This bill establishes a framework of literacy interventions in kindergarten through grade 3 within the public education system.
This bill:
- defines terms;
- establishes a third-grade level reading goal for 2030;
- requires a local education agency (LEA) to, based on the student's performance on a benchmark reading assessment, provide a student with an individualized reading plan that identifies specific reading interventions to remediate a reading deficiency, including considering retention in lower grades and requiring retention in grade 3 except in cases of certain good cause exemptions;
- requires regional education service agencies and certain school districts to provide formal professional learning and information training in the science of reading;
- dedicates a certain amount of funding to provide literacy training and paraprofessionals who support literacy;
- requires certain school performance monitoring;
- excludes the practice of "three-cueing" from an LEA's reading curriculum;
- requires the State Board of Education (state board) to distribute funding to regional education service agencies and certain school districts for literacy coaching and training;
- requires the Utah Board of Higher Education to partner with the state board in certain duties regarding teacher preparation programs;
- requires the use of a certain portion of a school's allocation under the Teacher and Student Success Program on literacy interventions if the school's third grade students score below the statewide benchmark goal;
- includes science of reading and literacy as components of an elementary educator evaluation;
- requires the Center for the School of the Future at Utah State University, in collaboration with the Utah Board of Higher Education, to develop a plan to improve science of reading knowledge and ability in teacher graduates from a state institution of higher education; and
- makes technical and conforming changes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 53E-3-1001, 53E-3-1003, 53E-4-307, 53E-6-302, 53F-9-204, 53G-7-205, 53G-7-1304, 53G-7-1305, 53G-11-507
Enrolled: 53E-3-1001, 53E-3-1003, 53E-4-307, 53E-6-302, 53G-7-205, 53G-7-1304, 53G-7-1305, 53G-11-507
Amended 3/5/2026 16:03:189: 53E-3-1001, 53E-3-1003, 53E-4-307, 53E-6-302, 53G-7-205, 53G-7-1304, 53G-7-1305, 53G-11-507
Substitute #1: 53E-3-1001, 53E-3-1003, 53E-4-307, 53E-6-302, 53G-7-205, 53G-7-1304, 53G-7-1305, 53G-11-507