Legislation Must Pass for All Michigan Children to Benefit from Literacy Efforts

State Board of Education Hears Update on Progress

LANSING – Local and intermediate school districts and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) continue work to improve children’s ability to read and write, department officials say, but lawmakers must pass literacy/dyslexia legislation to substantially improve children’s literacy in the state.

MDE officials earlier this week shared with State Board of Education members Michigan’s work to improve early literacy instruction. They advocated for the legislature to pass Senate Bills 567 and 568, vitally important literacy/dyslexia legislation. The bills would help improve the teaching and learning of reading.

“If we want to make major progress on early literacy in the state, and it is critical that we do so, we’re going to have to pass Senate Bills 567 and 568,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. “In addition, we need to make LETRS training mandatory for elementary instructional staff.”

Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling literacy training, commonly known as LETRS, is currently optional in Michigan. More than 8,400 Michigan teachers either have completed or are taking the training, which among other things includes a significant phonics component, to emphasize teaching young readers to use decoding skills as they learn to read.

“LETRS is a critical component of our efforts to improve literacy outcomes for Michigan students,” said DeNesha Rawls-Smith, literacy unit manager for the MDE Office of Educational Supports. “Educators must receive the training needed to implement instructional strategies aligned with the science of reading.”

The legislature has been working on various iterations of SB 567 and SB 568 for over five years. Sen. Dayna Polehanki, chair of the Senate Education Committee, noted, “We have been working on this effort long enough. It is time to pass these bills into law so that they can help children.”

MDE officials testified before the Senate Education Committee in February, prior to passage of the two bills in the Senate. They testified before the House Education Committee in June to encourage legislators to pass the bills. The legislation is still pending.

In August 2022, the department published “Michigan Dyslexia Handbook: A Guide to Accelerating Learner Outcomes in Literacy” to assist educators and school leaders to understand best practices to prevent reading difficulties associated with dyslexia and to intervene to assist children who exhibit characteristics of dyslexia. 

Student literacy data clearly demonstrate that more work must be done to improve reading levels and to support students in reaching their full potential. Senate Bills 567 and 568 would help screen students for characteristics of dyslexia and would provide strengthened pre-service training and in-service professional development, student instruction, and student interventions.

In addition to the need to pass SB 567 and SB 568 and to make mandatory LETRS training, the state superintendent called for smaller class sizes in elementary schools, grades K-3, that serve high concentrations of children experiencing poverty. Finally, in many cases, children require more instructional time to improve their early literacy skills.

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