Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1252
By Senator Jones
34-01025B-26 20261252__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to a pilot program for students with
3 reading deficiencies; creating s. 1008.251, F.S.;
4 creating the First Grade Summer Reading Immersion
5 Pilot Program for a specified period of time;
6 providing the purpose of the pilot program; providing
7 requirements for a student to be deemed at risk of
8 having a reading deficiency; providing Department of
9 Education and participating school district duties;
10 requiring the department to provide a report to the
11 Legislature upon completion of the pilot program;
12 providing requirements for such report; providing for
13 the future repeal of the pilot program; providing an
14 effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 1008.251, Florida Statutes, is created
19 to read:
20 1008.251 The First Grade Summer Reading Immersion Pilot
21 Program.—Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the First
22 Grade Summer Reading Immersion Pilot Program is created for a
23 period of 3 school years. The purpose of the program is to
24 assist school districts in providing a summer reading immersion
25 program for students who completed grade 1 and are at risk of
26 having a reading deficiency or exhibit a substantial deficiency
27 in reading. For purposes of the pilot program, a student is
28 deemed to be at risk of having a reading deficiency if he or she
29 scored a Level 1 on the midyear or the third administration of
30 the coordinated screening and progress monitoring under s.
31 1008.25.
32 (1) The Department of Education shall:
33 (a) Select two school districts to participate in the pilot
34 program.
35 (b) Create a First Grade Summer Reading Immersion Pilot
36 Program for school districts to implement each year of the pilot
37 program. The program must:
38 1. Be a minimum of 6 weeks in length.
39 2. Focus on:
40 a. Foundational grade 1 reading skills.
41 b. Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and
42 reading comprehension.
43 3. Assess student learning gains and reading skills at the
44 conclusion of the program using the first grade final
45 administration of the coordinated screening and progress
46 monitoring or a state-approved diagnostic assessment.
47 (c) Establish reporting requirements for participating
48 school districts.
49 (2) Each participating school district shall:
50 (a) Invite students who have completed grade 1 who are at
51 risk of having a reading deficiency or exhibit a substantial
52 deficiency in reading to attend the First Grade Summer Reading
53 Immersion Pilot Program.
54 (b) Administer the First Grade Summer Reading Immersion
55 Pilot Program pursuant to department requirements and guidance.
56 (c) Provide the data and information requested by the
57 department.
58 (d) Provide periodic updates to the department on the
59 implementation of the First Grade Summer Reading Immersion Pilot
60 Program.
61 (e) Upon completion of each First Grade Summer Reading
62 Immersion Pilot Program, provide a report on student learning
63 gains and reading skills at the conclusion of the program,
64 including participation rates.
65 (3) Upon the completion of the pilot program, the
66 department shall provide a report to the Legislature. The report
67 must include all of the following:
68 (a) Student outcomes for students who participated in the
69 First Grade Summer Reading Immersion Pilot Program.
70 (b) Rates of student participation in the First Grade
71 Summer Reading Immersion Pilot Program.
72 (c) Policy recommendations for further implementation of
73 the First Grade Summer Reading Immersion Pilot Program.
74 (4) This section shall expire upon the submission of the
75 department’s report to the Legislature pursuant to subsection
76 (3).
77 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.