SB4 Alabama 2021 1st Special Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rodger SmithermanSenator

Democrat

Session

First Special Session 2021

Title

Literacy Act, third grade retention requirement postponed until 2024-2025 school year, Sec. 16-6G-5 am'd.

Summary

SB4 would delay the mandatory third-grade reading retention requirement under the Alabama Literacy Act until the 2024-2025 school year.

What This Bill Does

It postpones the mandatory retention of third graders who do not meet reading standards until 2024-2025. It preserves multiple ways for students to show reading readiness for promotion (board-approved reading assessment, an alternative standardized reading assessment, or a reading portfolio). It keeps and expands supports like reading improvement plans, intensive reading interventions, summer reading camps, and annual district reporting to ensure ongoing reading support.

Who It Affects

• Third-grade students who would have faced retention, as promotion will still require demonstrating sufficient reading skills but is postponed to 2024-2025 and can be shown via assessment, alternative assessment, or portfolio.
• Local education agencies (districts and their schools) that must provide core reading programs, interventions, summer camps, student progress monitoring, parent notifications, exemptions processes, and annual reporting related to the reading program.

Key Provisions

• Delays the third-grade mandatory retention requirement until the 2024-2025 school year.
• Maintains three promotion options: board-approved reading assessment, an alternative standardized reading assessment, or a reading portfolio with criteria set by the State Superintendent and a task force.
• Requires ongoing reading support for all K-3 students with deficiencies, including reading improvement plans, intensive interventions, daily small-group instruction, and progress monitoring.
• Mandates summer reading camps for students with reading deficiencies, including at least 70 hours of scientifically based instruction and a before/after assessment.
• Establishes the Alabama Summer Achievement Program for the lowest-performing five percent of elementary schools and specifies funding allocation and use for other schools as needed.
• Requires annual reporting by districts on reading deficiencies, dyslexia identification and intervention, promotion/retention outcomes, summer programs, and exemptions, using a uniform reporting format.
• Provides good-cause exemptions from mandatory retention for specified categories (e.g., certain disabilities with IEP/504 plans, English learners with limited ESL input) and outlines the approval process involving teachers, principals, and local superintendents.
• Mandates intensive acceleration and specialized reading instruction for students retained in third grade, including highly effective teachers, reduced class sizes, and explicit instruction with ongoing progress monitoring.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 23, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education