Current Status Bill Number:675 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19970422 Primary Sponsor:Fair All Sponsors:Fair and Thomas Drafted Document Number:gjk\20574sd.97 Companion Bill Number:3988 Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Education Committee 04 SED Subject:Phonics instruction to be included in school districts, teacher, college and university curriculum
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved
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Senate 19970422 Introduced, read first time, 04 SED
referred to Committee
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TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-29-22 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE USE OF SYSTEMATIC PHONICS INSTRUCTION IN A SPECIFIED MANNER IN THE SCHOOLS OF THIS STATE INCLUDING GRADES K-3; BY ADDING SECTION 59-101-365 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, IN COLLABORATION WITH COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES OFFERING TEACHER EDUCATION CURRICULUMS, SHALL REVISE TEACHER EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES TO INCLUDE PHONICS MATERIAL; AND TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP AND DISSEMINATE TO SPECIFIED ENTITIES A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RELATING TO THIS REQUIRED PHONICS INSTRUCTION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-29-22. The General Assembly believes that in order for a student to be successful in school, the student must receive a firm foundation in reading. The most effective approach to reading instruction is direct intensive systematic phonics. This is an exact, concentrated, thorough, sequential presentation of phonetic knowledge through techniques and practices which are introduced incrementally, logically, and systematically, such that students are taught to read. Intensive systematic phonics is defined as the direct teaching of a pre-planned sequence of relationships between speech sounds and all their letter equivalents in the order that students have difficulty learning them. These decoding skills must be practiced until the student reads quickly and spells accurately written grade level material with comprehension and fluency. Balanced, integrated, and effective programs utilized in the teaching of reading in the primary grades require early and direct systematic phonics instruction."
SECTION 2. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-101-365. In order to reflect changes to the standard course of study, to comply with applicable provisions of law, and to emphasize and adopt effective programs of reading instruction that require early and direct systematic phonics instruction, the State Board of Education, in collaboration with the colleges and universities offering teacher education curriculums, shall review, evaluate, and revise current teacher certification standards and teacher education programs within the instructions of higher education that provide coursework in reading instruction."
SECTION 3. (A) The State Board of Education shall report to the House Education and Public Works Committee and the Senate Committee on Education by December 3, 1997, and annually thereafter on the comprehensive plan developed under Section 59-29-22 of the 1976 Code. The first report shall include revisions made to the standard course of study, teacher certification standards, and teacher education programs. Subsequent reports shall address the effectiveness, based on factors including improved student performance in reading, of the implementation of the plan. The State Board of Education may make recommendations to the General Assembly on any of its reports.
(B) The State Board of Education shall also disseminate to local school boards of trustees by March 31, 1998, the changes to the standard course of study.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.