Committee clears compromise literacy bill to expand evidence‑based reading supports for early grades

The Assembly Education Committee voted to pass AB 14 54 as amended to the Appropriations Committee, a negotiated literacy package authors and stakeholders described as a bipartisan compromise to expand evidence‑based reading supports for transitional kindergarten through fifth grade.

The bill requires the California Department of Education to publish an approved list of professional development programs that support effective literacy instruction for TK–5 teachers; directs the State Board of Education to adopt updated instructional materials for English Language Arts and English Language Development aligned to evidence‑based literacy approaches and the ELA/ELD Framework; and directs the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to update administrator preparation standards to include training on supporting literacy instruction.

Authors Assemblymembers Rubio and Marisucci framed AB 14 54 as a response to the state’s low NAEP scores in elementary reading and to research showing long‑term benefits from early intervention. Patricia Rucker of the California Teachers Association and Marshall Tuck of EdVoice described the bill as a “good compromise” that preserves local choice while creating statewide guidance, professional development capacity and administrator training. The California Federation of Teachers and several county offices and literacy coalitions testified in support.

Supporters said the measure will help districts scale evidence‑based literacy programs and allow the state to collect basic usage data: under the bill districts would report what professional development they used and how many teachers participated, enabling later analysis of which approaches correlate with gains. Marshall Tuck told the committee the bill’s reporting provisions are intended to show which investments and professional development programs yield improved student outcomes.

Opposition was minimal at the hearing; the bill had been negotiated for months with a broad coalition including teachers’ groups, school administrators and literacy advocates. Committee members praised the compromise. Several members sought assurances about funding to implement professional development and materials adoption; the authors and stakeholders said they will pursue funding in the budget process and that the bill’s reporting and implementation timelines were designed to align with expected appropriations.

A motion to pass AB 14 54 as amended to appropriations carried on a roll call the committee recorded as 6‑0. The authors and their coalition urged the fiscal committees to fund the bill so districts can scale training and curricular adoption with fidelity.

Background: Supporters cited the 2024 NAEP state scores and research showing that children not reading at grade level by third grade face significantly lower high‑school graduation and college attainment rates. AB 14 54 focuses on professional development, instructional materials adoption and administrator preparation rather than prescribing a single curriculum, and it requires teacher involvement in adoption decisions and supports for multilingual learners.