Idaho superintendent urges back-to-basics reading push, outlines teacher, budget and career-technical priorities

Debbie Critchfield, Idaho state superintendent of public instruction, told the House Education Committee on Jan. 23 that her office is pushing a “back to basics” strategy that prioritizes phonics-based reading instruction, essential math standards, career-technical education and changes to how state school funding is distributed.

Critchfield said Idaho has seen ‘‘8% growth in our…3rd graders for reading proficiency’’ over the past two years and described the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI), the statewide kindergarten–3 assessment used for reading monitoring. She said about 86,000 students took the IRI last year and the statewide proficiency rate for 3rd grade is about 70%, noting that a change in how the test was normed would have produced a 75% rate under a different reference frame.

Why it matters: reading proficiency and early math fundamentals are central predictors of later academic success. Critchfield told lawmakers the state must give teachers the training and materials to teach phonics and the “science of reading,” improve mentoring for early-career teachers, and update funding so districts get dollars that reflect the kinds of students they serve.

On reading and curriculum, Critchfield emphasized phonics as the ‘‘number 1 input for successful reading’’ and said the Department is asking teacher-preparation programs to strengthen pre-service instruction in reading and classroom management. She said mentoring matters for retention: ‘‘If we can get a teacher…beyond the 3rd year, they’re likely to stay with the profession.’’

On math, Critchfield said the department and the State Board of Education are developing “essential math standards” to ensure teachers cover the building-block topics that prepare students for middle-school math, and to reduce later remediation.

Career-technical education and grants: Critchfield described the Idaho Career Ready Students grant program, saying the Legislature has provided roughly $65,000,000 over two years and the department has awarded 224 grants to expand locally aligned programs. She gave examples: five forestry programs in Potlatch, Orofino, Sandpoint, Saint Maries and Priest River; an AG drone program at Shelley High School; a meat-science class in New Plymouth; and a food-science lab in Hagerman. She said the department asks industry partners to help fund and develop curriculum for programs tied to local labor needs.

Teacher preparation and mentoring: Critchfield said the department will recommend strengthening preparation standards for teacher candidates and for administrator certification, adding that many new teachers need more support with classroom management and behavior strategies.

Budget modernization: Critchfield told the committee the department will propose legislation to change how a portion of the K–12 budget is distributed. She said the goal is to allocate roughly $433,000,000 of the public schools budget based on student characteristics (special education, gifted, etc.) rather than on averages produced by the existing support-unit formula, so funding better reflects district needs.

Federal programs and continuity: addressing questions about potential changes to the U.S. Department of Education, Critchfield said districts must continue to follow federal laws such as those for special education and Title IX even if federal structures change, and that she is seeking conversations with federal officials to plan transitions should national policy or administrative structures shift.

Committee members asked follow-up questions about the IRI norming change, whether removing non‑English learners from some calculations affected recent gains, how the state can target the roughly 30% of 3rd graders not yet proficient, discipline and 504 protections, and how communication standards might be folded across content areas rather than as a single required course. Critchfield answered with data-based explanations and repeated that the department will return with more detail when rulemaking or bill language is prepared.

Critchfield closed by inviting further questions and reiterating that the department wants to support local school boards, strengthen teacher preparation and mentorship, and align funding with student needs.