A bill that would require public schools to create a literary assessment for every K-3 student passed through the House Education Committee Wednesday.
Sen. Sharon Hewitt of Slidell, the bill’s author, says it would address the literacy crisis happening in the state and around the country.
There are multiple literacy screening processes around the state, but Hewitt’s bill, Senate Bill 222, would create one screening process and a report to monitor each student’s reading level. The scores from the literary assessment would establish whether a child is reading below grade level, at grade level or above grade level. The assessment also would identify a gifted child or a child who should have further intervention.
The assessment would be provided to the public schools at no cost.
The bill will now move to the House floor for debate.
