Bill > S338

This bill aims to promote high-quality literacy instruction across Massachusetts schools by establishing comprehensive requirements for evidence-based literacy education. The legislation defines "evidence-based literacy instruction" as a structured approach to teaching reading that focuses on five essential components: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. The bill requires school districts to align their literacy curricula with evidence-based instructional practices, mandates that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) review and approve literacy materials, and requires districts to develop plans for implementing literacy instruction, particularly when early screening indicates that more than 50 percent of kindergarten through third-grade students are below literacy benchmarks. The bill also requires DESE to provide professional development resources, create guidelines for identifying and addressing reading deficiencies, develop a reporting mechanism to track literacy instruction implementation, and ensure that educator preparation programs and apprenticeship pathways include training in evidence-based literacy instruction. Additionally, the bill specifies that literacy instruction should be based on scientifically-based reading research and avoid methods like guessing from context or visual memorization of whole words. These provisions aim to improve reading outcomes and ensure consistent, high-quality literacy education across Massachusetts schools.

Education

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S338