H 4434

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 33, TITLE 59 SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR A STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM SCHOOLING MODEL WHICH MUST INCLUDE A UNIVERSAL SCREENING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY WHO MAY BE AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIFFICULTIES; TO PROVIDE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL USE THE UNIVERSAL SCREENING PROCESS FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR, SUBJECT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY FUNDING; TO PROVIDE SCREENING MAY BE REQUESTED BY PARENTS, GUARDIANS, AND CERTAIN SCHOOL PERSONNEL; TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL CONVENE SCHOOL-BASED TEAMS TO ANALYZE DATA FROM SCREENINGS TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION AND INTERVENTIONS FOR ALL STUDENTS AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES; TO REQUIRE DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE PARENTS OF SUCH AT-RISK STUDENTS WITH NOTICE OF SCREENING FINDINGS AND RELATED SUPPORT INFORMATION; TO REQUIRE DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE AT-RISK STUDENTS WITH CERTAIN INTERVENTIONS AND TO MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE INTERVENTIONS AND STUDENT PROGRESS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE EDUCATORS WITH CERTAIN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING AND RESOURCES CONCERNING THE STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM AND RELATED IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION METHODS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP AND REPORT FINDINGS CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM; TO CREATE THE LEARNING DISORDERS TASK FORCE TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN MATTERS RELATING TO READING DISORDERS; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPOSITION AND MISCELLANEOUS FUNCTIONS OF THE TASK FORCE, AMONG OTHER THINGS. - ratified title