SB 1003

Generally, present law requires LEAs that receive approval for state funding of a voluntary pre-kindergarten (pre-k) program to utilize the pre-k/kindergarten growth portfolio model approved by the state board of education, or a comparable alternative measure of student growth approved by the state board of education and adopted by the LEA, in the evaluation of pre-k and kindergarten teachers. This bill adds a requirement tha t the state board of education approve at least one universal screener for pre-k students to be used as an alternative growth model to generate individual growth scores for pre-k pursuant to the evaluation guidelines developed by the department of educati o n. The universal screener approved by the state board must not be based on the pre-k/kindergarten portfolio growth model. This bill requires LEAs and public charter schools that provide a voluntary pre-k program to allow pre-k teachers to use the result s of the universal screener as an alternative growth model to generate their individual growth scores. This bill deletes provisions of present law that excused LEAs and public charter schools that provide a voluntary pre-k program from using the pre-k/kin dergarten growth portfolio model during years associated with the COVID pandemic. This bill also makes a technical clarification to present law by specifying that teachers in non-tested grades pre-k through two may be "allowed"" rather than ""authorized"" t o use the results of certain math or reading screeners as an alternative growth model to generate their individual growth scores. ON APRIL 7, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1003, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill . Under this amendment, i f a universal reading screener approved by the state board of education is administered to pre- k students at an LEA or public charter school, then the LEA or public charter school is required to allow the pre- k teacher whose stude nts were administered the universal reading screener to use the results of the universal reading screener as an approved alternative student growth model or the pre-k/kindergarten portfolio growth model to generate individual growth scores for teachers pur suant to the evaluation guidelines developed by the department of education."