READ Act

This Act may be cited as the “Reading Excellence and Achievement for Development Act” or the “READ Act”.

The purposes of this Act are to—

(1) increase literacy proficiency among students in elementary schools and secondary schools through the use of science of reading-aligned instruction so that students graduate from high school with the reading and writing skills needed to succeed in the workforce and in life;

(2) support State educational agencies in implementing evidence-based policies aligned with the science of reading;

(3) improve teacher preparation and professional development for school-based staff, including through coaching and deliberate, dedicated professional collaboration, to support evidence-based literacy instruction;

(4) promote early identification and intervention for students at risk of reading difficulties, including dyslexia;

(5) support data-driven literacy strategies to support all students and to close opportunity gaps across student subgroups; and

(6) protect and strengthen literacy research capacity through comprehensive centers and the Institute of Education Sciences.

Congress finds the following:

(1) Literacy is a cornerstone for personal growth, economic opportunity, and a strong society.

(2) The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that—

(A) only 35 percent of the 8th grade class of 2024 were proficient in reading; and

(B) one-third of 8th graders performed below the National Assessment of Educational Progress basic level, the highest percentage ever recorded.

(3) The National Assessment of Educational Progress provides the only nationally representative, independent measure of student achievement over time, offering critical data on the readiness of United States students to compete in the global economy.

(4) The 2023 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies estimates that 28 percent of adults in the United States perform at the lowest proficiency level of literacy, meaning they have substantial difficulty with everyday reading tasks.

(5) Illiteracy costs taxpayers $224,000,000,000 annually and costs United States companies nearly $40,000,000,000 annually.

(6) The interdisciplinary body of research known as the “science of reading” demonstrates the effectiveness of structured, evidence-based literacy instruction.

(7) Federal literacy programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (29 U.S.C. 3271 et seq.), and the Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101 et seq.) provide important foundations, but are insufficient to address the scale of the crisis.

(8) The United States is in the midst of a national literacy crisis, requiring strong Federal leadership in partnership with State educational agencies and local educational agencies to ensure that all students have the foundational literacy skills to thrive.

In this Act:

(1) Evidence-based.— The term evidence-based has the meaning given the term in section 8101(21) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(21)), except that subclause (III) of subparagraph (A)(i) of such section shall not apply.

(2) Science of reading.— The term science of reading means an interdisciplinary body of research from cognitive science, neuroscience, and education that—

(A) demonstrates the explicit, systematic use of the essential components of phonemic awareness, phonic decoding, fluency, language structure, oral language, vocabulary, background knowledge, and literacy knowledge, which together lead to strong comprehension;

(B) recognizes the connection of reading and writing and the importance of strong writing instruction;

(C) does not use a three-cueing model; and

(D) is inclusive of comprehensive literacy instruction.

(3) Three-cueing model.— The term three-cueing model means an instructional approach that—

(A) uses meaning drawn from context, pictures, or syntax as the primary basis for teaching word recognition (commonly referred to as “meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues” or “MSV”); or

(B) teaches visual memory as the primary basis for word recognition.

Section 2222 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6642) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(3) implement statewide policies and systems of support to assist local educational agencies and educator preparation programs in improving literacy instruction and outcomes.”;

(2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:

“(b) Reservation.—

(1) In general.— From the amounts reserved to carry out this subpart for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve—

(A) not more than a total of 5 percent for national activities, which—

(i) shall include funding for a national independent evaluation—

(I) that shall be conducted in accordance with high-quality, rigorous research standards; and

(II) that may not be canceled or deferred, unless the entity funded to conduct the evaluation violates the terms of the contract, has been given written justification for the contract’s termination, and has been provided an opportunity to appeal the termination within 30 days of receiving the notice of termination; and

(ii) may include support for the regional educational laboratories (described in section 174 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9564)) and comprehensive centers (established pursuant to section 203 of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602)) to support literacy research and technical assistance;

(B) not more than 10 percent for grants to eligible States, as described in paragraph (2);

(C) one half of 1 percent for the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a program described in this subpart at schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education; and

(D) one half of 1 percent for the outlying areas to carry out a program under this subpart.

(2) Grants to eligible low-performing states.—

(A) In general.— The Secretary shall allot funds reserved under paragraph (1)(B) among eligible States described in subparagraph (B) in proportion to the number of students enrolled in public elementary schools and secondary schools in each such eligible State, except that no eligible State shall receive less than 0.5 percent of the amount reserved under paragraph (1)(B).

(B) Eligible states.— A State is described in this subparagraph for a fiscal year if the State for the 2 most recent consecutive assessment cycles, ranks within the lowest quintile based on the percentage of students performing at or above the “basic” achievement level in 4th grade reading, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

(C) Needs assessment.— A State receiving funds under this paragraph shall, not later than 1 year after receiving such funds, conduct a needs assessment that analyzes literacy needs across the State and complete a comprehensive literacy instruction plan based on the results of such assessment.

(D) Competitive grants to eligible states.— The Secretary may award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible States under subsection (a) from amounts that are in addition to the amounts reserved under paragraph (1)(B).”;

(3) in subsection (d)(2)—

(A) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:

“(B) A description of how the State educational agency, in collaboration with the State literacy team, if applicable, will develop a State comprehensive literacy instruction plan or will revise and update an already existing State comprehensive literacy instruction plan, including how the State will—

(i) implement universal early literacy screenings and intervention services for students at-risk of falling behind in becoming proficient in reading by third grade, which may include high-impact tutoring and summer learning programs;

(ii) increase access for educators to high-quality instructional materials aligned with the science of reading;

(iii) deliver professional development and instructional coaching for educators, with the input of educators, in high-needs schools with the lowest literacy outcomes;

(iv) update State licensure or certification standards for teachers and evaluate teacher preparation programs to assess alignment with the science of reading; and

(v) meaningfully engage educators from across the State to provide early and ongoing input on how to effectively support educators in improving instructional practice and educational outcomes.”; and

(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking “subsection (f)(1)” and inserting “subsection (f)(2)”;

(4) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:

“(e) Priority.— In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority—

(1) to State educational agencies that will use the grant funds for evidence-based activities, defined for the purpose of this subsection as activities meeting the requirements of section 8101(21), except that subclause (III) of subparagraph (A)(i) of such section shall not apply; and

(2) to States that demonstrate, based on the needs assessment described in subsection (d)(2)(A), that the State has not yet implemented, on a statewide basis, a comprehensive approach to the required activities described in subsection (f)(1)(A).”;

(5) by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following:

“(f) State activities.—

(1) In general.—

(A) Required uses.— Each State that receives a grant under this section shall use grant funds not allocated under paragraph (2) to carry out the following:

(i) Ensure pre-service training and in-service training are aligned between them and with the science of reading and designed, in collaboration with teachers and institutions of higher education, to support teachers in understanding the evidence base on how students learn to read and in using evidence-based instructional materials and practices in their classrooms, which may include—

(I) creating statewide and regional literacy coaching networks;

(II) evaluating teacher preparation programs to strengthen coursework and training in the science of reading;

(III) updating State licensure or certification standards to reflect the science of reading; and

(IV) providing pre-service and in-service training for educators on evidence-based screening, assessment, and progress monitoring and instruction for students with dyslexia.

(ii) Implement evidence-based interventions aligned with the science of reading and designed to prepare students for success with grade-level work in their core classes, which may include high-impact tutoring and summer learning programs.

(iii) Provide universal early literacy screening, including for dyslexia, at least once before the third grade, with more regular literacy screenings encouraged as a tool to help identify reading difficulties early and ensure support is provided to struggling readers.

(iv) Develop, incentivize, and support the adoption and implementation of a recommended list of high-quality instructional materials aligned with the science of reading.

(v) Convene and solicit input from educators as collaborative, expert partners to advise on improving pre-service training, in-service training, and identify other supports that they may need to successfully implement the science of reading in classrooms.

(vi) On an annual basis, collect and publicly report implementation data, which shall include—

(I) the number and percent of students receiving screenings and interventions for learning difficulties, disaggregated by grade level and disaggregated by each of the subgroups of students, as defined in section 1111(c)(2);

(II) the number and percent of pre-service and in-service teachers receiving professional development and coaching grounded in the science of reading; and

(III) the number of local educational agencies using high-quality instructional materials aligned with the science of reading as recommended by the State.

(B) Prohibition of inclusion of personally identifiable information.— A State shall not include any personally identifiable information in data reported under subparagraph (A)(vi).

(2) Subgrants.— Each State that receives a grant under this section shall allocate not less than 75 percent of the grant funds to award subgrants to local educational agencies to enable the local educational agencies to carry out activities to improve literacy, such as—

(A) strengthening literacy instruction aligned to the science of reading in elementary schools and secondary schools, including through in-service training for educators;

(B) employing and training literacy instructional coaches and interventionists;

(C) purchasing and adopting high-quality instructional materials aligned with the science of reading;

(D) conducting universal early literacy screenings, including for dyslexia;

(E) providing direct services to students, which may include high-impact tutoring and summer learning programs, designed to help students reach proficiency in grade-level literacy standards;

(F) conducting outreach to parents and families to help them support their child’s learning at home with strategies grounded in the science of reading;

(G) supporting evidence-based bilingual literacy instruction, including biliteracy development aligned with the science of reading; and

(H) convening and soliciting early and ongoing input from educators as collaborative, expert partners to advise on improving in-service training and identify other supports that they may need to successfully implement the science of reading in classrooms.

(3) Grantee requirements.— Each State that receives a grant under this section shall—

(A) comply with a biennial evaluation by the Secretary assessing the impact of the activities funded under this grant program; and

(B) ensure that funds provided under this section are used to supplement, and not supplant, any State or local funds that would otherwise be used for literacy instruction, teacher preparation, or interventions.

(4) Teacher preparation requirements.—

(A) Alignment with the science of reading.— Each State that receives a grant under this section shall complete and publish, not later than 2 years after receiving the grant funds, a review of all teacher preparation programs in the State to assess alignment with the science of reading and make recommendations to programs, as appropriate, for better aligning course offerings to the science of reading.

(B) Licensure or certification requirements.— Each State that receives a grant under this section shall update or establish licensure or certification standards for public school teachers in grades kindergarten through 8, which reflect competency in instructional practices aligned with the science of reading.”; and

(6) by adding at the end the following:

“(g) Definitions.— In this section—

(1) the terms evidence-based and science of reading have the meanings given the terms in section 4 of the Reading Excellence and Achievement for Development Act;

(2) the term high-impact tutoring means a form of teaching that—

(A) is conducted 1-on-1 or in small groups;

(B) is intended to complement core classroom instruction; and

(C) includes—

(i) substantial time each week engaged in tutoring with trained personnel;

(ii) a sustained and strong relationship between the student and tutor;

(iii) progress monitoring of student knowledge and skills attainment;

(iv) an alignment with core classroom instruction; and

(v) supportive coaching for the tutor to ensure quality interactions; and

(3) the term universal early literacy screening means the systematic and periodic assessment of all students’ foundational reading skills, including phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as developmentally appropriate, to identify those at risk for reading difficulties and to provide timely, evidence-based interventions.

(h) Authorization of appropriations.— There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2026 through 2035.”.

(a) In general.— Subpart 2 of part F of title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“8549D. Parent reporting.—

(a) In general.—

(1) In general.— Each school receiving assistance under this Act that includes any of kindergarten through grade 8 shall provide notification to the parent of any student who is identified as at risk of reading difficulties or performing below grade level in reading.

(2) Notification.— The notification described in paragraph (1) shall—

(A) be provided not later than 30 days after the beginning of the school year, for students in any of grades 4 through 8 who were identified as below grade level in reading on the previous year’s summative assessment required under section 1111(b)(2)(B);

(B) be provided not later than 30 days after a student is identified as at risk for reading difficulties on any universal early literacy screening (as defined in section 2222(g)(1)(C)) administered at any point during the school year; and

(C) include—

(i) the results of the assessment or screening;

(ii) the supports that will be provided to the student to reach proficiency; and

(iii) ways that the parent can support learning at home.

(3) More regular notifications.— A school may provide more regular notification to a parent than that required under paragraph (2) and contain additional information in the notification to assist the parent in understanding and supporting the educational needs of their child.

(b) Reports and notices in primary languages.— A school shall provide each report and notification described in subsection (a) in the primary language of the parent, to the extent practicable.

(c) Model notification templates.— The Secretary shall develop user-tested parental notification templates and other materials, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, for optional use by schools to help them fulfill the requirements under this section. These templates and materials must be made publicly available on the Department’s website.”.

(b) Table of contents.— The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 8549C the following new item:

(a) Applicability.— This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to funds awarded under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 note et seq.) on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

(b) Rules of construction.— Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act shall be construed to—

(1) limit or alter the rights, protections, and individualized instructional requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); or

(2) authorize any officer or employee of the Federal Government to mandate, direct, or control a State, local educational agency, or school’s specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curricula, or program of instruction.