Transcript Highlights:

• They need to have received, or be in the process of receiving, the evidence-based structured literacy
• um structured literacy uh training um structured literacy uh training um before<00:51:12.839>
• before structured literacy training uh before structured literacy training uh before the<00:51:52.599
• complete the structured literacy and the timelines, and also the flexibility with hours of instruction
• complete the structured literacy and the timelines, and also the flexibility with hours of instruction

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 3151 is a student-centered bill designed to reduce the structural disadvantage and instructional
• Again, it depends on the current structure of their calendar.
• bill than the state of Mississippi does on their literacy bill.
• We need education specialists, literacy specialists. Education since that legislation went forward.
• And I'll tell you, in my experience, when we started rolling back what was a very successful literacy

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our regional literacy teams are made up of 30 state regional literacy directors across the 20 regions
• Our state regional literacy directors Our state regional literacy directors really engage with various
• Our state regional literacy directors are communicating about the most important literacy-based practices
• They also, our state regional literacy directors, facilitate one of the two state-approved literacy coach
• We have, for our state—well, let me just say a little bit about the literacy structure that we have.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum and first heard a Department of Education program review on three district support programs: assistance to low-performing schools, the Florida Partnership program, and regional literacy teams (RAISE). Dr. Paul Burns described how the Bureau of School Improvement supports schools with D/F grades through regional teams, classroom observations, professional learning, and targeted funding, noting that 104 of 168 low-performing schools improved after 2022-23 and that the share of failing schools fell from 6% to 4%. He also outlined the Florida Partnership’s $4 million annual appropriation for advanced-course teacher training and student access, and the RAISE literacy program’s $5 million funding, universal/targeted/intensive supports, and progress monitoring results. Senators asked about rural participation, post-COVID reading data, parent support, and how long schools remain under monitoring after improving; Burns said rural districts can participate statewide, parents can access school and department support, and schools continue to receive monitoring after exiting low-performing status to prevent recidivism. The committee then received a presentation on the school district education foundation matching grants program from Suzanne Pridgen, who explained that the Consortium of the Florida Education Foundations administers the grants, which require private matching funds and support tutoring, literacy, STEM, career education, professional learning, books, and supplies. She said the program leverages about $1.44 in private support for every state dollar. The committee then moved to the regional education consortia, where representatives from PAEC, NEFEC, and Heartland, along with several rural superintendents, described the consortia as member-led organizations that provide economies of scale, professional learning, HR, risk management, purchasing, legal and operational support, crisis assistance, and leadership development for small and fiscally constrained districts. Superintendents from Lafayette, Holmes, Calhoun, Union, DeSoto, and Hendry counties testified that the consortia are essential because rural districts often have very small staffs, multiple-duty administrators, and limited in-house expertise. They cited support with insurance and hurricane recovery, training for new finance and HR staff, instructional coaching, CTE and leadership programs, and help with turnaround schools. Members emphasized that these districts can be high-performing despite limited resources, and several senators praised the consortia’s value. Senator Gaetz asked about additional back-office collaboration, possible regulatory relief, and FEFP issues tied to scholarship-related enrollment swings; rural superintendents responded that more local control would help. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a strong advocate and proponent of the literacy bill.
• It just happens by the way the funding structure works.
• Literacy money a couple of years ago.
• literacy teachers coming down the pipeline.
• Is there a place in the curriculum for media literacy?

Transcript Highlights:

• And let me make one last literacy.
• The standards are the Jump Start literacy or financial literacy standards.
• , the PTP to infuse financial literacy, the PTP to infuse financial literacy, they<00:29:13.920><
• financial literacy teach financial literacy um<00:30:16.240> has<00:30:16.560> been<00
• with a course in financial literacy. with a course in financial literacy.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SCR 78, which urges the Department of Education to strengthen natural health education and adopt a comprehensive menstrual cycle curriculum. The Department of Education said it supported the intent and had offered technical amendments to scaffold the curriculum by grade level. The Commission on the Status of Women and several advocates, including students and Ma'i Movement Hawaiʻi, testified in support, describing gaps in menstrual health education, stigma, and the need for more inclusive, age-appropriate instruction. No opposition was heard, and the chair moved on after no questions from members. The committee then took up SCR 194, urging the Department of Education to meet the criteria to recognize cheerleading as a Title IX sport. The Department supported the measure, noting recent expansion of girls flag football and surfing as recognized sports and saying cheerleading would create additional opportunities for students. The Commission on the Status of Women also supported the resolution, saying it could improve participation, resource allocation, and representation for female students. No opposition or further action was recorded in the excerpt. Finally, the committee discussed SCR 195, requesting the Board of Education and Department of Education to revise graduation requirements to include a standalone financial literacy course. The Board of Education and Department of Education both supported the intent but cautioned against a one-size-fits-all mandate, emphasizing school-level flexibility, existing stand-alone and online options, and the requirement that the class of 2030 must complete financial literacy before graduation. Hawaii Kids Can supported the resolution while raising questions about equity, access, quality, and how different delivery models compare; it also asked for more information on community survey data. Committee members questioned the department and board about asynchronous versus in-person instruction, standards, and how the requirement would be tracked in the personal transition plan. No vote or final action was taken in the provided portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• that the governor has put on literacy and really spoken out about that.
• It's spent on literacy. It's spent on learning to read.
• The bill explicitly banned some specific instruction method and mandates structured literacy instruction
• and literacy improvement and retention and literacy supports.
• If you can be doing more to see greater improvements in literacy, do them.

Bills: LB878, LB958, LB958A, LB762, LB1187, LB966, LB929, LB962, LB1209, LB937A, LB962A, LB1050, LB1050A, LB965, LB1022, LB753, LB788, LB913, LB1055, LB1195, LB429, LB721, LB722, LB727, LB745, LB749, LB778, LR293, LR296, LR422, LR495, LR496, LR497, LR498, LR499, LR500, LR501, LR502, LR503, LR504

Keywords: paid parental leave, state employees, workplace benefits, family support, economic impact, Medicaid, Medical Assistance Act, home and community-based services waiver, HCBS waiver, waiver participant, assessment tool, clinical interviewing, service tier, retroactive coverage, doula, doula reimbursement, maternal health, prenatal care, pregnancy, birth outcomes

Transcript Highlights:

• , digital literacy, and, of course, data literacy to ensure that students are well equipped to be able
• We most recently developed a statewide equivalency framework for AI literacy, which is a lot of...
• Both are AI literacy courses. We have two new CIP codes that we have adopted.
• Peninsula is building a nimble, scalable model that pairs AI literacy with real career pathways.
• , media literacy, that are going to be consistent regardless of how far this technology advances.

Summary: The committee met to hear an overview of Washington’s alternative learning experience (ALE) programs and then an update on artificial intelligence in schools. OSPI’s Anissa Sherritt explained that ALE is a course-level funding designation for instruction that occurs partly or wholly away from the traditional seat-time model, with online, site-based, and remote course types. She emphasized that ALE is still basic education, subject to the same public school requirements, and that OSPI provides technical assistance, annual reporting review, and program reviews. Representatives from several programs described different models: Washington Virtual Academy (a large online ALE operated through Omak School District and partnered with for-profit Stride), Columbia Virtual Academy in Valley School District (a district-run, nonprofit online/remote program), Pearl in Quilcene (a K-8 remote parent partnership program), and River Home Link in Battleground (a site-based hybrid program). They discussed student supports, special education, enrichment, family choice, transportation, and how they measure outcomes. Members asked for follow-up information on funding, demographics, racial and ethnic data, multilingual learners, and post-graduation outcomes, and OSPI agreed to provide additional data where available. The committee then heard from OSPI and several districts about AI guidance and implementation. OSPI’s Holly Ryan Calloway described the agency’s human-centered AI framework, three guidance documents for schools, statewide professional learning, an AI innovation summit, and new AI literacy and informatics course frameworks and CIP codes. Quincy School District described a multi-year effort to integrate AI by centering student needs, creating district policy and classroom guidance, and training teachers to use AI responsibly while building an AI readiness plan from elementary through high school. Peninsula School District described its AI action research team, teacher professional learning, and classroom uses of generative AI to support science instruction, communication, and prompt engineering, while stressing that AI should enhance rather than replace learning. Members raised questions about privacy, energy and water use, prompt engineering, workforce and university connections, and the need for clear standards and ongoing educator training. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So MTSS, family and community engagement, data and assessment, literacy, etc.
• literacy literacy Etc<00:31:21.600> um<00:31:22.120> and<00:31:22.399> sometimes
• coaching and structured literacy supports with implementing changes, things like literacy data collection
• They also provide support for planning, implementation, and evaluation of local literacy plans.
• with structured literacy um supports with structured literacy um supports with implementing<00:31

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Policy Committee met for its first hearing of 2025 and began with member and staff introductions, along with opening remarks from Chair Peggy Bennett about her first time chairing the committee. Members briefly described their districts and backgrounds, and the chair also reviewed committee rules and procedures, including deadlines for bill requests, amendments, testifiers, and handouts. Nonpartisan House Research then provided an extensive overview of the committee’s jurisdiction and the education code. The presentation covered the Department of Education’s duties, including supervision of public schools, rulemaking under legislative authority, state and federal education funding and compliance, standards and assessments, accountability systems, student discipline, and model policies. It also discussed related entities such as PELSB, the Board of School Administrators, the Perpich Center, regional centers of excellence, Compass, MTSS, and the READ Act. The committee asked questions about zoning for school sites and about teacher licensure changes, including the tiered licensure system and recent adjustments affecting special education teachers and standards of effective practice. No bills were heard and no votes were taken. The meeting was primarily organizational and informational, focused on orienting members to the committee’s work and the structure of Minnesota’s education policy system.

Transcript Highlights:

• and math coaches, $200 million for evidence-based literacy supports.
• We'd also recommend rejecting the January proposal for literacy and math coaches.
• And since we are talking about the structure of 98, you raised a couple of interesting points.
• First we have the literacy instruction professional development investment.
• We had a hearing also about a few weeks ago on just literacy.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Kids have been raised on whole language, three-queuing, balanced literacy. It's ineffective.
• So addressing dyslexia in our prisons is not just about literacy; it's about justice and public safety
• The science is clear: when instruction is grounded in structured literacy and delivered by properly trained
• literacy courses. ...aligned with the science of reading to their teacher preparation curriculum.
• literacy.

Keywords: special education, funding gap, dyslexia, House Bill 2, Senate Bill 568, House Bill 3928, disability penalty

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on special education funding, with significant discussions around House Bill 2 (HB2), Senate Bill 568 (SB568), and House Bill 3928 (HB3928). Key speakers advocated for increased funding to close the estimated $1.7 billion annual gap that affects special education in Texas public schools. Several witnesses, including educators and students affected by dyslexia, provided personal testimonies about the impact of insufficient funding and the disability penalty, which penalizes schools financially for identifying students needing special education services. The committee demonstrated a strong commitment to advocate for changes that would improve special education resources and training for teachers, thereby ensuring that all Texas children receive the educational support they need to thrive.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to speak about our State Structured Literacy Initiative and how well it's being implemented
• My second point is to salute you for including writing, because writing is about literacy, literacy,
• There was a mention as you were going through the structured literacy activity with regards to some of
• So, we'll move on to literacy.
• The state has made significant investments in structured literacy over the past five to six years.

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the past 15 years, SOU has faced ongoing structural deficits caused on item one, and open up a work
• Over the past 15 years, SOU has faced ongoing structural deficits caused Over the past 15 years, SOU
• has faced ongoing structural deficits caused by declining enrollment and rising costs.
• And the way it previews coming attractions of structural problems.
• The way this is structured is the Protection and Education Account.

Summary: The Emergency Board approved a series of consent federal grant applications from the Natural Resources and Public Safety subcommittees, along with several budget and position requests. The board approved grant applications for parks, transportation, judicial, emergency management, higher education, school nutrition, and other programs, including retroactive approvals where deadlines had passed. One member objected to the Natural Resources consent grants over concerns about future funding needs, but the motion still passed. The board also approved a one-time increase for Judicial Department court security, including digital privacy protections, circuit court security, and a statewide facilities assessment. A major discussion centered on Southern Oregon University’s financial stability. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission reported on SOU’s structural deficits, declining enrollment, and projected cash shortfall. The subcommittee recommended, and the board approved, allocating $7.5 million from the special appropriation for short-term stability, with a required update at the September 2026 Emergency Board meeting and a future request for the remaining funds. Members debated the broader crisis in higher education, with several saying SOU’s situation reflects systemwide enrollment and funding pressures and that long-term restructuring will be needed. The board also approved an AmeriCorps volunteer generation grant, an apprenticeship expansion grant, and a Department of Education nutrition equipment grant. In public safety, it approved funding for Oregon Military Department readiness facilities, a statewide evacuation planning tool, and a juvenile justice information system modernization report, while requiring a follow-up viability report. The Department of Justice received approval for additional antitrust positions and expenditure limitation, though several members raised concerns about the funding structure and incentives tied to settlement revenues; the motion passed despite objections. In natural resources, the board approved funding for the Water Resources Department’s well abandonment, repair and replacement grants, an assistant water master position in Washington County, groundwater data collection in the Lower Umatilla Basin, a wetlands remote sensing pilot, and parks-related grant applications for operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. Members generally supported the requests but raised concerns about geographic equity, long-term sustainability, and whether some county responsibilities were being shifted to the state. The meeting also included discussion of a Department of Emergency Management evacuation tool as an urgent wildfire preparedness measure, with members emphasizing its potential to save lives.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kids have been raised on whole language, 3Qing, balanced literacy. It's crap.
• So addressing dyslexia in our prisons is not just about literacy. It's about justice.
• The science is clear, when instruction is grounded in structured literacy and delivered by properly trained
• literacy courses aligned with the science of reading to their teacher preparation curriculum.
• literacy.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so all of those pieces fit into and literacy both we're working with teachers and one for literacy
• AI literacy and what are you know a lot.
• , you can structure guardrails within content.
• We were talking about I literacy and it prompted me to think about reading literacy, considering all
• How will this help us improve reading literacy or will it?

Transcript Highlights:

• costs for literacy aid. costs for literacy aid.
• Section 20 renames the literacy incentive aid as literacy aid.
• Section 20 renames the literacy incentive aid as literacy aid.
• Section four modifies the definition of structured literacy.
• Section four modifies the definition of structured literacy.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I know the literacy coaches weren't funded, it looks like. And the operation of the Literacy...
• The Literacy Institute is in specials. There are 29 PED public education specials.
• On line 196, the out-of-school time, $14 million, and $221 for literacy coaches, $14 million.
• And their proficiency in basic math and literacy is lower than anyone right now.
• I just want to walk you through the format and the structure.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The next slide highlights our efforts related to literacy.
• This next slide highlights differences related to literacy.
• We've talked about all of the investments that we've made in literacy and structured literacy and the
• I'll also say that those literacy coaches are really critical to our current literacy bill that we have
• It is a structure where you apply for the funding.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Early literacy, you know, it's phonics, wind back phonics. Thank you.
• First of all, thank you to the Speaker for making early literacy a priority this session.
• I would like to thank the gentleman... ...and student literacy.
• Speaker of the House, I thank you for your support for making literacy a top priority this session.
• It's structured in a five-year spending time frame.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed several student and community guests, including ambassadors from Robinson Middle School in Lowell, visitors honoring the Gaudet family and Patricia Rappucci, Scottish visitors celebrating Scotland’s World Cup appearance, Top-Notch Scholars students from Lawrence, and the King Philip Regional High School baseball team after its first state championship. The chamber also adopted several routine resolutions and orders, including extending the reporting deadline for the Health Care Financing Committee and suspending Joint Rule 12 for a condominium-related petition. The House then rejected concurrence with the Senate on the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act and instead voted to appoint a committee of conference. The major policy action was on Senate Bill 3064, the Mass Ready Act, a large climate resilience and environmental bond bill. Members speaking in support emphasized flood protection, clean water, PFAS remediation, municipal vulnerability preparedness, coastal resilience, parks, trails, housing, and agricultural and food-system investments. The bill was described as authorizing roughly $3.8 billion in general obligation bonds, with discussion of specific funding for the Clean Water Trust, PFAS remediation, coastal infrastructure, biodiversity, healthy homes, and farmland preservation. A consolidated amendment was adopted, and after debate the House passed the bill to be engrossed by a roll call vote. The House also took up the conference report on H. 5511, the early literacy and teacher preparation bill. Supporters said the measure would require evidence-based reading instruction, move away from three-cueing approaches, support educator training and apprenticeships, and improve student literacy outcomes statewide. The conference report was accepted on a roll call vote of 152-0. Later, the House considered amendments to the Mass Ready Act, including one proposal to increase PFAS remediation funding that was ultimately withdrawn, and adopted another consolidated amendment before passing the bill to be engrossed by a roll call vote of 151-0. The House then adopted an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. and adjourned to an informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• , sustainable and stable structure for education long term.
• Literacy and math. We've done a lot to invest in literacy.
• They will help us really target our efforts in math and literacy.
• , we made substantial goals in literacy.
• On page 26 though, the first one is to pass legislation requiring structured literacy and numeracy.

Transcript Highlights:

• technology-integrated post-secondary general education core courses to provide instruction in digital literacy
• The bill establishes a framework for structured digital literacy.
• We appreciate that this bill emphasizes digital literacy through the understanding and recognition of
• We appreciate that this bill emphasizes digital literacy through the understanding and recognition of
• language and literacy skills.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education convened with a quorum and first took up CS for SB 1694 on technology education. The bill would require technology-integrated postsecondary general education core courses to include digital literacy and competency instruction, including use of artificial intelligence tools, and would encourage high school computer science courses that include AI to teach how AI systems use data, their benefits and limitations, and responsible use in academic and personal settings. The bill sponsor and several supporters emphasized preparing students for an AI-driven workforce while teaching critical evaluation and ethical use; one speaker raised concerns about overreliance on AI and the need to preserve real-world skills. Senator Davis supported the measure and suggested introducing similar instruction earlier, possibly in middle school. The committee voted the bill favorably, with Senator Leak later recorded in the affirmative. The committee then heard a large block of confirmations for higher education boards, including appointees to Tallahassee State College, the University of South Florida, the University of North Florida, Palm Beach State College, the College of the Florida Keys, Hillsborough College, Miami-Dade College, Florida A&M University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, New College of Florida, Florida Polytechnic University, and the University of Florida. The appointees generally highlighted backgrounds in education, health care, law, business, technology, and public service, and described priorities such as student success, workforce alignment, affordability, fiscal responsibility, and institutional growth. One nominee to Tallahassee State College was asked about low NCLEX pass rates and said the college had a plan approved by the Florida Board of Nursing. Another nominee discussed Florida Poly’s STEM mission, and several members praised the nominees’ community ties and professional experience. After hearing the appointees, the committee voted to report the block of confirmations favorably to the Ethics and Elections Committee. The committee then received a high-level overview of the higher education budget, totaling $11.9 billion, with major emphasis on workforce training and development. Highlights included increases for school district workforce education, the Florida College System, workforce development capitalization, a rural educator recruitment program, funding for the USF Center for Nursing, preeminent research universities, UCF’s community school grant program, UF’s literacy and math initiatives, UF’s autism and neurodevelopment center, and a postsecondary guardian program for campus security. Members asked a brief question about a workforce fund transfer, and the chair explained it was a transfer of an existing program with new funds added. No public comment was offered, and the meeting adjourned.