HB3009 amends the Illinois School Code to require prompt written notice to the parent or legal guardian of a student in grades 1 through 3 when the student is determined to have a substantial reading deficiency or characteristics of dyslexia. The determination may be based on screening, diagnostic, progress-monitoring, assessment data, statewide assessments, or teacher observations. The notice must come from the student’s teacher and must identify that the student has been found to have a reading deficiency.
The bill also requires the notice to explain the services the school district is already providing, describe the supplemental instructional services and supports the district plans to provide to remediate the deficiency, and include strategies parents or guardians can use at home to help the student improve reading proficiency. In effect, the bill creates a new parental-notification requirement focused on early literacy intervention and family engagement for young students.
Impact
If enacted, HB3009 would add a new Section 22-82.5 to the School Code and impose a statewide notice obligation on school districts and teachers for early elementary students identified with reading deficiencies or dyslexia indicators. It would not change the definition of dyslexia itself, but it would require districts to communicate more directly and quickly with families about identification, existing supports, planned interventions, and home-based strategies. The practical effect would be to formalize early intervention communication practices and potentially increase district documentation and parent outreach responsibilities.
Sentiment
Based on the bill’s text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a student-support and family-engagement bill rather than a controversial policy change. Its focus on early literacy, dyslexia awareness, and parent notification suggests a generally positive or remedial intent. Because there is no available voting history or transcript discussion, there is no documented evidence of opposition or support beyond the bill’s stated purpose.
Contention
No committee transcripts or votes are available, so no specific points of contention are documented. Potential areas of debate, if the bill were considered, could include whether the notice requirement should apply only to grades 1 through 3, whether teachers should be the required notifier rather than administrators, and whether districts would need additional resources to implement the required interventions and parent communications. Any concern would likely center on administrative burden, implementation costs, and how quickly schools must act after identifying a deficiency.
In evidence-based reading instruction, further providing for definitions and for evidence-based reading instruction curriculum and providing for reading screening, for reading deficiency and identification, for school entity duties and reading intervention plan, for parent notification, for grants to school entities, for funding and for reporting; and establishing the Evidence-based Reading Instruction Restricted Account.
Strong Readers Act; references; legislative findings; declaring intent of the Legislature; reading screenings; reading deficiencies; parent notifications; State Department of Education; reading panel; alternate reading assessments; promotion to fourth grade; retaining third grade; good-cause exemptions; intensive reading instruction; intensive acceleration class; reporting requirements; teacher training requirements; eighth-grade reading level; driver license; remedial reading for driver licenses; alternative reading proficiency tests; motorcycle licenses; testing site requirements; documentation requirements; out of state test results; school enrollment, completion, or lawful excuse for minors to obtain a driver license; violations; alternate route to obtain driver license; employer fines; attendance officers; Department of Public Safety; license cancellation; definitions; exceptions; forms; effective date; emergency.
Schools; accreditation standards; deficiencies; permitting school districts to request a hearing on accreditation recommendations; effective date; emergency.
Schools; accreditation standards; deficiencies; permitting school districts to request a hearing on accreditation recommendations; effective date; emergency.
Modifies provisions relating to investments of public employee retirement and pension systems, requiring divestment of fund holdings in certain Chinese entities or products