Indiana House advances legislation on literacy coaches, math intervention

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The author of a major education bill on Monday said it goes a long way toward teaching students critical math and reading skills.

The House on Monday unanimously approved legislation to create a literacy coach program and a math intervention program. Bill author Rep. Jake Teshka, a Republican from North Liberty, told News 8 his bill is a follow-up to last year’s legislation that required teachers to be trained in the Science of Reading curriculum. The literacy coaches would have to be certified in the Science of Reading curriculum and have either a master’s degree in teaching and three years of experience teaching reading, or a bachelor’s degree and five years of experience teaching it. Rather than working directly with students, Teshka said, the coaches would work with teachers, mostly in kindergarten through Grade 3, to make their reading lessons more effective.

Teshka said he views his bill as a companion to the Senate’s reading proficiency bill, which he is carrying in the House.

“We want to make sure that we are giving a student every possible chance to not be retained at that third-grade mark,” he said. “And so this is going to help them by ensuring that there’s high-quality instruction in the classroom.”

Teshka’s bill also requires schools to create a math intervention program for students in kindergarten through Grade 8 who struggle with math. He said American students are about five years behind their Chinese counterparts in math proficiency. He said math, like reading, is a foundational skill students will need for the rest of their lives.

Almost the entire House roster was present and voted in favor of the bill. Rep. Vernon Smith, a Democrat from Gary, is the ranking Democrat on the House Education Committee and a former teacher and principal. Smith said the bill incorporates techniques he tried successfully during his teaching career.

“Reading affects all other subject areas as far as achievement is concerned, so it’s so important that we teach our children and empower them to be good readers,” he said.

Smith said he wished the bill included prescriptions for a reading intervention program similar to the math intervention program. He said he hoped the Senate would address this when it takes up the bill.

Monday marked the last day for the House to vote on bills originating in that chamber. Senate bills face an identical deadline on Tuesday. Lawmakers will take the second half of the week off. When they return to work next week, each chamber will begin working on legislation that has already passed the other chamber.