Senator introduces bill requiring cursive proficiency by grade 5; committee sends bill to print

Senator Tammy Nichols presented RS 32031 to the Senate Education Committee, a proposal to add a required cursive-proficiency measure to Idaho’s K–12 standards. Nichols said cursive instruction is already required; RS 32031 would require students to demonstrate mastery by the end of fifth grade and task the State Department of Education with providing resources, benchmarks and assessments to support implementation.

“Cursive instruction must start in third grade … students must demonstrate proficiency by the end of fifth grade,” Senator Nichols said while explaining the proposal and the department’s role in providing implementation guidance.

Nichols framed the bill as a response to perceived inconsistency in classroom practice and cited several rationales for the requirement: the ability to read historical documents, cognitive and fine-motor benefits, and the role of signatures on legal and financial documents. She told the committee that the National Archives has sought people who can read cursive and that adding a proficiency measure would standardize expectations across schools.

Senator Zito moved to send RS 32031 to print so it may be scheduled for a hearing; the motion was seconded and the committee voted in favor. The committee chair announced the motion carried and that Senator Nichols would present the bill when it returns for a hearing.

No vote tally with named yes/no votes was recorded in the committee transcript; committee members present verbally indicated approval.