SB329,,177 3. The department shall publish a list of the assessments selected or approved under subd. 1. on its website and submit the lists of approved assessments to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3). If the department modifies a list under subd. 1., the department shall submit the modified list to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3).

SB329,,178 (b) Reports to the legislature. By November 30, 2025, and by each November 30 thereafter, the department shall compile the information it receives under sub. (7) and submit a report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3) that includes the number of pupils identified as at-risk in the previous school year, by school and by school district.

SB329,,179 (9) State aid. (a) Payment for costs. From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (f) and subject to par. (b), the department shall pay a school board or operator of an independent charter school the per pupil cost of each reading readiness assessment required to be administered under sub. (2) or (3). Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the department may pay a school board or operator of an independent charter school under this paragraph only if the school board or operator of the independent charter school does all of the following:

SB329,,180 1. Submits the report required under sub. (7) for the previous school year.

SB329,,181 2. In the report required under sub. (7) for the previous school year, indicates that the school board or operator of the independent charter school used only reading readiness assessments selected or approved under sub. (8) (a) for that school year.

SB329,,182 (b) Proration. If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (f) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay the full amount of aid under par. (a), the department shall prorate state aid payments among the school boards and operators of independent charter schools entitled to the aid.

SB329,,183 (10) Enforcement. (a) If a parent or guardian of a pupil enrolled in 4-year-old kindergarten to 3rd grade in a school district or independent charter school believes that the school board or operator of the independent charter school is not in compliance with this section, the parent or guardian may file a complaint with the department that describes the specific manner in which the school board or operator is not in compliance with this section. The department shall review a complaint received under this paragraph and issue a determination on whether the school board or operator is in compliance with this section. If the department determines that a school board or operator of an independent charter school is not in compliance with this section, the department shall notify the school board or operator of its determination and shall include in the notice the specific actions required for the school board or operator to be in compliance with this section.

SB329,,184 (b) If the department determines under par. (a) that a school board or operator of an independent charter school is not in compliance with this section and the school board or operator continues to fail to comply with this section, the complainant under par. (a) may bring an action for injunctive relief or a writ of mandamus in circuit court to compel the school board to comply with this section.

SB329,,185 (11) Rules. The department may promulgate rules under this section only on the following:

SB329,,186 (a) A process to select or approve assessments under sub. (8) (a).

SB329,,187 (b) A process to request that a specific diagnostic assessment be approved by the department.

SB329,17 Section 17. 118.19 (12) of the statutes is renumbered 118.19 (12) (intro.) and amended to read:

SB329,,189 118.19 (12) (intro.) Beginning on July 1, 1998, the The department may not issue a license that authorizes the holder to teach reading or language arts to pupils in any prekindergarten class or in any of the grades from kindergarten to 6 unless the applicant has successfully completed instruction preparing the applicant to teach reading and language arts using appropriate instructional methods, including phonics. The phonics instruction need not be provided as a separate course. In this subsection, “phonics” means a method of teaching beginners to read and pronounce words by learning the phonetic value of letters, letter groups and syllables. that satisfies all of the following:

SB329,18 Section 18. 118.19 (12) (a) and (b) of the statutes are created to read:

SB329,,191 118.19 (12) (a) The instruction prepared the applicant to teach reading and language arts using science-based early reading instruction, as defined in s. 118.015 (1c) (b).

SB329,,192 (b) For licenses issued on or after July 1, 2026, the instruction did not include 3-cueing, as defined in s. 118.015 (1c) (c), as a method to teach reading and language arts.

SB329,19 Section 19. 118.33 (5m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB329,,194 118.33 (5m) By January 1, 2025, the department shall establish by rule a model policy for promoting a pupil from the 3rd grade to the 4th grade that includes retention based on the pupil’s score on the examination under s. 121.02 (1) (r). The department shall include in the model policy at least all of the following:

SB329,,195 (a) A requirement that a pupil who scores in the lowest proficiency category on the examination under s. 121.02 (1) (r) be retained in the 3rd grade.

SB329,,196 (b) A good cause exception to the requirement under par. (a) for all of the following:

SB329,,197 1. Limited-English proficient pupils, as defined in s. 115.955 (7).

SB329,,198 2. A pupil who has an individual education plan that indicates that taking the examination under s. 121.02 (1) (r) is not appropriate for the pupil.

SB329,,199 3. A pupil who scores as proficient in reading on an alternative standardized assessment approved by the department.

SB329,,200 4. A pupil who has an individual education plan or a plan to provide accommodations or services under section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that indicates that the pupil has received intensive intervention in reading for more than 2 years if the pupil continues to demonstrate a deficiency in reading and was previously retained in kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade.

SB329,,201 5. A pupil who has received intensive intervention in reading for 2 or more school years, continues to demonstrate a deficiency in reading, and was previously retained in kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade for a total of 2 years.

SB329,,202 (c) A requirement that the school board do all of the following for a pupil who is retained in the 3rd grade under the policy:

SB329,,203 1. Provide the pupil with intensive instructional services, progress monitoring, and supports to remediate the identified areas of deficiency.

SB329,,204 2. Notify the pupil’s parent or guardian, in writing, that the pupil did not meet the reading proficiency level required for promotion to 4th grade and include a description of the intensive instructional services and supports that will be provided to the pupil to remediate the identified areas of reading deficiency.

SB329,,205 (d) A requirement that the school board provide an intensive summer reading program for pupils who scored in the lowest proficiency category on the examination under s. 121.02 (1) (r).