SB 340 - This act provides that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop a resource for parents to monitor and track expressive and receptive language acquisition and developmental stages toward American Sign Language and English literacy of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This act further provides that the Department shall select existing tools or assessments for educators that can be used to assess the language and literacy development of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. To develop these resources, the Department shall select language developmental milestones for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. As defined in the act, language developmental milestones are milestones of language development aligned with the existing state instrument used to meet the requirements of federal law for the assessment of children from birth to five years of age, inclusive.
The Commissioner of Education shall establish an advisory committee to solicit input from experts on the selection of language developmental milestones. The advisory committee shall consist of thirteen members who personally, professionally, or parentally work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing or who are themselves deaf or hard of hearing.
For the 2024-25 school year and all subsequent school years, the Department shall produce an annual report that is specific to language and literacy development of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This act is similar to provisions in SS/HB 447 (2023) and in HCS/HB 106 (2023).
OLIVIA SHANNON