SB 700 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in evidence-based reading instruction, further providing for definitions and for evidence-based reading instruction curriculum and providing for reading screening, for reading deficiency and identification, for school entity duties and reading intervention plan, for parent notification, for grants to school entities, for funding and for reporting; and establishing the Evidence-based Reading Instruction Restricted Account.

PRINTER'S NO.   714

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 700
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY ROBINSON, HUGHES, COLEMAN, PENNYCUICK, FONTANA,
        HAYWOOD, KIM, CULVER, FLYNN, COSTA, J. WARD, STREET, STEFANO
        AND SANTARSIERO, APRIL 30, 2025

     REFERRED TO EDUCATION, APRIL 30, 2025


                                       AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the public school system, including certain
 3      provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
 4      schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
 5      laws relating thereto," in evidence-based reading
 6      instruction, further providing for definitions and for
 7      evidence-based reading instruction curriculum and providing
 8      for reading screening, for reading deficiency and
 9      identification, for school entity duties and reading
10      intervention plan, for parent notification, for grants to
11      school entities, for funding and for reporting; and
12      establishing the Evidence-based Reading Instruction
13      Restricted Account.
14      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
15   hereby enacts as follows:
16      Section 1.     Section 1501-N of the act of March 10, 1949
17   (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
18   amended by adding definitions to read:
19   Section 1501-N.    Definitions.
20      The following words and phrases when used in this article
21   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
22   context clearly indicates otherwise:
23      * * *
 1      "Core curriculum."        The curriculum for English language arts
 2   that is adopted for tier 1 instruction to all students.
 3      * * *
 4      "Parent."      An individual who has legal custody or
 5   guardianship of a student.
 6      * * *
 7      Section 2.         Section 1502-N of the act, added October 31, 2024
 8   (P.L.1129, No.135), is amended to read:
 9   Section 1502-N.        Evidence-based reading instruction curriculum.
10      (a)   Department duties and expiration.--
11            (1)    The department shall develop a process for a vendor
12      to submit an evidence-based reading instruction curriculum
13      for review by the department, in consultation with the
14      council, for inclusion on the list developed and maintained
15      under paragraph (2).
16            (2)    By June 1, 2025, the department shall develop and
17      maintain a list of evidence-based reading instruction
18      curricula [that meets] for use in school entities. A
19      curriculum on this list must meet all of the following
20      requirements:
21                   (i)    [The curricula shall be] Be aligned with the
22            Commonwealth's academic standards and the science of
23            reading.
24                   (ii)    [The curricula shall include] Include a logical
25            scope and sequence for implementing curriculum that is
26            systematic and cumulative.
27            (3)    The department shall maintain all of the following
28      on the department's publicly accessible Internet website:
29                   (i)    The current list of curricula under paragraph
30            (2).

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 1              (ii)    The criteria and rubrics used to identify high-
 2        quality curriculum under paragraph (2) and to approve
 3        universal reading screeners under [subsection (b)]
 4        section 1503-N(d)(1). The criteria and rubrics must be
 5        developed in consultation with the council.
 6        (4)   The department shall provide a process through which
 7    a school entity can submit an application for additional
 8    curriculum that meets the requirements under paragraph (2)
 9    for inclusion on the list developed and maintained by the
10    department under paragraph (2).
11        (5)   The department shall establish a reading leadership
12    council that shall advise the department on the development
13    and maintenance of the list of reading instruction curricula
14    [that meets the requirements] required under paragraph (2), a
15    list of structured literacy professional development training
16    programs that successfully meet the essential content
17    requirements in section 1205.8(c)(1), the list of universal
18    reading screeners and the list of structured literacy
19    intervention approaches [that meets the requirements under
20    subsection (b)] required under section 1503-N(d)(1). The
21    following shall apply:
22              (i)    The council shall have 20 members appointed by
23        the department who have expertise in structured literacy
24        and shall include public school elementary school staff,
25        including the following:
26                     (A)   Primary classroom teachers in kindergarten
27              through third grade.
28                     (B)   Reading specialists.
29                     (C)   Literacy coaches.
30                     (D)   Elementary special education teachers.

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 1                    (E)   A learning support employee with experience
 2             working with subgroups as defined in the Every
 3             Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114-95, 129 Stat.
 4             1802).
 5             (ii)    Membership on the council shall reflect
 6        geographic representation of school districts, including
 7        diversity of district types, including rural, urban and
 8        suburban.
 9             (iii)    The council shall meet at least once every two
10        months at dates and times determined by the department.
11        Meetings of the council shall be held in accordance with
12        65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7 (relating to open meetings).
13             (iv)    In performing its work, the council may consult
14        with other professionals and nonprofit organizations with
15        expertise in structured literacy.
16             (v)    The council's final recommendations shall be
17        published on the department's publicly accessible
18        Internet website and submitted to [the following:
19                    (A)   The Governor.
20                    (B)   The State Board of Education.
21                    (C)   The President pro tempore of the Senate.
22                    (D)   The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
23                    (E)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of
24             the Education Committee of the Senate.
25                    (F)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of
26             the Education Committee of the House of
27             Representatives] each of the recipients listed under
28             section 1509-N(d).
29        (5.1)     By December 1, 2025, the department shall collect
30    and post on the department's publicly accessible Internet

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 1    website a disaggregated list of school entities that:
 2                 (i)     have adopted an evidence-based reading
 3           instruction curriculum under paragraph (2);
 4                 (ii)     are using reading screeners under section 1503-
 5           N(d)(1); or
 6                 (iii)     are undergoing or have completed a structured
 7           literacy professional development training program under
 8           paragraph (5).
 9           (6)   This subsection shall expire [five] ten years from
10    the effective date of this paragraph.
11    [(b)    List of screeners.--
12           (1)   The department, in consultation with the council,
13    shall develop, maintain and publish on the department's
14    publicly accessible Internet website a list of universal
15    reading screeners and a list of structured literacy
16    intervention approaches that are aligned with the essential
17    components of evidence-based reading instruction, including
18    phonemic awareness, decoding, encoding, fluency, vocabulary
19    and comprehension. Initial publication of the lists must
20    occur by June 1, 2025.
21           (2)   In determining which universal reading screeners to
22    include on the list, the department shall consider the
23    following factors:
24                 (i)    The time required to conduct the screening, with
25           the intention of minimizing impact on instructional time.
26                 (ii)    The timeliness in reporting screening results
27           to teachers, administrators and parents.
28                 (iii)    The integration of assessment and feedback the
29           screener provides, including the ability to provide
30           progress monitoring capabilities and a diagnostic tool to

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 1          support teachers or a progress monitoring team with
 2          targeted instruction based on student needs.
 3          (3)   The department shall provide professional
 4    development on reading screening and literacy intervention
 5    approaches at no cost to a school entity or an educator. The
 6    professional development shall be provided during the
 7    contractual school day, inclusive of in-service days and
 8    other designated professional development days as provided
 9    for in the school entity's collective bargaining agreement.
10    If insufficient professional development days are available,
11    the professional development shall be provided through a
12    separate agreement between a school entity and an employee
13    organization at no cost to the school entity or the
14    educator.]
15    (c)   School entity duties.--
16          (1)   Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, a school
17    entity shall:
18                (i)   Approve a professional development training
19          program for educators providing reading instruction or
20          coaching from the list created under section 1502-N(a)(5)
21          that satisfies the requirements under section 1205.8(c).
22          The professional development shall be provided during the
23          contractual day, inclusive of in-service days and other
24          designated professional development days as provided for
25          in the school entity's collective bargaining agreement.
26          If insufficient professional development days are
27          available, the professional development shall be provided
28          through a separate agreement between a school entity and
29          an employee organization at no cost to the school entity
30          or the educator. An educator must complete approved

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 1            professional development training no later than the
 2            beginning of the 2028-2029 school year.
 3                  (ii)   Ensure students in kindergarten through grade
 4            three who are identified for reading deficiencies are
 5            provided intervention plans that comply with the
 6            provisions of sections 1503-N and 1504-N.
 7            (2)   No later than the 2030-2031 school year, each school
 8      entity shall adopt an evidence-based reading instruction
 9      curriculum and shall identify an educator responsible for
10      assisting in each school with the implementation of the
11      adopted curriculum. A school entity that adopts or renews
12      reading instruction curriculum after the effective date of
13      this paragraph shall adopt an evidence-based reading
14      instruction curriculum.
15      Section 3.     The act is amended by adding sections to read:
16   Section 1503-N.       Reading screening.
17      (a)   Duty.--Beginning July 1, 2026, a school entity shall
18   screen each student enrolled in kindergarten through grade three
19   for reading competency three times each school year, once at the
20   beginning of the school year, once during the middle of the
21   school year and once at the end of the school year. In
22   conducting the screening, the school entity shall use a
23   universal reading screener chosen from the list of approved
24   universal reading screeners under subsection (d).
25      (b)   Time and coverage.--A school entity shall provide
26   educators time during the contractual school day to complete
27   data entry and compilation associated with the screener to
28   communicate with families and carry out any other responsibility
29   required under this section. Nothing in this article shall be
30   construed to supersede or preempt the rights, remedies and

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 1   procedures afforded to school employees or labor organizations
 2   under Federal or State law or any provision of a collective
 3   bargaining agreement negotiated between a school employer and an
 4   exclusive representative of the employees in accordance with the
 5   act of July 23, 1970 (P.L.563, No.195), known as the Public
 6   Employe Relations Act.
 7      (c)   Exception.--Students with limited English proficiency,
 8   students with disabilities and gifted students are subject to
 9   the requirements of this section except if the assessment would
10   conflict with the educational program, plan or service agreement
11   provided in accordance with Federal or State law and regulation.
12      (d)   List of screeners.--
13            (1)   The department, in consultation with the council,
14      shall develop, maintain and publish on the department's
15      publicly accessible Internet website a list of universal
16      reading screeners and a list of structured literacy
17      intervention approaches that are aligned with the essential
18      components of evidence-based reading instruction, including
19      phonemic awareness, decoding, encoding, fluency, vocabulary
20      and comprehension. Initial publication of the lists must
21      occur by June 1, 2025.
22            (2)   In determining which universal reading screeners to
23      include on the list, the department shall consider the
24      following factors:
25                  (i)    The time required to conduct the screening, with
26            the intention of minimizing impact on instructional time.
27                  (ii)    The timeliness in reporting screening results
28            to teachers, administrators and parents.
29                  (iii)   The integration of assessment and feedback the
30            screener provides, including the ability to provide

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 1            progress monitoring capabilities and a diagnostic tool to
 2            support teachers or a progress monitoring team with
 3            targeted instruction based on student needs.
 4            (3)   The department shall provide professional
 5      development on reading screening and literacy intervention
 6      approaches at no cost to a school entity or an educator. The
 7      professional development shall be provided during the
 8      contractual day, inclusive of in-service days and other
 9      designated professional development days as provided for in
10      the school entity's collective bargaining agreement. If
11      insufficient professional development days are available, the
12      professional development shall be provided through a separate
13      agreement between a school entity and an employee
14      organization at no cost to the school entity or the educator.
15   Section 1504-N.    Reading deficiency and identification.
16      (a)   Student.--A student in kindergarten through grade three
17   shall be identified as having a reading deficiency if an
18   approved universal reading screener administered under section
19   1503-N identifies the student at risk for reading failure.
20      (b)   Reading deficiency.--A student who is identified as
21   having a reading deficiency under this section shall remain
22   identified as having a reading deficiency until the student
23   performs at or above an identified threshold level using at
24   least three data points, which may include results on a
25   universal reading screener, the educator's professional judgment
26   on a student's performance, progress monitoring outcomes,
27   diagnostic assessments, benchmark assessments and formative or
28   summative assessments.
29      (c)   Construction.--Nothing under this article shall prohibit
30   a school entity from identifying a student in another grade

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 1   level as being in need of reading interventions.
 2   Section 1505-N.        School entity duties and reading intervention
 3                  plan.
 4      (a)   School entity.--A school entity shall offer a reading
 5   intervention plan to each student in kindergarten through grade
 6   three who is identified as having a reading deficiency under
 7   section 1504-N with the goal of ensuring that the student can
 8   read at or above grade level by the end of grade three.
 9      (b)   Development.--The reading intervention plan shall be
10   developed by an educator.
11      (c)   Plan.--The reading intervention plan shall, at a
12   minimum, include reading intervention approaches and be provided
13   in addition to what is provided to each student in the general
14   education classroom and evidence-based reading instruction
15   curriculum.
16   Section 1506-N.        Parent notification.
17      The following shall apply:
18            (1)   Each parent of a kindergarten student who exhibits a
19      deficiency in reading in the third screening at the end of
20      the school year must be notified in writing or by electronic
21      communication.
22            (2)   Each parent of a student in grades one through three
23      who exhibits a deficiency in reading during the school year
24      must be notified in writing or by electronic communication
25      after the identification of the reading deficiency, including
26      periodic updates three times per year regarding the student's
27      progress.
28   Section 1507-N.        Grants to school entities.
29      (a)   Establishment.--The department shall establish a grant
30   program to aid school entities with initial costs associated

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 1   with training and other resources necessary to implement this
 2   article. School entities that have satisfied the requirements
 3   under section 1502-N(c) by adopting programs and curricula from
 4   lists created under section 1502-N(a)(5) shall be eligible for
 5   grant funding. The total amount of grants awarded shall be
 6   limited to funds appropriated for this purpose under section
 7   1508-N.
 8      (b)    Application.--The department shall develop an
 9   application form that school entities shall use to apply for a
10   grant under the program. Grant applications shall be submitted
11   in accordance with guidelines developed by the department.
12   Section 1508-N.     Funding.
13      (a)    Restricted account.--The Evidence-based Reading
14   Instruction Restricted Account is established as a restricted
15   account within the General Fund.
16      (b)    Use.--The department shall use the money in the
17   Evidence-based Reading Instruction Restricted Account to award
18   grants to school entities in accordance with section 1507-N.
19      (c)    Funding.--Money in the restricted account shall remain
20   in the account and shall only be used for the purposes stated in
21   this article. The account shall be funded from:
22             (1)   Appropriations from the General Assembly.
23             (2)   Funds from the Federal Government.
24             (3)   Funding from other public and private sources.
25   Section 1509-N.     Reporting.
26      (a)    School entity report.--Beginning October 31, 2026, and
27   each October 31 thereafter, each school entity shall report
28   annually to the department the following:
29             (1)   The number and percentage of students, disaggregated
30      by grade and by individual school, identified with a

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 1      potential reading deficiency at the beginning of the school
 2      year pursuant to the first screening of the school year
 3      required under section 1503-N and the literacy intervention
 4      approaches being provided.
 5            (2)   The number and percentage of students, disaggregated
 6      by grade and by individual school, identified with a
 7      potential reading deficiency at the end of the school year
 8      pursuant to the final screening of the school year required
 9      under section 1503-N.
10            (3)   The number of students, disaggregated by grade and
11      by individual school, excepted from the assessment under
12      section 1503-N(c).
13            (4)   The evidence-based reading instruction curricula
14      adopted by each school entity under this article.
15            (5)   The number of educators in the school entity who
16      have received professional development under section 1502-
17      N(c)(1)(i) and the type of professional development received.
18      (b)   Department report.--Beginning December 31, 2026, and
19   each December 31 thereafter, the department shall produce an
20   annual report that provides the information reported to the
21   department under subsection (a).
22      (c)   Report data.--Data included in the report shall be de-
23   identified and comply with the Family Educational Rights and
24   Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 90-247, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g).
25      (d)   Recipients.--The department shall publish the report
26   required under this section on the department's publicly
27   accessible Internet website and submit the report to each of the
28   following:
29            (1)   The Governor.
30            (2)   The State Board of Education.

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1         (3)   The President pro tempore of the Senate.
2         (4)   The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
3         (5)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
4     Education Committee of the Senate.
5         (6)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
6     Education Committee of the House of Representatives.
7     Section 4.    This act shall take effect in 90 days.




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