Early Literacy Reform Actions to Date
While California has taken actions in recent years that are aligned with literacy policies grounded in reading research, including passing legislation to mandate early universal screenings for reading difficulties (SB 114) and strengthening literacy teaching standards for teacher preparation programs (SB 488), California’s efforts to date have been inadequate. Too many students in California are still not being taught with evidence-based instructional materials and not all teachers have been provided with the necessary evidence-based training to effectively teach reading.
Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) introduced AB 2222 on February 7, 2024. This bill–co-authored by 16 legislators and sponsored by Decoding Dyslexia CA, EdVoice, and Families In Schools–proposed creating a clear, comprehensive and evidence-based approach to teaching elementary school students to read in California's public schools.
In the spring of 2024, Speaker of the California State Assembly Robert Rivas and Assembly Education Committee Chair Al Muratsuchi announced that AB 2222 would not advance in the Legislature in 2024, citing budget concerns and a need for the bill to receive closer review by all stakeholders, given its size and complexity. Importantly, Speaker Rivas made a public statement re: AB 2222 not receiving a hearing that noted the critical importance of early literacy policy reform and the need to prioritize this issue in the months ahead.
Both Assemblywoman Rubio and the California Early Literacy Coalition remain committed to this cause. We are confident that continued awareness, education, and advocacy pushes will lead to the passage of early literacy reform in California's public schools. Our plan is to reintroduce legislation in 2025.
It is critical that we address the deep inequities around reading instruction for California’s students who identify as low-income Black and Latino, English learners, and students with disabilities. To do so, we must ensure that California’s elementary educators are better supported in evidence-based literacy instruction and that schools are better prepared to deliver on the promise of providing a foundation of future opportunities for students.
39 States and Counting
Across the country, 39 states and the District of Columbia have committed to implementing evidence-based early literacy policies, including California through SB 488 and SB 114. However, early research indicates that states implementing a multi-pronged approach to early literacy instruction and materials has seen more substantial growth than states that have not.
Mississippi, one of the leaders in comprehensive science of reading-based literacy reform, went from being ranked 49th in the country in 2013 for fourth-grade reading to 21st in 2022, and has made steady progress in reading scores for Black and Latino students and students from low-income communities.