Michigan Needs to Double Down on Efforts to Improve Early Literacy Outcomes

State Board of Education Receives Update on Progress the Same Week
State House Passes Budget that Lacks Necessary Literacy Funding

LANSING – While measures to improve literacy outcomes for Michigan children are being implemented, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is advocating for additional legislative actions that are needed to make further gains.

This comes as the State House of Representatives approved a budget on Wednesday that would include no funding dedicated specifically to further early literacy improvements.

State Board of Education members this week received an update on efforts to improve early literacy achievement, Goal 2 in Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan.

“We ask the legislature to continue what it’s already begun,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. “Legislators have already agreed that (early literacy) is important. We’ve asked them to double down on what they’ve already decided is important.”

After the House vote, Dr. Rice added, “We need the legislature to prioritize early literacy if we want student achievement to improve. It’s disappointing that the House budget doesn’t place an emphasis on additional, research-based literacy initiatives. As budget negotiations continue, MDE will continue to strongly advocate for funding and other measures that will help children learn to read and write better.”

Last October Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed two historic and long-awaited laws to strengthen the effectiveness of literacy instruction and intervention for Michigan students. The new laws provide both pre-service and in-service training to educators to learn or enhance skills needed to identify students with characteristics of dyslexia. Among other efforts, these new laws also require use of high-quality literacy materials, screening of children for characteristics of dyslexia and intervention when characteristics of dyslexia are found.

Dr. Rice and other MDE officials shared at the State Board of Education meeting MDE’s legislative priorities to improve early literacy outcomes. Those priorities include:

• Lowering class sizes in high-poverty grade K-3 classrooms, which research shows is associated with improved academic outcomes.
• Requiring mandatory training in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) on the science of reading for educators and administrators in grades K-5, as well as all literacy coaches. About 4,560 Michigan educators have completed the training and more than 7,000 are participating in the professional development, but it’s important for more educators to participate.
• Rolling back changes that the legislature made in recent years to permit fewer days of instruction and in-person instruction. State law requires 180 days of instruction per school year, but many students experience fewer days of in-person instruction, and students can have as few as 149 in-person instructional days per state law based on changes that the state legislature made in 2019 and 2023.
• Additional funding for high-quality literacy instructional materials. MDE is asking the legislature to double funding for these materials in fiscal year 2026 from $87 million to $174 million so districts are incentivized to begin work on the major new literacy/dyslexia law a year early.

MDE Chief Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sue Carnell said the priorities are based on four successful strategies for teaching reading.

“We know there are certain strategies that can help children succeed in reading,” she told board members. “One, having more teacher time with the student helps individualize instruction. Two, having a teacher knowledgeable about how the brain works in learning to read. Three, having high-quality instructional materials in the classroom. And four, having more in-person time in the classroom to obtain instruction.”

Progress so far on improving early literacy outcomes includes work by the Committee for Literacy Achievement in partnership with MDE. Those efforts resulted in development of lists of tools and strategies to improve student literacy and award funds to districts that use the proven research-based tools. The legislature provided $87 million for those efforts.

The committee of experts evaluated literacy tools and created three rankings lists—Tier 1 Early Literacy Materials and Series, Early Literacy Intervention Materials and Series, and Professional Development. The lists are based on a request for submission process that included a demonstrated history of increasing student outcomes.

MDE will award grant dollars to districts and intermediate school districts based on their use of highly rated literacy instruction tools that are on the lists. Funds are through Section 35m of the state School Aid Act for fiscal year 2025.

The second grant is funded through Section 35n of the state School Aid Act for fiscal year 2025. It provides $10 million to MDE to administer the competitive Reading Excellence and Advancing District (READ) Innovation Grant. Winning districts will receive incentive money for literacy innovations that generate the greatest impact.

Local and intermediate school districts could begin applying for the funding for both grants on June 2, with a deadline of July 11.

More information on the grants is available in a Section 35m memo and a Section 35n memo issued last week to school districts, intermediate school districts, and charter schools.

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