Relating to reading instruction, including modifying provisions related to the language arts instruction provided to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three and the preparation in reading theory provided by practitioner preparation programs, and including applicability provisions

The bill provides that, commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2026, such instruction shall include evidence-based early reading instruction that follows a scope and sequence and that is direct, systematic, explicit, responsive, and that consists of phonemic and phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Additionally, the bill prohibits such instruction from incorporating any strategies or approaches that are designed to teach students to read words based on meaning drawn from context, structure and syntax, visual cues and pictures, or rote memorization, including the instruction model commonly known as the three-cueing system. The bill modifies provisions related to preparation in reading theory, knowledge, strategies, and approaches provided in practitioner preparation programs. The bill requires that such preparation include evidence-based early reading instruction and practical application that follow a scope and sequence that are direct, systematic, explicit, responsive, and that also consist of phonemic and phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The bill prohibits such preparation from including instruction or practical application that is designed to teach students to encode and decode words based on meaning drawn from context, structure and syntax, visual cues and pictures, or rote memorization, including the instruction model commonly known as the three-cueing system. The bill provides that these provisions apply to students admitted to an approved practitioner preparation program on or after July 1, 2025. The bill defines “evidence-based” to mean instruction based on studies that use rigorous methods to control common threats to internal and external validity, measures found to be reliable and valid indicators of literacy, and research findings or positive evaluation that such activity, strategy, or intervention is likely to improve student outcomes or other relevant outcomes and includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of such activity, strategy, or intervention.