U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) have introduced bipartisan legislation that would direct federal literacy funding toward evidence-based reading instruction rooted in the Science of Reading to improve reading outcomes for students nationwide.
Five pillars of literacy
U.S. Sens Cruz and Schatz introduced the Improving America's Literacy Act, legislation aimed at strengthening reading instruction in schools through evidence-based teaching methods.
The bill would require certain education funding to support literacy instruction based on the Science of Reading, a research-backed framework that emphasized five core components of reading development.
Under the legislation, federal literacy grants would prioritize instruction built around the five essential pillars of the Science of Reading:
- Phonemic awareness.
- Phonics.
- Vocabulary.
- Fluency.
- Comprehension.
The legislation would also prohibit Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant funding from being used to support the three-cueing model, instead directing those funds toward evidence-based reading instruction.
Cruz cites declining literacy rates.
Cruz said decades of educational and cognitive research support the Science of Reading as the most effective approach to teaching literacy.
Sen. Ted Cruz: "...federal dollars have continued to flow to schools and programs that use outdated pedagogical methods and fall short in teaching children to read, contributing to what has become a consistent and catastrophic decline in literacy levels across America."
He argued that federal education dollars should support proven instructional methods rather than outdated approaches.
Schatz highlights phonics
Schatz said improving literacy has become increasingly important as reading scores continue to decline nationwide.
Sen. Brian Schatz: "In the midst of a national literacy crisis, states have shown that investing in phonics can help boost reading skills."
Literacy concerns
According to the lawmakers, recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results highlight continued declines in reading proficiency.
The 2024 assessment found:
- 33% of eighth-grade students scored below the basic reading level.
- 40% of fourth-grade students scored below basic.
- Twelfth-grade reading scores remain below pre-pandemic levels.
The Bottom Line
Sens. Ted Cruz and Brian Schatz have introduced bipartisan legislation that would steer federal literacy funding toward Science of Reading instruction, strengthen accountability for reading outcomes, and encourage schools to adopt evidence-based methods designed to improve student literacy nationwide.
