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Pennsylvania lawmakers have proposed science of reading laws that would require schools to adopt reading curriculums backed by research and create additional instruction resources for teachers.
The two bills, which both have bipartisan support, focus on ensuring students across the state have access to curriculums that include instruction in phonics, word decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension — all elements that researchers have found help students learn to read.
The proposals are part of a yearslong push in Pennsylvania and nationwide to ensure reading curriculums follow reading science. Last year, only about 1 in 3 Pennsylvania fourth graders could read at a proficient level, according to national test scores. The bills would build on legislation state lawmakers passed last year that established a science of reading training program for teachers, and encouraged districts to adopt research-backed reading curriculum.
One of the bills, which the Senate Education Committee advanced earlier this month, would require that districts adopt a reading curriculum backed by evidence. Senate Bill 700 would also require districts screen all children in kindergarten through third grade for reading competency three times each school year and provide professional development to teachers in reading instruction.
“We know, through a very strong body of research spanning decades, that instruction aligned to the science of reading is the most effective way to teach kids how to read,” state Sen. Devlin Robinson, a Republican and one of the bill’s main sponsors, said in a statement. “This bill follows the successful efforts of other states and requires educators use the most effective methods, programs, and materials that are aligned to the science of reading.”
The legislation does not explicitly state what evidence-based measures they expect curriculums to use. However, it would require schools to annually report their curriculum choice.
Robinson emphasized that the bill allows local education officials to maintain control because it does not mandate that districts select a certain curriculum. Rather, the proposed bill allows schools to choose any literacy curriculum as long as it is based on literacy science.
The state’s Reading Leadership Council, created through legislation last year, is currently in the process of developing a list of recommended literacy curriculum, which it’s expected to release in June. Senate Bill 700 states that districts that adopt a curriculum from that list will be eligible for grant funding to help pay for the costs of training teachers and implementing the curriculum.
The Reading Leadership Council is also expected to release lists of recommended reading screener tests and professional development programs, which the bill requires schools draw from.
“This is all trying to really get a movement going,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes, a Democrat who represents part of Philadelphia and is also sponsoring Senate Bill 700. He said lawmakers want to ensure reading instruction is rooted in “solid pedagogy, and to also get folks excited about reading.”
Meanwhile, House Bill 684, which is under consideration by the House Education Committee, would provide additional support for schools and teachers to implement science-backed reading curriculum. The legislation would create a grant program for schools to train teachers in the science of reading, develop a reading coach program, mandate reading screenings, and provide funding meant to attract and retain reading teachers.
Funding for those programs would depend on the state budget and other grants.
Several advocates have supported both bills, and are calling on the state to provide additional funding for reading support.
“It’s one thing to say that structured literacy [and] the science of reading is important,” said Julia Cadwallender, managing director of the Philadelphia-based coalition Read by 4th. “But to put funding behind the systems that actually make it possible for that change to happen is really where we’re going to see improvement for kids.”
Pennsylvania reading advocates want state to move faster
Several other states, including Indiana and Michigan, have recently passed bills mandating that schools teach students to read through an evidence-based approach. Reading scores have improved in some states that have already implemented these curriculums, like Mississippi and Louisiana.
But in Pennsylvania, some advocates worry that progress has been too slow.
“These pieces of legislation really work toward addressing the crisis, but we’re up against a deficit here in Pennsylvania,” said Rachael Garnick, Pennsylvania coalition manager at the advocacy group Teach Plus.
To Garnick, it’s vital that the state put money behind its science of reading initiatives to support schools and teachers. But that’s been difficult, she said, especially with a $4.5 billion gap — acknowledged by state lawmakers — between the funding Pennsylvania’s poorest schools need and what they actually receive. Legislators are currently negotiating the next state budget, which is slated to be finalized on June 30.
One test case of new reading instruction in Pennsylvania is already underway in Philadelphia.
Last school year, the city’s school district adopted a new English Language Arts curriculum built around the science of reading. So far, many teachers have welcomed the curriculum, but some have said the district left them scrambling to implement it. Student reading scores in the city remain far below the state and national average, with fewer than 1 in 5 Philadelphia fourth graders able to read proficiently, according to last year’s national assessment results.
Superintendent Tony Watlington said earlier this year that he believes reading scores will improve in the coming years following the updated curriculum’s full roll-out.
Garnick said she believes additional support and attention on the science of reading at the state level could make a big difference in Philadelphia and statewide. Still, she said, the need remains high.
“This is a really good first leap, a good first step,” said Garnick. “And there’s a ton of work to do.”
Rebecca Redelmeier is a reporter at Chalkbeat Philadelphia. She writes about public schools, early childhood education, and issues that impact students, families, and educators across Philadelphia. Contact Rebecca at rredelmeier@chalkbeat.org.
