SB 1 / Chamber Supports
Senate Bill 1, a Chamber policy priority aimed at boosting declining reading and literacy rates, passed out of the House Education Committee this week with a 9-4 party line vote.
With nearly one in five Indiana students struggling to read by the end of third grade and roughly the same ratio of working-age Hoosiers lacking basic literacy skills, there’s little disagreement that this issue is cause for concern and general agreement, with one notable exception, on policy remedies being considered this session.
Most of the language in SB 1 has been greeted with broad bipartisan support, including earlier identification of student reading deficiencies in early grades, more proactive summer school and tutoring support for at-risk students and an emphasis on evidence-based instructional strategies grounded in valid science of reading research.
Policymakers have parted ways, however, when it comes to SB 1’s provisions pertaining to whether students who can’t read by the end of third grade should be held back, or “retained.” During nearly three hours of committee testimony this week, retention dominated the discussion with Democrat lawmakers and those testifying in opposition to SB 1 arguing that the retention language should be removed altogether or delayed until science of reading reforms adopted last session have more time to take effect.
Senator Linda Rogers (R-Granger), the bill’s author, and the Indiana Department of Education maintain that retention is a last resort option with multiple “good cause” exemptions for English learners, students with disabilities and students who have been held back previously. To mitigate the risk of struggling students falling further and further behind, the Chamber and other SB 1 advocates contend that reading policies that combine proactive intervention with selective retention are preferable to social promotion practices that advance students to the next grade level regardless of skill level.
Senate Bill 1 is now headed to the House Ways and Means Committee, where it’s expected to be heard next week.
