Any student in kindergarten through grade 3 who exhibits a substantial deficiency in reading, based upon screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, or assessment data, statewide or teacher observations must be provided intensive, explicit, systematic, and multisensory reading interventions immediately following the identification of the reading deficiency. A school may not wait for a student to receive a failing grade at the end of a grading period to identify the student as having a substantial reading deficiency and initiate intensive reading interventions. In addition, a school may not wait until an evaluation conducted pursuant to s.1003.56, F.S., is completed to provide appropriate, evidence-based interventions for a student whose parent submits documentation from a professional licensed under Chapter 490, F.S., which demonstrates that the student has been diagnosed with dyslexia. Such interventions must be initiated upon receipt of the documentation and based on the student’s specific areas of difficulty as identified by the licensed professional. A student who has a substantial reading deficiency must be covered by a federally required student plan, such as an individual education plan or an individualized progress monitoring plan, or both, as necessary. The parent of any student who exhibits a substantial deficiency in reading based upon screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, assessment data, statewide assessments, or teacher observations, must be notified in writing of the following:

1. That his or her child has been identified as having a substantial deficiency in reading, including a description and explanation, in terms understandable to the parent, of the exact nature of the student’s difficulty in learning and lack of achievement in reading.
2. A description of the current services that are provided to the child.
3. A description of the proposed intensive interventions and supports that will be provided to the child that are designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency.
4. That if the child’s reading deficiency is not remediated by the end of grade 3, the child must be retained unless he or she is exempt from mandatory retention for good cause.
5. Strategies, including multisensory strategies, through a read-at-home plan the parent can use to help his or her child succeed in reading.
6. That the statewide, standardized English Language Arts assessment is not the sole determiner of promotion and that additional evaluations, portfolio reviews and assessments are available to the child to assist parents and the school district in knowing when a child is reading at or above grade level and ready for grade promotion.
7. The district’s specific criteria and policies for student portfolios and the evidence required for a student to demonstrate mastery of Florida’s academic standards for English Language Arts. A school must immediately begin collecting evidence for a portfolio when a student in grade 3 is identified as being at risk of retention or upon the request of the parent, whichever occurs first.
8. The district’s specific criteria and polices for mid-year promotion. Mid-year promotion means promotion of a retained student at any time during the year of retention once the student has demonstrated ability to read at grade level.
9. Information about the student’s eligibility for the New Worlds Reading initiative under s.1003.485, F.S., and information on parent training modules and other reading engagement resources available through the initiative.

After initial notification, the school shall apprise the parent at least monthly of the student’s progress in response to the intensive interventions and supports. Such communications must be in writing and must explain any additional interventions or supports that will be implemented to accelerate the student’s progress if the interventions and supports already being implemented have not resulted in improvement.

Additionally, each school district shall provide written notification to the parent of a student who is retained in grade 3 that his or her child has not met the proficiency level required for promotion and the reasons the child is not eligible for good cause exemption. This notification must comply with the aforementioned notification for parent of a student with a substantial deficiency in reading and must include a description of proposed interventions and supports that will be provided to the child to remediate the identified areas of reading deficiency. (s.1008.25(5), F.S., and s. 1008.25(7), F.S.)

Each school shall use the materials listed in the district’s Comprehensive Reading Plan as resources for support in reading. Any additional resources must be evidence-based and approved by the Instructional Services Department prior to use. The Comprehensive Reading Plan is available at: http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/cs/crp.