Bills strengthen evidence-based reading instruction in classrooms and protect residents’ access to library materials
BOSTON – State Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn) recently joined his colleagues in both the House and Senate to pass two pieces of legislation, one that strengthens early literacy instruction in Massachusetts classrooms, and another to protect residents’ access to library materials in the Commonwealth’s school and public libraries.
The first bill, H.5511, ‘An Act relative to teacher preparation and student literacy’, establishes statewide standards for evidence-based reading instruction, requiring schools to teach phonics and barring curricula that rely on picture cues or guesswork instead of decoding words on the page.
“Learning to read is the single most important step in a child’s education, with everything else building on it,” said Representative Haggerty. “When a child struggles to read, it affects every subject, every grade, and every opportunity that follows. This bill helps ensure every school in our community and across the Commonwealth is using the best and most proven methods and curriculum to help students achieve their full reading potential. We owe this to our students, their families, and the future of our Commonwealth.”
Evidence-Based Reading Instruction
The bill defines evidence-based literacy instruction as curricula featuring phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and phonemic awareness, and explicitly prohibits approaches based on implicit or incidental word-reading strategies, including three-cueing.
Expanding Access to High-Quality Curriculum
The bill extends the state’s free K-2 literacy curriculum through third grade and requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to maintain an updated list of approved evidence-based curricula for districts to choose from.
Universal Literacy Screening
Districts must assess every K-3 student’s reading ability at least twice a year and notify families when a child falls significantly below benchmarks, along with a plan to address that student’s needs.
Dyslexia Screening Protocols
The bill formalizes requirements for schools to identify potential neurological learning disabilities, including dyslexia, and to report their screening practices annually.
Supporting Educators
The legislation directs DESE to provide professional development resources aligned with evidence-based instruction and expands paid teaching apprenticeships in high-needs districts.
Having passed both branches of the Legislature, the literacy bill now goes to Governor Healey’s desk for her signature.
The second bill, S.2726, ‘An Act regarding free expression’, establishes statewide standards for how the Commonwealth’s school and public libraries select materials and handle challenges to them, while protecting students’ and residents’ continued access to those materials during the review process.
“Parents have every right to guide what their own children read, but those parents and others can’t make that decision for every other family in our community,” said Representative Haggerty. “This bill puts a clear, fair process in place for reviewing library materials, led by trained library staff, so decisions about what’s on the shelves work for the whole community, and so our libraries remain what they’ve always been: places where kids and adults alike can freely access all types of materials protected by free speech.”
Protections for School Libraries
Determinations about whether school library materials are age-appropriate must be made by qualified library professionals based on educational value, not personal or political beliefs. Every district must adopt a written collection policy aligned with national library standards and file it annually with DESE.
A Formal Review Process for Challenged Materials
Any challenged item must remain available while a public review is underway. Materials can only be removed if a review committee finds, by clear and convincing evidence, that they lack educational or literary value and are not age-appropriate for any student in the school. Families retain the right to appeal.
Protections for Public Libraries
Public libraries must adopt and post written policies incorporating the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights and ensuring materials aren’t restricted based on personal or political viewpoints.
Protecting Librarians from Retaliation
The bill bars disciplinary action, involuntary transfers, loss of certification, or fines against librarians and school library professionals for their professional judgment in selecting materials.
Having passed the House by a vote of 153-3, the library bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
