STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4291
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. JENSEN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring certain
teachers who provide literacy instruction obtain a literacy endorse-
ment
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 3004 of the education law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
3 7. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commissioner is
4 authorized and directed to prescribe regulations establishing a literacy
5 endorsement as a requirement for all certified teachers who provide
6 literacy instruction to students in kindergarten through grade five.
7 Such regulations shall require that teachers receiving certification on
8 and after January first, two thousand twenty-seven who provide literacy
9 instruction to students in kindergarten through grade five obtain a
10 literacy endorsement within three years of receiving certification. For
11 teachers receiving certification before January first, two thousand
12 twenty-seven, the regulations shall require such teachers receive a
13 literacy endorsement on or before January first, two thousand thirty.
14 The literacy endorsement shall require teachers to complete evidence-
15 based science of reading training and other coursework as determined by
16 the commissioner and to pass a literacy instruction assessment demon-
17 strating that the teacher is capable of:
18 (i) effectively teaching foundational reading skills, phonemic aware-
19 ness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension;
20 (ii) implementing reading instruction using high-quality instructional
21 materials; and
22 (iii) providing effective instruction and interventions for students
23 with reading deficiencies, including students with characteristics of
24 dyslexia.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08284-01-5
A. 4291 2
1 (b) The commissioner shall require that on and after January first,
2 two thousand twenty-six, all approved educator preparation programs in
3 childhood education and early childhood education include courses neces-
4 sary to obtain a literacy endorsement pursuant to paragraph (a) of this
5 subdivision.
6 (c) The commissioner shall establish a means by which a school
7 district, at the request of a teacher, may receive an exemption to the
8 literacy endorsement for that teacher based on classroom observations
9 and student achievement data demonstrating the knowledge of literacy
10 instruction prescribed in paragraph (a) of this subdivision.
11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
