Iowa House passes bill bolstering early literacy standards

DES MOINES — Seeking to improve the reading performance of Iowa’s elementary school students, House lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday setting early literacy standards.

The bill would add new instruction for prospective teachers in the state and introduce more targeted interventions for students who fall behind in reading proficiency.

The bill, House File 2618, passed the House 92-3, with three Democrats voting no. A companion bill advanced in February out of a Senate subcommittee, but the chamber has not advanced it further.

The bill was introduced this year by Gov. Kim Reynolds as part of a push to improve literacy and reading instruction. Reynolds said during her Condition of the State address in January that although Iowa students’ reading scores largely have held steady since the pandemic, the state should do more to improve those outcomes. About 34 percent of Iowa’s third-graders were not reading proficiently in 2023, according to the Iowa Department of Education.

“Children who can’t read by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school, which dramatically increases their chances of being arrested, using illegal drugs and having poor health,” Reynolds said in January.

The Department of Education also has offered a free training on the “science of reading” to elementary teachers, promoting the instructional approach that has gained popularity among state policymakers and educators. About 1,400 teachers participated in the first cohort for that training, the Department of Education said in March.

Bill requires reading proficiency plans

If the bill is signed into law, Iowa school districts would need to give written notice to the parents or guardians of students who are reading below grade level in kindergarten through sixth grade. Parents would have the option to hold the student back a grade.

The bill also would require school districts to create personalized reading plans for students who are not reading proficiently until they reach proficiency.

Colleges and universities that offer teacher certifications would need to administer a reading instruction assessment based on the nationally recognized Foundations of Reading assessment. The assessment would not be required for graduation or licensure, but the higher education institution would need to publish data on how many students received a passing score on the test.

House lawmakers altered the bill from its original wording, which would have required prospective teachers to pass the foundations of reading test in order to graduate and receive a teaching license.

Lawmakers support ‘toned down’ bill

Rep. Thomas Moore, R-Griswold, the bill’s floor manager, said the bill was “toned down” from Reynolds’ proposal and represented a compromise between lawmakers.

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While Moore acknowledged many teachers already are informing parents and giving extra attention to students falling behind, he said putting the requirements in law would improve outcomes.

“Obviously we wouldn’t be in the middle of the pack nationally, reading wise, if all of our teachers were doing some of these things,” he said. “And so to make it mandatory, K through 6 … that these things be done, I think was important.”

Rep. Sharon Sue Steckman, D-Mason City, proposed an amendment to make it easier for teachers to receive an advanced dyslexia endorsement. Democrats said the amendment would improve reading outcomes in the state. While Moore said more should be done to address dyslexia, Republicans voted down the amendment.