Page 4 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, JunE 26, 2026 Mass. Legislature enacts landmark literacy legislation O Special to The Advocate n June 18, 2026, the Massachusetts Legislature enacted landmark literacy legislation that will transform how the Commonwealth teaches children to read to ensure every student learns this essential skill. As co-chair of the conference committee reconciling the differences between the two chamber’s version of this bill, Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett) collaborated with many educators to craft evidence-based policies that will strengthen early literacy instruction and set our students on a path to lifelong success. An Act relative to teacher preparation and student literacy establishes clear statewide standards for evidence-based reading instruction — requiring the teaching of phonics, ensuring access to high-quality K-3 curricula, enhancing educator training and supporting and creating new reporting and accountability systems. On June 18, the governor received the bill from the Legislature for her signature and/or other actions. “This is a pivotal moment for children across our state as we advance the critical legislation I filed to ensure every student gains essential literacy skills,” said Senator DiDomenico, who is the lead Senate bill sponsor. “We all recognize that teaching our kids to read and write is one of the most fundamental responsibilities we have, yet far too many students are still falling short of basic literacy benchmarks. As co-chair of the conference committee, I was proud to collaborate with many educators to craft evidence-based policies that will strengthen early literacy instruction and set our students on a path to lifelong success. I want to express my gratitude to Senate President Spilka, my fellow conferees, my staff, the educators, and the committed advocates whose dedication helped carry this important policy across the finish line.” “We expect our kids to put in their best efforts when they go to school; in turn, our kids deserve our best efforts when it comes to teaching them how to read,” stated Senate Presi50 dent Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “My family has personal experience with reading struggles, so I understand what so many students and parents are dealing with when it comes to literacy education not making the grade. That’s why I’m proud that the Senate prioritized this issue—and I’m proud we are getting this bill to the Governor’s desk. I am extremely grateful to the members of the conference committee, our partners in the House, and all of the people who spoke up on the need for high-quality comprehensive literacy instruction in our schools.” Senator Sal DiDomenico speaking on the Senate floor in favor his early literacy legislation. (Courtesy photo) Although Massachusetts is recognized as a national leader in education and our students consistently test high among national peers, recent data confirms there is more work to do. English Language Arts (ELA) scores continue to lag behind pre-pandemic levels. Almost 60 percent of all students in grades 3-8 are not meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA, and 50 percent in grade 10 are not meeting or exceeding ELA expectations. Additionally, achievement gaps among major racial and ethnic student groups and low-income students have widened when compared with 2019, according to data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). High-quality early literacy education The bill defines evidence-based early literacy as instruction featuring phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and phonemic awareness, and is demonstrated to produce significant and positive effects on student learning outcomes. It prohibits curricula that are not evidence-based and curricula that rely on implicit or incidental word reading strategies, including MSV/ three cueing. Many school districts in Massachusetts have already switched to evidence-based early literacy curricula, with some assisted by grants awarded through the state’s Literacy Launch program, which is administered by DESE and fundLEGISLATION | SEE PAGE 8
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