{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-158.792","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 158.792","heading":"Definitions for KRS 158.792 and 164.0207 -- Reading diagnostic and","body":"intervention fund -- Grants for reading intervention programs --\nAdministrative regulations -- Use of grant funds -- Information and reports\nprovided by Department of Education.\n(1) As used in this section and KRS 164.0207, unless the context requires otherwise:\n(a) \"Comprehensive reading program\" means any print, nonprint, or electronic\nmedium of reading instruction designed to assist students. For students in\nkindergarten through grade three (3), program instructional resources shall\ninclude instruction in five (5) key areas: phonemic awareness, phonics,\nfluency, vocabulary, and comprehension;\n(b) \"Reading diagnostic assessment\" means an assessment that measures a\nstudent's skills against established performance levels in essential components\nof reading and identifies students that require intervention in at least one (1)\nof those components to accelerate the student's progress toward proficient\nperformance in reading;\n(c) \"Reading intervention program\" means short -term intensive instruction in the\nessential skills necessary to read proficiently that is provided to a student by a\nhighly trained teacher. This instruction may be conducted one -on-one or in\nsmall groups; shall b e evidence -based, reliable, and replicable; and shall be\nbased on the ongoing assessment of individual student needs; and\n(d) \"Reliable, replicable evidence\" means objective, valid, scientific studies that:\n1. Include rigorously defined samples of subjects  that are sufficiently large\nand representative to support the general conclusions drawn;\n2. Rely on measurements that meet established standards of reliability and\nvalidity;\n3. Test competing theories, where multiple theories exist;\n4. Are subjected to peer review before their results are published; and\n5. Discover effective strategies for improving reading skills.\n(2) The reading diagnostic and intervention fund is created to help teachers and library\nmedia specialists improve the readi ng skills of struggling readers in kindergarten\nthrough grade three (3) and to assist schools in employing reading interventionists\nwho specialize in providing those services. The Department of Education, upon the\nrecommendation of the Reading Diagnostic a nd Intervention Grant Steering\nCommittee, shall provide renewable, two (2) year grants to schools to support\nteachers and reading interventionists in the implementation of reliable, replicable\nevidence-based reading intervention programs that use a balance  of diagnostic tools\nand instructional strategies that emphasize phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,\nvocabulary, comprehension, and connections between writing and reading\nacquisition and motivation to read to address the diverse learning needs of those\nstudents reading at low levels. Any moneys in the fund at the close of the fiscal year\nshall not lapse but shall be carried forward to be used for the purposes specified in\nthis section.\n(3) (a) The Kentucky Board of Education shall promulgate administrati ve\nregulations, based on recommendations from the Department of Education\nthat shall include but not be limited to a school selection process with a focus\non those with the most need, professional learning supports in literacy, and\nearly reading instruction to:\n1. Identify eligible grant applicants, taking into consideration how the\ngrant program described in this section will relate to other grant\nprograms;\n2. Specify the criteria for acceptable reading and literacy diagnostic\nassessments and intervention programs;\n3. Specify the criteria for acceptable ongoing assessment of each child to\ndetermine his or her reading progress;\n4. Establish the minimum evaluation process for an annual review of each\ngrant recipient's program and progress;\n5. Identify the annual data that must be provided from grant recipients;\n6. Define the application review and approval process;\n7. Establish matching requirements deemed necessary;\n8. Define the professional development and continuing education\nrequirements for teachers, lib rary media specialists, administrators, and\nstaff of grant recipients;\n9. Establish the conditions for renewal of a two (2) year grant; and\n10. Specify other conditions necessary to implement the purposes of this\nsection.\n(b) The board shall require that a  grant applicant provide assurances that the\nfollowing principles will be met if the applicant's request for funding is\napproved:\n1. An evidence-based comprehensive schoolwide reading program will be\navailable;\n2. Intervention services will supplement, not  replace, regular classroom\ninstruction;\n3. Intervention services will be provided to struggling kindergarten through\ngrade three (3) readers within the school based upon ongoing assessment\nof their needs; and\n4. A system for informing parents of strugglin g readers of the available\nfamily literacy services within the district will be established.\n(c) The board shall not restrict how a grant applicant utilizes grant funds as it\nrelates to the applicant's use of funds for professional development, resources,\ntools, employment of reading interventionists, and other expenses authorized\nby this section. The grant applicant shall have discretion in allocating grant\nfunds for purposes authorized by this section; however, the board may\nconsider the effectiveness of those uses in reviewing the application.\n(4) In order to qualify for funding, the school council, or if none exists, the principal or\nthe superintendent of schools, shall allocate matching funds required by grant\nrecipients under subsection (3) of this sec tion. Funding for professional\ndevelopment allocated to the school council under KRS 160.345 and for continuing\neducation under KRS 158.070 may be used as part of the school's match.\n(5) The Department of Education shall make available to schools:\n(a) Information concerning successful, evidence -based comprehensive reading\nprograms, diagnostic tools for pre - and post -assessment, and intervention\nprograms, from the statewide reading research center established under KRS\n164.0207;\n(b) Strategies for successful ly implementing early reading programs, including\nprofessional development support and the identification of funding sources;\nand\n(c) A list of professional development providers offering teacher training related\nto reading that emphasizes the essential co mponents for successful reading:\nphonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and\nconnections between writing and reading acquisition and motivation to read.\n(6) The Department of Education shall submit a report to the Interim Joint Committee\non Education no later than November 1 of each year outlining the use of grant\nfunds. The annual report for an odd -numbered year shall include an estimate of the\ncost to expand the reading diagnostic and intervention fund.\n(7) The Department of Education shall report program data to an external evaluator for\nanalysis of the program's success in meeting the goal of increasing early literacy\nstudent outcomes.","path":["KRS Chapter 158"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=54246","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:51:06Z","sha256":"43b723fa2cf3a614f5abb67d0a712edf2ef0ce2890ae9a70d1af32b58ca69c9b","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-158.791","next":"us-ky/krs-158.794"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}