Improving America's Literacy Act

This bill modifies the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to strengthen literacy instruction and improve student outcomes. A key provision explicitly defines and prohibits the use of the three-cueing model, an instructional approach that relies on context, pictures, or syntax as the primary basis for word recognition, in literacy activities funded by federal grants.

For Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grants, the bill requires recipients to use evidence-based activities and implement instructional strategies that focus on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. These grants will be awarded for up to five years, with a potential two-year renewal, and the Secretary of Education must conduct annual reviews of their impact on student literacy outcomes, making these findings publicly available.

Similarly, School Improvement Grants will now mandate that literacy activities funded through them are evidence-based and utilize instructional strategies centered on the core components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This ensures a consistent, scientifically-backed approach to literacy across different federal funding streams.

The legislation also directs the Institute of Education Sciences to conduct research identifying State and local strategies associated with significant improvements in student literacy outcomes, examining instructional practices, curricular materials, and professional development. Findings from this research must be reported to Congress and publicly disseminated within five years. Importantly, the bill clarifies that it does not limit existing disability rights or authorize federal control over specific instructional content or curricula.