SB4 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rodger SmithermanSenator

Democrat

Co-Sponsors

Vivian Davis FiguresMalika Sanders-FortierBobby D. Singleton

Session

Second Special Session 2021

Title

Literacy Act, third grade retention requirement postponed until 2023-2024 school year, Sec. 16-6G-5 am'd.

Summary

SB4 delays the third grade retention requirement under the Alabama Literacy Act to the 2023-2024 school year while keeping strong reading supports in place.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the bill pushes back when students can be held back for reading deficiencies from the 2021-2022 start to 2023-2024. It continues to require local districts to provide science-based reading instruction, targeted interventions, and dyslexia support, along with regular progress monitoring and parent notification. It also maintains programs like summer reading camps and the Alabama Summer Achievement Program, along with multiple ways for a student to demonstrate reading proficiency (test, alternative assessment, or portfolio).

Who It Affects

• K-3 students in Alabama public schools (including those with reading deficiencies) who will be promoted or retained under the revised timeline
• Parents and legal guardians of these students (who receive notifications, reading improvement plans, and home resources)
• Local education agencies and school districts (which must implement reading programs, interventions, and reporting requirements)
• Teachers, reading specialists, and school staff (involved in interventions, progress monitoring, and summer programs)
• Schools in the lowest performing five percent (through funding and program initiatives)

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 16-6G-5 to postpone the third grade retention requirement from the 2021-2022 school year to the 2023-2024 school year
• Requires comprehensive core reading programs based on the science of reading, with mandatory instructional time for K-3 students
• Mandates reading intervention for students with identified deficiencies or dyslexia characteristics, including systematic, explicit instruction and daily small-group interventions during school hours
• Requires annual parental notification, creation of reading improvement plans, and ongoing progress reporting for students with reading deficiencies
• Establishes summer reading camps for identified students (minimum 70 hours, highly effective teachers, and progress assessment before and after camp) and the Alabama Summer Achievement Program for the lowest performing schools
• Directs funding distribution and state oversight for reading interventions, summer programs, and dyslexia-related initiatives
• Authorizes good-cause exemptions from retention with defined criteria (e.g., certain disabilities, English learners with limited instruction time, prior intensive interventions) and sets procedures for exemption decisions
• Imposes annual reporting by local districts on reading deficiencies, progress, promotions with good-cause exemptions, and teacher professional development related to reading and dyslexia

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education