New version of early-literacy intervention bill wins enthusiastic backing of House Education

After a glowing endorsement from state schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra, the House Education Committee has unanimously passed HB 526 , the new version of the governor’s $10.7 million early-reading intervention and literacy initiative. Ybarra, a former third-grade teacher, said the reworked bill focuses on the right strategies to help the youngest students who struggle with reading. “I feel like you will see gains with these strategies,” she said. “They are research-based, they are pinpointed, they are proven effective.” She said the strategies include decoding, phonemic awareness, comprehension intervention and fluency. As a longtime 3 ^rd grade teacher, she said, “I can’t tell you how important that is. … And as the superintendent of public instruction, I wholeheartedly support this bill.”

Ybarra said the literacy push will include revamping the Idaho Reading Indicator, the test that measures which students are falling short on learning to read. Rep. Ryan Kerby, R-New Plymouth,  asked Ybarra, “You’ve been watching these scores for quite a while. It seems like we’re just stuck, we’re stuck at 73.” He asked Ybarra if she has “confidence we can pull this off?”

“Absolutely,” she responded. Ybarra said Idaho was “really low” before it started its early reading push two decades ago. “We took off like a rocket, but you’re absolutely right, we have flatlined,” she said. “So this is an attempt to make sure we pick up and that we continue the good work that Idaho has done.”

“I wholeheartedly believe that we will see some increased scores,” Ybarra said. “We will not see them overnight, it’s going to take time, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.”

The bill replaces HB 450 , the original bill proposed by the state Board of Education. HB 526 is sponsored by Rep. Julie VanOrden, R-Pingree.