Education - As enacted, requires, if an approved universal reading screener is administered to pre-k students at an LEA or public charter school, the LEA or public charter school to allow the pre-k teacher whose students, the official text

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                           PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 385

                                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1003

                                                      By Hensley, Bowling

                                            Substituted for: House Bill No. 1002

                                            By Haston, Cepicky, Keisling, Terry

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-105, is amended by deleting
subsections (g) and (h).

          SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-1-302(d)(2)(B), is amended by deleting
subdivision (xi) and substituting:

                    (xi)(a) LEAs and public charter schools may authorize teachers in the non-tested
                    grades kindergarten through two (K-2) to use the results of the Tennessee universal
                    reading screener or a universal reading screener approved by the state board, as
                    described in § 49-1-905(c), as an approved alternative growth model to generate
                    individual growth scores for teachers pursuant to the evaluation guidelines developed
                    by the department.

                              (b) If a universal reading screener approved by the state board is administered
                    to pre-kindergarten students at an LEA or public charter school, then the LEA or public
                    charter school shall allow the pre-kindergarten teacher whose students were
                    administered the universal reading screener to use the results of the universal reading
                    screener as an approved alternative growth model for purposes of§ 49-6-105(e) or the
                    pre-k/kindergarten portfolio growth model to generate individual growth scores for
                    teachers pursuant to the evaluation guidelines developed by the department.

          SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-1508(d), is amended by deleting the
subsection and substituting:

                    (d)(1) LEAs and public charter schools may authorize teachers in the non-tested grades
                    kindergarten through two (K-2) to use the results of the Tennessee universal reading
                    screener or a universal reading screener approved by the state board of education, as
                    described in § 49-1-905(c), as an approved alternative growth model to generate
                    individual growth scores for teachers pursuant to the evaluation guidelines developed
                    by the department.

                              (2) If a universal reading screener approved by the state board is administered
                    to pre-kindergarten students at an LEA or public charter school, then the LEA or public
                    charter school shall allow the pre-kindergarten teacher whose students were
                    administered the universal reading screener to use the results of the universal reading
                    screener as an approved alternative growth model for purposes of§ 49-6-105(e) or the
                    pre-k/kindergarten portfolio growth model to generate individual growth scores for
                    teachers pursuant to the evaluation guidelines developed by the department.

          SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.
         SENATE BILL NO. 1003

PASSED:  April 16, 2025

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                         \            RAN McNALLY

                            SPEAKER OF THE SENATE

                         C?.4,

                         CAMERONSEXTON,SPEAKER
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

e:_ APPROVED this  day of (Yb & ,l:.  2025
                            I

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         BILL LEE, GOVERNOR