House committee hears bill to require structured literacy, tighten third‑grade promotion rules

A House Education Committee hearing reviewed House Bill 1832, a proposal to require school districts to implement a statewide structured literacy program for kindergarten through fourth grade and to change third‑grade promotion rules.

Committee staff described the bill’s core requirements: districts, charter schools and education compact schools must implement a structured literacy program using evidence‑based instructional practices by the start of the 2027–28 school year; annual screening assessments must identify at‑risk readers; and family engagement strategies are required. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the State Board of Education are directed to monitor implementation, the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) must adopt revised teacher standards, and teacher preparation programs must incorporate the new standards by the 2027–28 academic year.

The bill also requires OSPI, within available resources and in consultation with experts, to develop and post an educator training program and refresher course on implementing structured literacy. Staff said annual counts of individuals completing the training must be reported to the Legislature, and beginning September 2027 interventions for students below grade‑level must be provided by educators who have…