Children learn to read in elementary school, and for the rest of their lives they read to learn. Recent scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that only a third of Pennsylvania students are proficient in reading.
 
Studies show that childhood reading difficulties can produce long-term effects and dramatically impact someone’s chances of success. Currently, one in five American adults struggle with reading basic sentences. For these individuals, tasks such as reading the mail, completing tax forms, or even engaging in civic duties can be nearly impossible. Not only does low literacy have a significant negative impact on individuals, but it also costs the US economy up to $2.2 trillion per year.
 
Literacy is a great equalizer. It not only empowers our communities, but also improves health, teaches employment skills, and allows us to better understand and navigate the world around us. Literacy cannot be a skill that is reserved for wealthy families and those who can afford private tutoring. Literacy is for all, and thankfully, we can look to decades of cognitive science on how to achieve this goal.
 
We now know that literacy efforts aligned with the science of reading have proven to be successful in a number of states, including those with high poverty rates and low per-pupil spending. One only has to look at the reading gains in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Indiana, and Alabama to see the positive impact of science of reading reforms. It’s time for Pennsylvania to join this growing movement and ensure our students have the best opportunity to be proficient readers.
 
To meet this objective, our proposal will continue the bipartisan work that began with Act 135 of 2024.  Act 135 created the Reading Leadership Council, whose task of creating lists of high-quality programs and materials that are aligned to the science of reading is currently underway.  Lists will include evidence-based reading instruction curricula, professional development programs that sufficiently prepare educators to use and apply structured literacy curricula in the classroom, and universal reading screeners to identify struggling readers. 
 
While Act 135 was a good first step, it is only one piece of the literacy reforms passed by the Senate last year with strong bipartisan support via Senate Bill 801.  
 
To that end, this legislation proposes the pieces of Senate Bill 801 that did not make it across the finish line.  Specifically, the bill would require schools to:  
Understanding the importance of local control, schools will be encouraged but not be mandated to use the list of vetted curricula created by the Reading Leadership Council. A grant program will be established to offset the costs of moving to evidence-based reading instruction curricula and training, as well as screeners, for schools who use the recommended lists.
 
The efficacy of these efforts is evident by the growing number of students who can read at grade level in states that have implemented the very changes we are proposing. This bill will put the necessary supports in place and put all children on the path to reading proficiently by the third grade.
 
Our proposal intends to simply finish the good, bipartisan work that was started last session and join the numerous states that are making strategic investments in proven strategies to improve literacy in Pennsylvania.
 
This work takes courage, heart, and will require sound leadership, but our students are worth it. Please join us in sponsoring this important literacy initiative.

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 714 (Apr 30, 2025): P.L.30, No.14