Fourth grade reading scores remained consistent for 20 years then declined since 2019.
State reading laws include teacher training, guidelines for curriculum, screening students for reading problems, and rules for holding students back.
Since 2025, MO requires SoR-based teacher development, state approved curricula, screening for reading difficulties, and grade promotion rules.
Science of Reading (SoR) is an evidence-based approach to reading instruction that emphasizes foundational skills like phonics (Sayag & Gendill 2024). Studies show the clear, step-by-step instruction of SoR increases word recognition and reading comprehension (Duke & Cartwright 2021). In contrast, Balanced Literacy, the other widely used reading approach, uses the three-cueing method. This method encourages students to guess words based on what the word looks like, other words in the sentence, or accompanying pictures (Olson 2023). For more information, see the Phonics and Reading Proficiency Science Note.
Reading First was a 2002 federal education program based on the SoR approach enacted by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. The program increased reading instruction consistency, but did increase national reading comprehension scores (National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2024b, Gamse 2008). In 2015, the NCLB law was repealed and replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act which gave states more control over reading instruction while in line with the SoR principles. However, reading comprehension scores remained unchanged from 2002 to 2019 both nationally and in MO (NAEP 2024a).
In 2022, fourth-grade reading scores declined nationally and in MO compared to 2019 (Griffin 2025, NAEP 2024a, NAEP 2024b). This is attributed to disruptions in education during the COVID-19 pandemic, including remote and hybrid learning, less time for lessons, and higher rates of students missing school (Griffin 2025, Harris 2025). Students who were already below reading proficiency had a larger decrease in scores, widening the achievement gap between high and low performing students (Griffin 2025, NAEP 2024).
In response to this trend, 40 bills focused on SoR-based instruction were filed in 31 states in 2023 (Gendill 2024, Sayag & Gendill 2024). Twenty-one states enacted these bills by the end of 2024. These bills focused on four main policies (Gendill 2024, Sayag & Gendill 2024, Olson 2023, Table 1):
MS's 2013 law was one of the first to combine all four categories into a single, comprehensive legislative package. Since then, twelve other states have adopted this four-part approach (AL, AR, FL, IN, MO, NC, OH, SC, TN, TX, VT, WV). Other states have focused on different structures. For example, GA, HI, ME, and RI created a state-level council or oversight plan to manage their reading success. MA currently leaves the task of addressing reading comprehension to its Board of Education. Similarly, NY delegates all policy development to its education department.
Table 1: State adoption of Science of Reading (SoR) policies. The four main policy areas states use to address decreased reading comprehension scores. States are listed under Required if their law mandates a policy’s implementation. States are listed under Recommended if their law provides funding for or encourages the policy without requiring it.
| Policy Area | States |
|---|---|
| Teacher Preparation and Professional Development |
Required: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MN, MS, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NV, OH, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY Recommended: AK, MI, NM, OK, PA |
| SoR Based Instructional Materials and Curriculum |
Required: AL, AK, AR, AZ, CT, FL, IA, ID, IN, KY, LA, MD, MO, MD, MS, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OF, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY Recommended: KS, MI, PA |
| Early Screening and Intervention for Reading Difficulties |
Required: AL, AK, AR, AZ, CO, CT, FL, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, MN, MS, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NV, OH, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY Recommended: DE, NM, PA |
| Accountability for Reading Success and Promotion to Next Grade |
Required: AL, AR, FL, IN, MI, MS, MO, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VT, WV Recommended: MD, NE |
MO requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to select and fund a SoR-aligned PD curriculum for teachers (RSMo 170.014). Along with 22 other states, DESE chose the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) as the sole provider of state-funded PD programs (DESE 2022). LETRS is a SoR-based professional development course that teaches foundational literacy skills (Schwartz 2022). MO mandates university-level teacher preparation programs align their curriculum with the SoR ( RSMo 167.346). School districts must select instructional materials from a list approved by DESE that only contains SoR-based curricula. MO requires school districts to use an approved reading test for students in kindergarten through third grade to screen for reading difficulties and provide prompt, high-quality, evidence-based intervention for at-risk students (RSMo 161.241). Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, a MO student must be retained in the third grade if they do not meet expected reading goals (RSMo 170.014).
References:
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