Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Senate passed legislation on Jan. 29 that would update literacy standards and curriculum requirements for public school students in kindergarten through third grade.
The bill (S. 2940) would:
• Require districts to use “evidence-based literacy instruction” unless they apply for and receive a waiver to use curriculums not pre-approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
• Require DESE to create and make available a free curriculum that meets the new literacy instruction standards
• Create a special Early Literacy Fund, with an initial investment of $25 million, to support DESE’s development of the new curriculum and professional development resources, and to provide grants to districts
• Set requirements for new student literacy-related screening assessments and reporting requirements
The Senate bill is a revision of a bill passed last year in the House. Differences between the two bills will likely need to be reconciled by a six-member conference committee.