skills standards developed and approved in accordance with subsection (a).
(2)

(A) By August 1, 2024, and by each August 1 thereafter, the department, in consultation with the state board, shall annually report to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives the number and percentage of persons licensed to teach students in kindergarten through grade three (K-3) who are employed in Tennessee schools; who are trained by a state board-approved educator preparation provider or another entity responsible for managing, operating, or coordinating programs for the preparation and licensure of teachers, school leaders, and other school personnel; and who earned, for the immediately preceding school year, an overall performance evaluation level of “significantly above expectations,” “above expectations,” “at expectations,” “below expectations,” and “significantly below expectations.” Notwithstanding § 49-5-5614, the department shall publish the report on the department’s website.
(B) The report required by subdivision (b)(2)(A) must include the following information in both a graphic and tabular format:

(i) The numbers and percentages calculated pursuant to subdivision (b)(2)(A) for each of the three (3) most recent years of teacher overall performance evaluation level scores, aggregated by year and program;
(ii) The annual percentage by which each program is expected to reduce the percentage of persons licensed to teach students in kindergarten through grade three (K-3) who are employed in Tennessee schools; trained under this section; and who earned, for the immediately preceding school year, an overall performance evaluation level score of “below expectations,” or “significantly below expectations,” as determined by the department;
(iii) How the number and percentage of persons licensed to teach students in kindergarten through grade three (K-3) who are employed in a Tennessee school; trained by a state board-approved educator preparation provider or another entity responsible for managing, operating, or coordinating programs for the preparation and licensure of teachers, school leaders, and other school personnel; and who earned, for the immediately preceding school year, an overall performance evaluation level score of “below expectations” or “significantly below expectations” change over time, aggregated by year and program; and
(iv) A comparison of the changes in percentages of overall performance evaluation level scores described in subdivision (b)(2)(B)(iii) with the expected reductions in the percentage of licensed teachers described in subdivision (b)(2)(B)(ii), with the programs evaluated on their success in reaching the expected reductions.
(C) The state board of education may place on probationary status or revoke the approval of an educator program provider or any other Tennessee educator issuing entity if the program fails to meet the standards established by the state board of education.
(D) The state board of education may promulgate rules as necessary to effectuate the requirements of subdivisions (b)(2)(A) and (B). The rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
(c)

(1) Effective August 1, 2023, an applicable candidate must:

(A) Provide a certificate documenting the candidate’s passage of a Tennessee reading instruction test developed or identified by the department and approved by the state board that tests the candidate’s knowledge of foundational literacy skills instruction, as defined in § 49-1-903; or
(B) Provide evidence documenting the candidate’s completion of a foundational literacy skills instruction course, as described in § 49-1-906, within the previous year.
(2) The department shall recommend to the state board for approval, the score that constitutes passage of the test described in subdivision (c)(1)(A).
(3) The department shall provide the test described in subdivision (c)(1)(A) at no cost to the candidate or educator preparation provider.
(4) As used in this subsection (c), “applicable candidate” means:

(A) A candidate seeking an initial teaching license or endorsement, or renewing a teaching license, that authorizes the candidate to teach students in kindergarten through grade three (K-3);
(B) A candidate seeking an initial instructional leader license, or renewing or advancing an instructional leader license;
(C) A candidate enrolled in a state-board-approved, post-baccalaureate educator preparation program who holds an initial license authorizing the candidate to teach students in kindergarten through grade three (K-3); who has demonstrated content knowledge in accordance with the state board’s rules and policies; and who is seeking renewal or advancement of the initial teaching license;
(D) A candidate for an initial teaching license that authorizes the candidate to teach students in kindergarten through grade three (K-3) who possesses an active professional-level license in a state that has a reciprocal agreement with the state board pursuant to § 49-5-109, and who is seeking renewal or advancement of the initial teaching license;
(E) A candidate for an initial instructional leader license who possesses an active professional-level license in a state that has a reciprocal agreement with the state board pursuant to § 49-5-109, and who is seeking renewal or advancement of the initial instructional leader license; or
(F) A candidate seeking to renew a professional-level license that authorizes the candidate to teach students in kindergarten through grade three (K-3).
(d) The department shall report the first-time pass rate of applicable candidates on the test described in subdivision (c)(1)(A) to the state board. The state board shall include the first-time pass rate of applicable candidates on the test described in subdivision (c)(1)(A) from each approved educator preparation provider in the state board’s annual teacher preparation report card prepared pursuant to § 49-5-108.
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