Amendment ID: S2697-38

Amendment 38

Early Childhood Literacy Certificate Program for Early Education and Care Providers

Messrs. Feeney and Timilty move that the proposed new draft be amended by inserting after section ___ the following section:-

“SECTION __. Chapter 15D of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following section:-

Section 22. Early Childhood Literacy Certificate Program

(a)The department of early education and care, in consultation with the department of elementary and secondary education, shall establish the early childhood literacy certificate program for early education and care providers. The program shall provide instruction of evidence-based early literacy best practices and science-based reading research and teaching methods including, but not limited to, the five research-based areas in reading instruction, i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluence, vocabulary, and comprehension, to meet the early literacy needs of children enrolled in programs licensed by the department of early education and care and operating in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

(b)The department of early education and care shall adopt regulations and guidelines necessary to implement this section, including requirements for program completion, web-based and in-person instructional opportunities and appropriate assessments to ensure compliance with evidence-based early literacy best practices and science-based reading research and teaching methods.”

and further;

by inserting in section 16, after the word “caregiver”, in line 231, the following words:-

“(viii) completion of the early childhood literacy certificate program in accordance with section 22 of Chapter 15D of the General Laws, as established by this act”.