The Senate Education Committee held an informational hearing Thursday, April 20, on House Bill 3198. One of Gov. Tina Kotek’s priority education bills, it would create a grant investment program to target early literacy.
The bill is heavily influenced by concepts generally called “the science of reading” and is championed by Stand for Children Oregon. OSBA, along with the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators and other education associations, supports the bill and the idea of additional early literacy instruction funding.
The bill is oriented around four goals, which build off Oregon’s literacy framework. The goals are:
- Increase early literacy for children from birth to third grade.
- Reduce academic disparities in early literacy progress and outcomes, especially among focal student groups that have historically experienced academic disparities.
- Partner with families around the development of children’s early literacy skills and knowledge.
- Improve and expand access to early literacy support, specifically support that is research-aligned, culturally responsive, and student and family centered.
To reach those goals, school districts and education service districts would be given grants based upon enrollment. Districts would be required to create a plan to spend the funding on some or all of four investment types:
- Professional development and coaching in early literacy instruction for educators
- Extended learning opportunities, including home-based or intensive summer reading programs
- High-dosage tutoring for students in early elementary grades
- The implementation of research-aligned curricula and materials and hiring literacy specialists, coaches or interventionists.
In addition to the grant funding, the Oregon Department of Education would be required to provide technical assistance.
Klamath County School Board member Steve Lowell and Klamath County Superintendent Glen Szymoniak told the committee what it looks like when these things are happening in a district. Klamath has used some Student Success Act funding to begin putting these types of programs into place.
Tools and techniques oriented around the evidence-based science of reading have resulted in double-digit gains in proficiency year-over-year. Examples cited include investments in specialists, incorporation of project-based learning and small group instruction. Lowell discussed the positive impact on the students in diverse communities served by the school, including members of federally recognized tribes.
Sen. Suzanne Weber, R-Tillamook, who was an elementary educator for more than 30 years, was among the committee members who praised the program’s aims.
Not all responses were positive, however. Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis, expressed concern about how this program would affect students with disabilities.
Pooja Bhatt, Kotek’s education initiative director, emphasized two components to address this student population: education preparation program training and grade-level literacy work for these students.
An informational hearing with invited testimony, instead of a public hearing allowing more input, is a little unusual but was procedurally necessary. HB 3198 will likely never make it to the Senate Education Committee. It was introduced and thoroughly vetted in the House. Because it involves funding, it will also be seen in the Joint Ways and Means Committee. There is no requirement, or expectation, that the Senate policy committee will ever have the opportunity to hold a public hearing. Accordingly, they did the next best thing and held an informational on the bill’s topic, invited experts to testify and created a forum for discussion by education committee senators.
Next steps for the bill will likely occur after the May 17 revenue forecast. This bill will cost tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, and the Legislature seems intent on waiting to see the next revenue projection before committing to a level of investment.
– Richard Donovan
Legislative Services specialist
