Amends TCA Title 49.

This bill requires educator preparation providers approved by the state board of education to require each candidate enrolled in the provider's educator preparation program to successfully complete at least one course each semester on reading instruction. Each course or series of courses required by an educator preparation provider pursuant to this bill must teach candidates how to provide effective reading instruction to persons in each of six specified developmental or educational periods. This bill requires the state board of education to revoke the board's approval of an educator preparation provider if the educator preparation provider fails to comply with this bill. ON MARCH 24, 2022, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2163, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill and adds provisions related to literacy skill instruction and educator preparation providers, as discussed below. Under present law: (1) Beginning August 1, 2022, educator preparation providers must provide to candidates seeking licensure to teach students in grades K-3, as well as candidates seeking an instructional leader license, training on reading instruction focused primarily on the foundational literacy skills standards developed and approved in accordance with present law; and (2). Effective August 1, 2023, an applicable candidate must: (A) Provide a certificate documenting the candidate's passage of a Tennessee reading instruction test developed or identified by the department and approved by the state board that tests the candidate's knowledge of foundational literacy skills instruction; or (B) Provide evidence documenting the candidate's completion of a foundational literacy skills instruction course within the previous year. This amendment requires the department of education to report the first-time pass rate of applicable candidates on the test described above in (A) to the state board. The state board must include the first-time pass rate of applicable candidates on the test from each approved educator preparation provider in the state board's annual teacher preparation report card. Under present law, the department must develop annual performance reports for all approved educator preparation providers. This amendment requires that the report include the results of the department's review of the educator preparation provider's implementation of instruction aligned with the foundational literacy skills standards. This amendment requires the state board to publish the results of a review in the state board's annual teacher preparation report card. If the results of a review show that an educator preparation provider is not implementing instruction aligned with the foundational literacy skills standards, or is otherwise not meeting the state board's expectations, then the state board must require the provider to create and implement a correction action plan. If the provider fails to implement the corrective action plan, then the state board may revoke the state board's approval of the program. This amendment directs the department of education to require approved educator preparation providers to submit evidence to the department demonstrating that the instruction provided by the provider to candidates seeking a license to teach is aligned with all applicable foundational literacy skills standards, including, but not limited to, the foundational literacy skills standards established pursuant to present law. This amendment also requires the department of education, in coordination with the Tennessee higher education commission, to annually convene a meeting of all approved educator preparation providers responsible for managing, operating, or coordinating programs for the preparation and licensure of teachers, school leaders, and other school personnel. The purpose of the meeting is to ensure that the instruction provided to candidates in an approved educator preparation provider that is aligned with the foundational literacy skills standards established pursuant to present law is implemented cohesively and in coordination with the foundational literacy skills instruction provided to students and with all other applicable literacy standards. The department must invite LEAs and public charter schools to participate. This amendment requires participants in the meeting described above to review: high-quality instructional materials adopted by approved educator preparation providers; and modules and any other products developed to support statewide implementation of foundational literacy skills standards and instruction. This amendment requires each LEA and public charter school to annually provide approved educator preparation providers with a list of the English language arts textbooks and instructional materials adopted by the LEA or public charter school to ensure that the instruction provided by educator preparation providers is aligned with the English language arts instruction provided to students by LEAs and public charter schools.