Lexis Law Third Grade Cursive Handwriting Dr Timothy

Lexi’s Law: Third Grade Cursive Handwriting Dr. Timothy Scott Chief Academic Officer June 6, 2019

Lexi’s Law • On May 11, 2016, Governor Robert Bentley signed Act 2016352 (House Bill 218). This amendment to Section 16 -613 -2, Alabama Code (1975), requires that beginning with the 2016 – 2017 school year, instruction in handwriting for elementary school students shall include instruction in cursive writing by the end of the third grade year. • The Act puts into statute that instruction in handwriting shall include cursive writing so that students are able to create readable documents through legible cursive handwriting by the end of the third grade. • It also requires each local board of education to certify on an annual basis to the State Board of Education that the applicable schools in the school district are meeting the cursive writing requirements. 2

Lexi’s Law and HCS • During the 2017 – 2018 school year, a series of cursive benchmarks were established to monitor the development and progress of the 3 rd grade students. • Schools were provided three passages for students to copy into cursive handwriting on uniform paper benchmarked for fall, winter, and spring. A district-wide rubric to determine a handwriting score was also provided. • At the end of the winter benchmark, principals and teachers were required to meet and plan out next steps to improve student handwriting. 3

Lexi’s Law School Name 2018 -2019 AAA ASFL Blossomwood Chaffee Challenger Chapman Dawson Farley GS Hampton Cove Highlands Jones Valley Lakewood Mc. Donnell MLK Monte Sano Montview Morris Mt. Gap Providence Ridgecrest Rolling Hills Sonnie Hereford Weatherly Whitesburg Williams DISTRICT TOTAL 53 59 82 67 82 32 49 48 137 84 65 58 52 56 68 37 32 86 71 115 90 58 68 75 60 70 Total number of students proficient in school 37 36 46 38 53 21 30 40 119 70 43 39 24 43 39 36 13 79 39 85 52 30 27 61 23 59 1754 1182 Total number of students in school Percentage of students proficient: 2018 - 2019 2017 - 2018 Δ 53. 70% 70. 00% 71. 74% 65. 08% 76. 32% 72. 22% 48. 21% 66. 07% 73. 38% 87. 65% 48. 21% 79. 03% 28. 13% 29. 33% 25. 00% 95. 24% 8. 33% 86. 32% 46. 81% 38. 84% 41. 25% 58. 00% 30. 95% 89. 04% 41. 10% 63. 53% 69. 81% 61. 02% 56. 10% 56. 72% 64. 63% 65. 63% 61. 22% 83. 33% 86. 86% 83. 33% 66. 15% 67. 24% 46. 15% 76. 79% 57. 35% 97. 30% 40. 63% 91. 86% 54. 93% 73. 91% 57. 78% 51. 72% 39. 71% 81. 33% 38. 33% 84. 29% 16. 11% -8. 98% -15. 64% -8. 36% -11. 68% -6. 60% 13. 01% 17. 26% 13. 48% -4. 32% 17. 94% -11. 79% 18. 03% 47. 45% 32. 35% 2. 06% 32. 29% 5. 54% 8. 12% 35. 07% 16. 53% -6. 28% 8. 75% -7. 71% -2. 76% 20. 76% 57. 70% 67. 39% 9. 69% 4