Putting Legislative Policy into Practice: Achieve Schoolwide Success with the Science of Reading

The policy trend toward evidence-based literacy programs built on the science of reading, present across most of the U.S., has accelerated in recent years. In 2023 and 2024 alone, more than 20 states passed new legislation requiring adherence to the science of reading in reading instruction.  

Across states, the foundational goal of this legislation is to ensure all students receive high-quality, research-based reading instruction. The resulting requirements present many school and district leaders with the challenges of understanding the legislation, reviewing their current programs, and ensuring the implementation of programs that comply with their state’s policies.    

Which states have science of reading legislation? 

As of the end of 2024, 40 states plus the District of Columbia have passed laws or implemented policies related to evidence-based reading instruction. Is yours on the list? 

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin. 

Why the Science of Reading Matters 

As a growing number of states take steps to improve reading instruction, it’s valuable to review the evidence from decades of research on the science of reading (SoR), which studies how we learn to read, as well as the instructional practices that best facilitate that process. The evidence indicates that successfully incorporating evidenced-based SoR practices/instruction results in the following: 

1. Better Support for Struggling Readers: Targeted interventions help address the needs of students who struggle with reading, including multilingual learners, providing them with the necessary support to succeed.
2. Benefits of Consistency in Instruction: Standardizing reading instruction ensures that all students receive high-quality, evidence-based education with approved curricula.
3. Improved Reading Outcomes: SoR-based instruction can significantly improve reading proficiency, particularly for early readers.  

Understanding the Legislation  

Several key points recur in legislation focused on the science of reading across various states, such as:

• Systematic, Research-Backed Instruction - This type of instruction means retiring some common teaching methods and replacing them with strategies that have been proven effective by research. In particular, there is an emphasis on explicit, systematic phonics instruction to help students decode words effectively and efficiently, along with a move away from “three cueing” (teaching that students can rely on multiple sources of information, or cues, to figure out words), for example.
• Teacher Training and Professional Development - Many states are emphasizing the need to train teachers in research-backed reading instruction. In these cases, legislation requires teacher-preparation programs to include SoR principles and ongoing professional development for all educators.
• Curriculum Alignment - States are mandating schools to adopt reading curricula that align with the SoR, setting up teachers to practice research-backed teaching methods. This includes strategies for teaching the five pillars of reading: phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
• Interventions and Support - Legislation often includes provisions for early identification and intervention for struggling readers, including those with dyslexia.
• Assessment and Accountability - Legislation calls for the implementation of assessments to monitor student progress and ensure accountability in reading instruction. This includes screeners for early identification of students who need additional support, as well as progress-monitoring programs.   

Evaluating Current Programs 

In the states affected by new legislation, school and district leaders must evaluate their current program to identify areas of weakness or areas where additional resources are needed. 

What’s the best way to support educators?  

One of the best ways to support educators is through professional development paired with a product that is built on the science of reading, increasing educator knowledge and reducing the lift relating to targeted curriculum needs. 

The good news is that Exact Path is here to help! Professional development provided by Edmentum’s Professional Services on the science of reading, paired with Exact Path, can quickly upskill educators and give them tools that increase confidence. And most importantly, students will show increased reading proficiency. 

Designed to meet the needs of today’s classrooms, Exact Path provides educators with a proven solution built using research-based best practices firmly rooted in the science of reading.  

Here are some ways that Exact Path’s comprehensive solution for assessment, instruction, and intervention can impact educator and learner success.  

Assessment 

Exact Path provides three types of assessments that support educators in adhering to the science of reading:  

• Diagnostic - This assessment places students at their “just right” place on the Exact Path learning path. In ELA, this means they get the instruction needed to progress in all five pillars of reading. Precise placement on the learning path supports a student’s structured skill acquisition through a digital product.
• Universal Screener - This assessment supports teachers by identifying specific student needs related to foundational reading learning challenges. This information empowers teachers to create a plan of action for individual students, small groups, and whole-class instruction.  
• Progress Monitoring - This assessment supports teachers by tracking student progress and by providing data for intervention conversations. It also allows a teacher to adapt to instruction based on the needs of students. 

Instruction 

Reading instruction in Exact Path is firmly rooted in SoR best practices, and it reflects all five pillars of reading:

• Phonological Awareness - The ability to hear, identify, manipulate, and substitute phonemes—the smallest units of sound that can differentiate meaning—in spoken words
• Phonics - The ability to understand the predictable relationship between phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters) in order to associate written letters with the sounds of spoken language
• Fluency - The ability to read text accurately, quickly, and expressively, either to oneself or aloud
• Vocabulary - The growing, stored compilation of words that students understand and use in their conversation (oral vocabulary) and recognize in print (reading vocabulary)
• Comprehension - The ability to understand, remember, and make meaning of what has been read 

Students receive research-backed instruction while working on their learning paths, for the recommended 40 minutes a week per subject area. Also, teachers have access to lesson ideas that support student learning and provide resources to modify the lesson to meet the needs of all students, including multilingual learners and advanced learners. Teachers can also assign lessons and practice sessions that support classroom instruction. 

Intervention 

Exact Path enables targeted intervention:

1. It alerts teachers when a student is struggling with a skill. When teachers log on to the landing page, it provides student-performance data, including information on students who are struggling.
2. It adapts the learning path as students get assigned to prerequisite skills, or building blocks. For example, when a student struggles with decoding multisyllabic words, Exact Path adapts to provide instruction and practice with decoding single-syllable words before moving the student back to decoding multisyllabic words. This remediation “fills the gaps” in learning to ensure student success.  

This remediation strategy ensures that students are receiving the instruction they need to make progress toward learning goals.  

Address State Requirements and Your Goals 

As educators work to meet literacy mandates, Edmentum stands ready as a trusted partner offering research-based instructional resources rooted in the science of reading and targeted professional development that adapt to changes in legislation. Our comprehensive approach—covering assessment, instruction, and intervention—empowers educators with tools and insights to deliver high-quality literacy instruction. 

Start with our Early Literacy Needs Analysis to evaluate your current literacy program(s) and identify any gaps in existing resources. It can also help you understand your capacities and constraints so you know where to invest in building a successful program. You can also explore the Science of Reading Toolkit, which is filled with our top tools to help you support a strong, evidence-based foundation for literacy aligned with the science of reading for all learners. 

Learn more about how Exact Path’s diagnostic-driven learning paths and powerful teaching tools aligned to the science of reading can support state literacy requirements. Browse our growing evidence base and list of state approvals.