Agency of Education asks a one-year delay before extending supplemental reading mandate to grades 4–12; advocates urge immediate action

Montpelier — Agency of Education staff told the Senate Education Committee on April 18 that they support adding a requirement for schools to provide supplemental reading instruction for students significantly below grade level in grades 4–12, but asked the committee to set the effective date for that expansion to July 1, 2026, to allow time for guidance, assessment alignment and training.

The request concerns Section 10 of House Bill H4 80 (the literacy provisions) and builds on existing statute (the committee referenced 16 V.S.A. §2907 and related MTSS requirements) that currently requires screening and supplemental reading supports in early grades. Agency staff said the expansion to adolescent grades should be launched with clear, evidence‑based assessment guidance and targeted professional learning so districts implement consistently.

Agency rationale and implementation steps

Emily Loesch, project manager for READ Vermont at the Agency of Education, said the agency shares a singular goal: "increasing literacy achievement for all Vermont students." She told the committee that READ Vermont — launched by the agency in September — has already run multiple workshops and that the agency would begin implementation planning immediately upon passage.

Loesch and colleagues described a six‑part…