Bill · S. 5659· Senate(119-S-5659)
Literacy Improvement for Transformation Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 9/30/2026
- Last activity
- 9/30/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Martin Heinrich
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
S. 5659 establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Secretary of Education to help local educational agencies ensure that every elementary and secondary school has at least one full-time certified reading or literacy specialist on staff. The program provides five-year grants to eligible entities, which include local educational agencies, state partnerships, and specific non-profit or tribal organizations. Grant funds can be used for recruiting, hiring, retaining, and training reading and literacy specialists, as well as providing professional development on reading difficulties and disabilities like dyslexia. Priority is given to applicants in states with lower student reading proficiency levels, those directing funding to elementary schools, and high-need local educational agencies. Grant recipients must ensure that funded specialists spend at least 80 percent of their time working with teachers and students to improve literacy outcomes, and they are required to submit annual progress reports to the Secretary.
Yes· 3 of 15
Would children be better off under this?+7
Students benefit directly from having dedicated reading and literacy specialists to support their reading proficiency and learning needs.
Would students be better off under this?+7
The primary focus of the bill is to improve literacy outcomes and provide full-time reading specialists for elementary and secondary students.
Does this put more money into public schools?+7
The bill authorizes a competitive grant program to fund reading and literacy specialists in public elementary and secondary schools.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 3 and Section 4(d)(4): These provisions aim to ensure that every elementary and secondary school has at least one full-time certified reading or literacy specialist on staff to support the recruitment, hiring, retention, and development of these professionals. This directly benefits students who struggle with reading and writing by providing dedicated on-site experts.
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Section 4(d)(2): This provision allows grant funds to be used to fully fund teachers who are currently employed by the eligible entity so they can earn an evidence-based reading or literacy specialist certification from an accredited institution of higher education. This benefits current educators by covering the costs of professional advancement and career development.
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Section 4(d)(3): This provision supports the retention of reading or literacy specialists at schools, including by increasing their salaries. This provides a financial benefit to these specialized educators and helps keep them in schools.
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Section 4(d)(5): This provision provides continual professional development opportunities regarding reading difficulties in students who are children with disabilities, including how to identify dyslexia in students with other diagnoses. This benefits educators and students with disabilities by improving how schools recognize and address specific learning challenges.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Section 4(b): This provision requires eligible entities applying for a grant to submit extensive information, including detailed needs assessments, student demographic information disaggregated by various categories (such as section 504 plans, IEPs, and specific learning disabilities), academic needs, and graduation, attendance, and disciplinary data. This requirement creates a significant administrative and reporting burden for schools and educational agencies applying for the funds.
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Section 4(f): This provision requires grant recipients to submit an annual report to the Secretary of Education that compiles relevant data from served schools, including progress summaries, data on the number of specialists employed, and ratios of students to reading or literacy specialists. This imposes an ongoing paperwork and administrative burden on schools throughout the five-year grant period.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+7Good For Students+7Good For People With Disabilities+6Good For Low Income Households+5Good For Native Americans+3Good For Rural Residents+3Good For Young Adults+3Good For Middle Class Households+2
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+7
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+4Improves Economic Growth+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+3Improves Government Transparency+2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- 9/30/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Bill CassidyRepublican · Louisiana