Section 54123.

Reading specialists employed by a school district shall be relieved of all regular teaching and administrative responsibilities and shall devote their full time in the performance of the following prioritized responsibilities, which shall be directed toward insuring that pupils attain essential reading skills:

(a) First priority shall be supplementing the reading instruction in kindergarten and grade 1, with an emphasis on the prevention of reading difficulties.

(b) Second priority shall be providing supplementary, specialized diagnostic services and prescriptive instruction to small groups of pupils or to individual pupils in need of special reading instruction in the primary grades.

(c) Final priority shall be providing corrective instruction to individuals and small groups of pupils in grades 4 through 6 after all primary needs are met.

No Miller-Unruh specialist shall maintain a caseload in excess of 60 pupils at any one time, nor shall the daily caseload exceed 40 pupils receiving individual or small group instruction. Each specialist shall be responsible for providing leadership for the total school reading program, including providing in-service training, demonstrations, and serving as a reading resource specialist for the school.

Adequate time shall be allotted in the specialist's schedule to allow the time needed for diagnostic and prescriptive planning, for staff development, and for self-improvement.

(Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1270, Sec. 8. Effective September 30, 1983.)