Oregon officials report measurable literacy gains after first summer of HB 2,007 grants

Oregon education officials told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means — Education Subcommittee on Feb. 26 that the first summer of grants under House Bill 2,007 reached nearly 30,000 students statewide and produced measurable literacy gains among students furthest from proficiency.

Dr. Alexa Pearson, assistant superintendent for teaching, learning and assessment at the Oregon Department of Education, said the 2025 program was “a literacy acceleration strategy implemented at scale,” noting that 100% of grantees implemented literacy instruction and programs demonstrated measurable literacy growth.

The department reported 133 grantees in 2025 — up from 66 the year before — operating 356 summer programs that served 29,739 students. Officials said 76.5% of participants were not proficient in English language arts and that grantees prioritized students experiencing poverty, students with disabilities and students experiencing houselessness.

“Across the state, grantees implemented evidence‑based literacy instruction aligned to Oregon standards and measured student growth with structured assessment and progress monitoring,” Raquel Gwyn, director of expanded learning at ODE, told…