Massachusetts House Passes Bill Reforming Early Literacy Instruction

Other bills passed today include requiring financial literacy instruction, and updating the criteria for awarding a Seal of Biliteracy to high school seniors

Special to The Advocate

BOSTON – The Massachusetts House of Representatives on Monday passed three education bills that seek to improve reading outcomes among elementary school students, educate middle- and high-school students on personal financial literacy, and to update the criteria for awarding a Seal of Biliteracy for bilingual graduating students.

“As a former public-school teacher, and as someone who cares deeply about the future of our Commonwealth, I believe strongly that Massachusetts must do more to address the literacy challenges that our students are facing, and to better prepare our students for life after graduation. That’s why these bills are so important, as they ensure that every student in the Commonwealth will have access to strong, evidence-based literacy instruction, and that students in Massachusetts will receive comprehensive financial literacy instruction as well,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I want to thank Chairman Michlewitz, Leader Peisch, and Chairman Gordon for their hard work on these bills, and to all my colleagues in the House for voting to advance these critical reforms.”

“Over the past few years, the Commonwealth has met the financial needs of our school districts in the difficult post COVID days. Despite this new influx of funds, we have seen some troubling trends develop among our students, literacy being the most concerning. The legislation that the House engrossed today will take a major step toward reversing those trends and assist students and educators alike to improving a child’s path to receiving the world class education that we have come to expect for our students here in the Commonwealth”, said Representative Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), Chair of the House Committee on Ways & Means. “I want to thank Speaker Mariano for his commitment to the Commonwealth’s education system, as well Chairman Gordon and all my House colleagues for their hard work and dedication to this issue.”

“The Commonwealth has long prided itself in providing excellent public education. The legislation passed today ensures that students across Massachusetts have access to evidence-based literacy instruction, high-quality personal financial education, and equal opportunity to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation,” said Representative Ken Gordon (D-Bedford), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “I am proud that Massachusetts is taking a stand against its declining reading scores and requiring that all our literacy curricula be evidence-based and high-quality. Thank you to Speaker Mariano for his leadership and support in bringing these three important pieces of legislation forward today.”

“In communities like Revere, Saugus, and across Massachusetts, we know that reading and financial literacy are at the heart of opportunity”, said Representative Jessica Giannino (D-Revere). These bills ensure that every student, no matter their background or zip code, have access to high-quality instruction and the support they need to succeed. I’m proud to vote for legislation that invests in our classrooms and our students’ futures, and I want to thank Speaker Mariano and Chair Michlewitz for their leadership and commitment to strengthening public education across the Commonwealth.”

“One of the most important duties of state government is the education of our children. Despite historic investments in our public schools, testing shows our school children have reduced literacy rates for thirteen straight years. This important literacy reform bill is truly a civil rights bill for our school children. Parents and taxpayers have a right to demand we fix this blatant failure. For this reason, I am thrilled to join with all of my House colleagues in unanimously approving this critical legislation,” said Representative Jeffrey Rosario Turco (D-Winthrop).

Early Literacy and Teacher Preparation

English Language Arts scores continue to lag behind pre-pandemic levels. Almost 60 percent of all students in grades 3-8 are not meeting or exceeding expectations in English Language Arts (ELA), and 50 percent in grade 10 are not meeting or exceeding ELA expectations. Additionally, achievement gaps among all major racial and ethnic student groups, students with disabilities, low-income students, and English learners have widened when compared with 2019, according to data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

The early literacy bill passed by the House today defines evidence-based early literacy as grounded in scientific research methods, and demonstrated to produce significant and positive effects on student learning outcomes. Many school districts in Massachusetts have switched to evidence-based early literacy curricula, and some have been assisted by grants awarded through the state’s Literacy Launch program, administered by Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and funded by the Legislature at $35 million. However, some school districts have yet to fully adopt proven literacy curricula, despite being the most effective ways to improve reading outcomes.

The bill provides a framework for DESE to identify and approve a list of high-quality curricula that school districts will select from for kindergarten through third grade literacy. It also allows districts to apply to DESE to use a K-3 literacy instruction curriculum that is not on DESE’s list of high-quality curricula, provided DESE verifies that it uses evidence-based literacy instruction.

The bill supports teachers by requiring DESE to provide tools and resources, including online materials and free training modules, to aid districts with professional development aligned with evidence-based literacy instruction for K-3. It also ensures that educator preparation programs are preparing future educators in alignment with evidence-based literacy instruction. To measure progress, the bill requires schools to report on early literacy instruction starting in the 2026 school year, and requires DESE to report annually on literacy instruction. Finally, the bill requires a study and district reporting on the literacy workforce in schools and school libraries, it also allows literacy grants to be used to coordinate screenings, professional development, and library investments.

Financial Literacy

The financial literacy bill passed today creates a Financial Literacy Trust Fund for educating middle- and high-school students on personal financial literacy. The funds may be used for procurement, development and distribution of personal financial literacy educational resources and materials, as well as professional development opportunities –including trainings, seminars, conferences and materials, for educators to use in teaching personal financial literacy.

The bill requires school districts to provide instruction to middle- and high-school students on personal financial literacy, starting in the 2026 school year, consistent with standards set by DESE, including:

• earning and spending income, local, state and federal taxes, charitable giving, methods of payment, consumer protection, balancing ledgers and checkbooks and budgeting;
• long-term saving, the role of banks and financial institutions, interest both simple and compound, financial regulation and planning for the future;
• using credit and making investments, risks of various financial instruments and basic diversification of assets;
• protecting and insuring assets, preventing identity theft and avoiding online scams;
• emerging technologies in the financial industry, a basic understanding of crypto currencies, online commerce and computer stock-trading, how to evaluate media content, including digital content relating to personal finance matters and how to evaluate risk; and
• rights and responsibilities of renting or buying a home or making other large purchases or investments.

The bill requires DESE to assist schools by facilitating access to high-quality curricular materials and professional development opportunities, which may be in person or through audio, video, or other electronic media. To measure progress, the bill requires DESE to report annually on personal financial literacy instruction.

“Giving kids access to the financial skills they need to succeed has been a top priority of mine for many years,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. “Thank you to Speaker Mariano and the House of Representatives for working with us to make this essential knowledge available to every student throughout our entire state.”

Seal of Biliteracy

Currently, a state seal of biliteracy may be awarded by school districts to students who have attained a high level of proficiency in English and at least one additional language. The seal appears on the transcript or diploma of the graduating senior and is a statement of accomplishment for future employers and for college admissions.

To qualify, a student must meet criteria established by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), including a specified level of performance on: the 10th grade language arts exams of the MCAS, and at least one nationally recognized and readily available assessment that measures literacy in a language other than English. The bill passed today updates these criteria by changing the MCAS requirement to allow another assessment or equivalent alternative to be established by BESE.

The three bills passed the House of Representatives 155-0. They now go to the Senate for consideration.