Dive Brief:
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Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a literacy law on May 7 requiring personalized teaching plans for students who are not reading at grade level. As part of the law, schools are required to notify parents or guardians of their option to retain students at their current grade level if they are not reading proficiently in grades K-6.
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The new law also requires a new literacy assessment for aspiring teachers in preparation programs. The state department of education will be required to publish an online report compiling the percentage of aspiring teachers scoring above, at or below level in K-6 teacher preparation programs.
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The initiative is part of Reynolds' push to improve early childhood literacy rates, which she highlighted in her Condition of the State address in January.
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"We’re the only state in the country that doesn’t require competency in early literacy instruction for teacher licensure. The only state," Reynolds said in her January speech.
Iowa's test scores from the 2022-23 school year show 66% of 3rd graders are proficient in English Language Arts, including literacy. However, for students from low-income families and students with disabilities, those percentages are much lower at 51% and 25%, respectively.
Lagging literacy rates gained traction nationally after scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed reading declined by 3 points for 4th and 8th graders when compared prior to the pandemic.
Literacy was one of the top priorities for governors in 2024. The leaders of at least 24 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands mentioned academic achievement and literacy, including how to strengthen early reading, in their annual State of the State addresses, according to the Education Commission of the States, which tracks state policy.
The year prior, 22 governors discussed academic supports overall, including for reading, per an ECS report from 2023. Ten states also pushed to pass policies last year that would prioritize early literacy.
Around four states passed laws on 3rd grade reading or literacy intervention, according to a state bill tracker by ECS.
Literacy was also among the priority areas for the Biden administration this year in its efforts to improve student achievement, such as through the use of literacy coaches.
"When implemented well, high-dosage tutoring can reduce burdens on teachers and complement other school-based activities such as building educator capacity through the use of math and literacy coaches, which research shows can improve student achievement, and professional development to support data-driven instruction," the administration's 2024 education agenda said.
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