The Legislature hereby finds and declares that strong leadership is needed at the local level to improve reading instruction in kindergarten and grades 1 to 3, inclusive, of the public schools. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to encourage members of governing boards of school districts, school administrators, and teachers identified by the governing board of the school district as having demonstrated leadership in reading instruction to implement a comprehensive reading program for kindergarten and grades 1 to 3, inclusive, that emphasizes basic reading skills and continued improvement of reading skills through the reading of high quality books.