HOUSE BILL NO. 5932

A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

"The revised school code,"

(MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1531e.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 1531e. (1) In addition to the requirements under sections 1538a and 1531i, as applicable, and subject to subsection (4), the department shall not, beginning September 30, 2027, approve a teacher preparation program or an alternative teaching program and, by September 30, 2027, shall revoke the approval of a teacher preparation program or an alternative teaching program unless the teacher preparation program or alternative teaching program offers instruction regarding all of the following:

(a) The characteristics of dyslexia and underlying factors that place pupils at risk for difficulties in learning to decode accurately and efficiently.

(b) The secondary consequences of dyslexia, such as problems in reading comprehension and a reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge and that can lead to social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties.

(c) Instructional adjustments for pupils with dyslexia and instructional adjustments for addressing underlying factors that place pupils at risk for difficulties in learning to decode accurately and efficiently.

(d) Methods for developing schoolwide and classroom infrastructure that meet the collective and individual needs of pupils using a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework.

(e) For a teacher preparation program or an alternative teaching program that prepares individuals for certification or endorsements that involve reading instruction, language arts, or special education, as appropriate, or for school psychologist licensure, in addition to the requirements in subdivisions (a) to (d), both of the following:

(i) Evidence-based instructional methods and features of evidence-based interventions that are grounded in the science of reading and principles of structured literacy that are designed for pupils with characteristics of dyslexia and pupils at risk for difficulties in learning to decode accurately and efficiently.

(ii) Evidence-based instructional methods and features of evidence-based interventions that are grounded in the science of reading and principles of structured literacy that are designed to effectively meet the needs of most pupils.

(2) Beginning September 30, 2027, if a teacher preparation program or alternative teaching program prepares individuals for certifications or endorsements that involve mathematics, the department shall not approve the teacher preparation program or alternative teaching program and, by September 30, 2027, shall revoke the approval of a teacher preparation program or alternative teaching program unless the mathematics curriculum offered by the teacher preparation program or alternative teaching program was developed in consultation with a professor who specializes in mathematics.

(3) Beginning September 30, 2027, if a teacher preparation program or alternative teaching program prepares individuals for certifications or endorsements that involve science, the department shall not approve the teacher preparation program or alternative teaching program and, by September 30, 2027, shall revoke the approval of a teacher preparation program or alternative teaching program unless the science curriculum offered by the teacher preparation program or alternative teaching program was developed in consultation with a professor who specializes in science.

(4) If a teacher preparation program or alternative teaching program does not prepare individuals for certifications or endorsements that involve reading instruction, language arts, or special education, or for school psychologist licensure, the department may issue a waiver for 1 or more of the requirements in subsections (1)(a) to (d). A waiver issued by the department under this subsection must be reviewed at least every 2 years to ensure the waiver is still appropriate and aligned with the department's goals for teacher preparation.

(5) As used in this section:

(a) "Dyslexia" means both of the following:

(i) A specific learning disorder that is neurobiological in origin and characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities that typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.

(ii) A specific learning disorder that may include secondary consequences, such as problems in reading comprehension and a reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary.

(b) "Evidence-based" means an activity, program, process, service, strategy, or intervention that demonstrates statistically significant effects on improving pupil outcomes or other relevant outcomes and that meets at least both of the following:

(i) At least 1 of the following:

(A) Is based on strong evidence from at least 1 well-designed and well-implemented experimental study.

(B) Is based on moderate evidence from at least 1 well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study.

(C) Is based on promising evidence from at least 1 well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias.

(D) Demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research findings or positive evaluation that the activity, program, process, service, strategy, or intervention is likely to improve pupil outcomes or other relevant outcomes.

(ii) Includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of the activity, program, process, service, strategy, or intervention.

(c) "Multi-tiered system of support (MTSS)" means a comprehensive framework that includes distinct tiers of instructional support and is composed of a collection of evidence-based strategies designed to meet the individual needs and assets of a whole pupil at all achievement levels.

(d) "Science of reading" means a cumulative and evolving body of evidence whose research studies follow a scientific process of inquiry and utilize scientific methods to help answer questions related to reading development and issues related to reading and writing derived from research from multiple fields of cognitive psychology, communication sciences, developmental psychology, education, special education, implementation science, linguistics, and neuroscience.

(e) "Structured literacy" means systematic, direct, explicit, cumulative, and diagnostic instruction that integrates listening, speaking, reading, and writing and emphasizes the structure of language across the speech sound system (phonology); the writing system (orthography); the structure of sentences (syntax); the meaningful parts of words (morphology); the meaning of words, phrases, sentences, and text (semantics); and the processing of oral and written discourse.