Federal literacy grants would support reading instruction and student screening

The Education Secretary would award literacy grants to states, including grants for eligible low-performing states that apply. Grants would support state literacy plans and programs from early childhood through grade 12, including services by eligible local groups in diverse geographic areas. Eligible low-performing states would need to meet the application requirements. States would give priority to eligible local groups serving greater numbers or percentages of children from low-income families; other eligible groups would not be excluded on that basis.

States receiving grants would screen students, support struggling readers, train educators, and award subgrants for literacy work. These duties and funding shares would apply to states receiving grants and their eligible local subgrant recipients. States would screen all students at least once before third grade and support struggling readers. At least 75 percent of grant funds not allocated for state activities would go to subgrants. Separately, implementation grant funds would support state and local programs and activities: at least 15 percent for birth through kindergarten entry, and at least 40 percent each for kindergarten through grade 5 and grades 6 through 12, with the latter two shares allocated equitably among grades. States would complete and publish a review of teacher preparation programs within three years after receiving grant funds, unless they recently completed and published a similar review.

Grant-receiving states would publish yearly reports on reading support, educator training, and reading materials; federal officials would also conduct literacy research and report state assessment results. States receiving grants would report to the Education Secretary and publish reports on state websites. Federal officials would study reading and writing and report assessment results to states and the public. State reports would not identify individual students; states could omit data when small numbers make results unreliable or could reveal a student's identity. The state assessment report would include results and comparisons, achievement gaps, below-basic results, and trends, to the extent practicable. The Education Secretary would report to Congress no later than one year after receiving state reports, and every two years thereafter. The public assessment report would be issued within five days after the biennial results are released.

The Education Secretary could not issue regulations about two specified reading definitions or regulations controlling specified state and local instructional matters. The restriction covers regulations about the definitions of “science of reading” and “comprehensive literacy instruction,” and regulations that would directly or indirectly control specified state, local, or school instruction. The restriction would apply when the Secretary carries out the literacy grant program. The text also says the Act would not change students' rights and protections under disability laws or authorize federal officials to control state or local instruction.