IN WASHINGTON STATE
70% of 4th graders will struggle to read
for the rest of their lives
In a class of 25 children, 17 kids are not proficient in reading
with 10 of those children barely able to read.
29%
of 4th graders have only partially mastered literacy skills
41%
of 4th graders can barely read
WA is not alone
21% of US adults are illiterate
reading below a 5th-grade level
United States
36th
U.S. ranking in global literacy
United States
130M
U.S. adults read below a 6th-grade level — that's 54%
United States
45M
adults (21%) are functionally illiterate — reading below a 5th-grade level
Why Should SPS Press Pause on a New Curriculum?

SPS is about to spend $9M on a K-5 ELA curriculum
that may be non-compliant in 2027.

What is the solution?

A curriculum alone doesn't teach kids to read. Mississippi went from 49th to 9th in the nation in 4th-grade reading — not by buying a new textbook, but by investing in a comprehensive strategy: evidence-based curriculum, trained literacy coaches in every struggling school, and mandatory Science of Reading professional development for all K-3 teachers.

If SPS is serious about its goal of every child reading at grade level, the district needs more than a $9M purchase order. It needs a strategic plan that includes teacher training, literacy coaching, and curriculum aligned with state law. Right now, only 60% of SPS students read at grade level — how do we get to 100% without investing in the people who teach our children?

A Case Study: The Mississippi Miracle
Mississippi 4th grade readers went from 49th to 9th in the US
How the state created reading equity over 12+ years
Since 2003: The national average and WA have gotten progressively worse while Mississippi reversed course.
▼ Mississippi going DOWN = success. Their literacy strategy cut struggling readers nearly in half.
▲ Washington going UP = failure. More WA students are falling behind every year.
Lower % = fewer kids who can barely read = the strategy is working
NAEP 4th Grade Reading — % of students scoring Below Basic  |  Source: Nation's Report Card (NAEP), U.S. Dept. of Education
What is HB 1295?
Washington state is finally fighting for our children. 40 states and DC have already passed legislation similar to HB 1295 that requires evidence-based curriculum. In 2027, Washington will become one of the last 10 states to implement this necessary legislation.
WA screening data from the 2021-22 school year show that over 20% of students in kindergarten through grade 2 were identified as at risk for reading difficulties (including dyslexia) and in need of additional supports.
Equity finding: African American and Hispanic children who show signs of dyslexia are less likely than white children to be identified as dyslexic through school screening programs.
HB 1295 addresses this serious equity problem by ensuring that all school districts select curriculum that is evidence-aligned to established interdisciplinary literacy research. HB 1295 recognizes that using the principles of structured literacy will benefit all students, not only those with indicators of dyslexia.
It is irresponsible, wasteful, and damaging to our children to choose curriculum before HB 1295 is implemented in 2027.
Resources on Science of Reading
(No, it's not just a buzzword)
In 2022, APM Reports published a revolutionary podcast, Sold a Story, that outlined how the highly politicized "reading wars" took shape over almost 30 years in the US. The reporting was clear: the average American reads at a 7th- to 8th-grade level. We knew better. We had the science and we knew how the brain works and learns to read — however, our curriculum did not reflect that, and our children suffered.
Over the next 3 years, 40 states paid attention. Legislative reform swept the nation and publishers scrambled to incorporate "Science of Reading" into their marketing materials without the concrete research to back it up. It became as misused as the word "Natural" on food products.
While WA state was one of the slowest states to react, HB 1295 is here now and is a huge win for our children. SPS has a duty to pause and understand HB 1295 before rushing to implement curriculum that would put our children further behind.
🎧 Sold a Story — APM ReportsThe podcast that launched a national reckoning on how kids learn to read 📚 What Science of Reading Actually MeansIt's not just phonics — a clear breakdown of the research 📰 The New York Times: The Reading WarsHow America got to this place of such poor literacy ⚖ Bill ESHB 1295 — Full TextWA State legislation requiring evidence-based literacy curriculum by 2027 🎥 ABC News: ‘It’s a marathon, not a miracle’Mississippi's director of literacy on how they transformed reading outcomes 🎥 Eyes on Reading: Superintendent Carey Wright & Emily HanfordThe leader behind the Mississippi Miracle in conversation with the journalist behind Sold a Story
Reading Equity for WA Kids — WAkidscanread.com