Shining a light on early literacy: the urgent need for transparency and support in Texas

Parents and teachers deserve to know where students stand at every step of their academic journey. This is especially important while students are developing early literacy skills. Without a strong academic foundation in early years, students have difficulty catching up if they fall behind: only one out of every five Texas third graders who did not meet grade-level reading expectations in 2019 caught up in three years. With only 46% of Texas third graders on grade level, it is imperative that we take action to improve early literacy outcomes. Conversely, students who learn to read by third grade are four times more likely to graduate high school.

Unfortunately, Texas currently lacks visibility into student progress in grades K-3, limiting early intervention, targeted student supports, and other accelerated learning strategies. But bills moving through the current legislative session can change this. Take a look at how early interventions can support greater learning:      

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Over 90% of Texas voters support “additional evidence-based support to students struggling to read” and even more support "parents having more visibility into students’ academic growth and foundational skills development between kindergarten and third grade," according to polling from Ragnar Research Partners and Commit.  

Thankfully, Texas lawmakers have recognized the urgent need for this additional transparency and support. Texas House Bill 123 and Senate Bill 2252 provide targeted funding for evidence-based literacy interventions, informed by consistent literacy and numeracy screeners implemented in early grades, where we currently lack statewide visibility. By equipping educators and families with clear, reliable data, we can intervene before gaps widen and ensure students receive the necessary support to meet grade-level expectations. Many of our peer states such as Louisiana and Mississippi have already implemented similar strategies and have seen significant gains in student achievement on the NAEP as a result.

As Commit's Managing Director of Early Matters Dallas Amber Shields recently put it in a conversation with the Dallas Morning News editorial board: “We must take immediate, decisive action to tackle the literacy crisis head-on.” Thankfully, SB 2252 and HB 123 promise to do just that.

See our early literacy one-pager to learn more.