SF 4510

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/18/2026 09:31 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying provisions of the Read Act; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2024, section 120B.123, by adding a subdivision; Minnesota Statutes
2025 Supplement, sections 120B.12, subdivisions 1, 2, 4, 4a; 120B.123,
subdivisions 1, 5; 120B.124, subdivision 5.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 120B.12, subdivision 1, is amended
to read:

Subdivision 1.

Literacy goal.

(a) The legislature seeks to have every child reading at
or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual
learners and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized
reading goals in order to meet grade-level benchmarks. By the 2026-2027 school year,
districts must provide evidence-based reading instruction through a focus on student mastery
of the foundational reading skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency, as well as
the development of oral language, vocabulary, and reading comprehension skills. Students
must receive evidence-based instruction that is proven to effectively teach children to read,
consistent with sections 120B.118 to 120B.124.

(b) To meet this goal, each district must provide teachers and instructional support staff
with responsibility for teaching reading new text begin and licensed library media specialists who select
district library materials new text end with training on evidence-based reading instruction that is approved
by the Department of Education by the deadlines provided in section 120B.123, subdivision
5.

(c) Districts are strongly encouraged to adopt a MTSS framework. The framework should
include a process for engaging families and communities, monitoring student progress,
evaluating program fidelity, and analyzing student outcomes and needs in order to design
and implement ongoing evidenced-based, culturally responsive instruction and interventions.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 120B.12, subdivision 2, is amended
to read:

Subd. 2.

Identification; report.

(a) Each school district must screen every student
enrolled in kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 using a screening tool approved by
the Department of Education three times each school year: (1) within the first six weeks of
the school year; (2) by February 15 each year; and (3) within the last six weeks of the school
year. Students enrolled in kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3, including multilingual
learners, students receiving special education services, and students enrolled in dual language
immersion programs, must be universally screened for mastery of foundational reading
skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, oral language, and for
characteristics of dyslexia as measured by a screening tool approved by the Department of
Education. The screening for characteristics of dyslexia may be integrated with universal
screening for mastery of foundational skills and expressive or receptive language mastery.
The screening tool used must be a valid and reliable universal screener that is highly
correlated with foundational reading skills. For students reading at grade level, beginning
in the winter of grade 2, the oral reading fluency screener may be used to assess reading
difficulties, including characteristics of dyslexia, without requiring a separate screening of
each subcomponent of foundational reading skills. A district must submit data on student
performance in kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 on foundational reading skills,
including phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, and oral language to the
Department of Education in the annual local literacy plan submission due on June 15.

(b) For students enrolled in dual language immersion programs:

(1) if students are screened in the partner language, they must be screened at the same
interval as the screenings in English under paragraph (a);

(2) if the program provides instruction in foundational reading skills in English, the
students receiving that instruction must be screened in English;

(3) if the program provides instruction in foundational reading skills in the partner
language, the students receiving that instruction must be screened in the partner language;

(4) if no screener is available in the partner language, the districts must identify how
students' reading proficiency is assessed and how the districts determine and provide targeted
reading instruction in the partner language and supports to students identified as needing
additional support in developing mastery of foundational reading skills; and

(5) the partner language screening tool must be approved by the district for kindergarten
through grade 3 students.

(c) Students in grades 4 and above, including multilingual learners and students receiving
special education services, who are not reading at grade level must be screened for reading
difficulties, including characteristics of dyslexia, using a screening tool approved by the
Department of Education, and must continue to receive evidence-based instruction,
interventions, and progress monitoring until the students achieve grade-level proficiency.
A parent, in consultation with a teacher, may opt a student out of the literacy screener if the
parent and teacher decide that continuing to screen would not be beneficial to the student.
In such limited cases, the student must continue to receive progress monitoring and literacy
interventions.

(d) Reading screeners in English, and in the predominant languages of district students
where practicable, must identify and evaluate students' areas of academic need related to
literacy. The district also must monitor the progress and provide reading instruction
appropriate to the specific needs of multilingual learners. The district must use an approved,
developmentally appropriate, and culturally responsive screener and annually report summary
screener results to the commissioner by June 15 in the form and manner determined by the
commissioner.

new text begin (e) After a student's initial screening for characteristics of dyslexia according to this
subdivision, a school district, at its discretion, may determine when to screen English
language learners who score below three on the annual ACCESS assessment for
characteristics of dyslexia.
new text end

deleted text begin (e) deleted text end new text begin (f) new text end The district also must include in its local literacy plan under subdivision 4a, a
summary of the district's efforts to screen, identify, and provide interventions to students
who demonstrate characteristics of dyslexia as measured by a screening tool approved by
the Department of Education. Districts are strongly encouraged to use a MTSS framework.
With respect to students screened or identified under paragraph (a), the report must include:

(1) a summary of the district's efforts to screen for characteristics of reading difficulties,
including dyslexia;

(2) the number of students universally screened for that reporting year;

(3) the number of students demonstrating characteristics of dyslexia for that year; and

(4) an explanation of how students identified under this subdivision are provided with
alternate instruction and interventions under section 125A.56, subdivision 1.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 120B.12, subdivision 4, is amended
to read:

Subd. 4.

Staff development.

(a) A district must provide training on evidence-based
structured literacy instruction to teachers and instructional staff in accordance with
subdivision 1, paragraphs (b) and (c). The training must include teaching in the areas of
phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, reading
comprehension, and culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy.

(b) Each district shall use the data under subdivision 2 to identify the staff development
needs so that:

(1) elementary teachers are able to implement explicit, systematic, evidence-based
instruction in the five reading areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary,
and comprehension with emphasis on mastery of foundational reading skills as defined in
section 120B.119 and other literacy-related areas including writing until the student achieves
grade-level reading and writing proficiency;

(2) elementary teachers receive training to provide students with evidence-based reading
and oral language instruction that meets students' developmental, linguistic, and literacy
needs using the intervention methods or programs selected by the district for the identified
students;

(3) licensed teachers employed by the district have opportunities to improve reading
and writing instruction through approved professional development identified in the local
literacy plan;

(4) licensed teachers recognize students' diverse needs in cross-cultural settings and are
able to serve the oral language and linguistic needs of students who are multilingual learners
by maximizing strengths in their native languages in order to cultivate students' English
language development, including academic language development, and build academic
literacy; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(5) licensed teachers are trained in culturally responsive pedagogy that enables students
to master content, develop skills to access content, and build relationships deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (6) licensed library media specialists employed by the district have sufficient training
to select appropriate materials to supplement classroom reading and writing instruction and
to serve the literacy needs of multilingual learners.
new text end

(c) A district that offers early childhood programs, including voluntary prekindergarten
for eligible four-year-old children, early childhood special education, and school readiness
programs, must provide classroom teachers in early childhood programs training approved
by the Department of Education to provide children in early childhood programs with
explicit, systematic instruction in phonological and phonemic awareness; oral language,
including listening comprehension; vocabulary; and letter-sound correspondence.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 120B.12, subdivision 4a, is amended
to read:

Subd. 4a.

Local literacy plan.

(a) Consistent with this section, a school district must
adopt a local literacy plan to have every child reading at or above grade level every year
beginning in kindergarten and to support multilingual learners and students receiving special
education services in achieving their individualized reading goals. A district must update
and submit the plan to the commissioner by June 15 each year. The plan must be consistent
with the Read Act, and include the following:

(1) a process to assess students' foundational reading skills, oral language, and level of
reading proficiency and the approved screeners used, by school site and grade level, under
section 120B.123;

(2) a process to notify and involve parents;

(3) a description of how schools in the district will determine the targeted reading
instruction that is deleted text begin evidence-based deleted text end new text begin aligned new text end and includes an intervention strategy for a student
and the process for intensifying or modifying the reading strategy in order to obtain
measurable reading progress;

(4) deleted text begin evidence-based deleted text end new text begin aligned and targeted new text end intervention methods for students who are not
reading at or above grade level and progress monitoring to provide information on the
effectiveness of the intervention;

(5) identification of staff development needs, including a plan to meet those needs;

(6) the curricula used by school site and grade level and, if applicable, the district plan
and timeline for adopting deleted text begin evidence-based deleted text end new text begin aligned new text end curricula and materials starting in the
2025-2026 school year;

(7) a statement of whether the district has adopted a MTSS framework;

(8) student data using the measures of foundational literacy skills and mastery identified
by the Department of Education for the following students:

(i) students in kindergarten through grade 3;

(ii) students who demonstrate characteristics of dyslexia; and

(iii) students in grades 4 to 12 who are identified as not reading at grade level;

(9) the number of teachers and other staff who have completed training approved by the
department;

(10) the number of teachers and other staff proposed for training in structured literacy;

(11) how the district used funding provided under the Read Act to implement the
requirements of the Read Act;

(12) beginning as soon as practicable after the end of fiscal year 2026, how the district
used literacy aid funding received under section 124D.98; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(13) beginning on December 31, 2025, for a district with a dual language immersion
program:

(i) the program's partner language;

(ii) grade levels included in the program;

(iii) the language used to screen students' foundational reading skills;

(iv) the percentage of grade 3 students taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments;
and

(v) the number of students in the program in grades 4 to 12 who are identified as not
reading at grade level deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (14) a description of how schools in the district will use the school library media center
to complement students' foundational reading skills with the guidance of a licensed library
media specialist.
new text end

(b) Annually by June 15, the district must post its literacy plan on the official school
district website and submit it to the commissioner of education using the template developed
by the commissioner of education.

(c) Districts must use a streamlined template developed by the commissioner of education
for local literacy plans that meets the requirements of this subdivision and requires all
reading instruction and teacher training in reading instruction to be evidence-based. The
template must require a district to report information using the student categories required
in the commissioner's report under paragraph (d). The template must focus district resources
on improving students' foundational reading skills while reducing paperwork requirements
for teachers.

(d) By December 1, 2025, the commissioner of education must submit a report to the
legislative committees with jurisdiction over prekindergarten through grade 12 education
summarizing the local literacy plans submitted to the commissioner. The summary must
include the following information:

(1) the number of teachers and other staff, by grade level, who have completed training
approved by the Department of Education;

(2) the number of teachers and other staff, by grade level, required to complete the
training under section 120B.123, subdivision 5, who have not completed the training;

(3) the number of teachers exempt under section 120B.123, subdivision 5, from
completing training approved by the Department of Education;

(4) the statewide total number of teachers or other staff required to complete the training
under section 120B.123, subdivision 5, that have received other training or education that
meets the requirements of the training approved by the Department of Education;

(5) by school site and grade, the approved screeners and the reading curriculum used;

(6) by school site and grade, using the measurements of foundational literacy skills and
mastery identified by the department, both aggregated data and disaggregated data on student
performance on the approved screeners using the student categories under section 120B.35,
subdivision 3, paragraph (a), clause (2); and

(7) information about dual language immersion programs.

(e) By December 1, 2026, and December 1, 2027, the commissioner of education must
submit updated reports containing the information required under paragraph (d) and updates
and recommendations from the dual language immersion advisory committee established
under subdivision 6, to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over prekindergarten
through grade 12 education.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 120B.123, subdivision 1, is amended
to read:

Subdivision 1.

Approved screeners.

(a) A district must administer an approved
evidence-based reading screener to students in kindergarten through grade 3 within the first
six weeks of the school year, by February 15 each year, and again within the last six weeks
of the school year. new text begin A district must provide screening accommodations to students who need
accommodations. new text end The screener must be one of the screening tools approved by the
Department of Education. A district must identify any screener it uses in the district's annual
literacy plan, and submit screening data with the annual literacy plan by June 15.

(b) Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, district staff and external partners offering
literacy supports in schools may only use screeners that have been approved by the
Department of Education.

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 120B.123, subdivision 5, is amended
to read:

Subd. 5.

Professional development.

(a) A district must provide training from a menu
of approved evidence-based training programs to the following teachers and staff by July
1, 2026:

(1) reading intervention teachers working with students in kindergarten through grade
12;

(2) all classroom teachers of students in kindergarten through grade 3 and children in
prekindergarten programs;

(3) kindergarten through grade 12 special education teachers responsible for foundational
reading instruction;

(4) curriculum directors;

(5) instructional support staff, contractors, and volunteers who assist in providing reading
interventions under the oversight and monitoring of a trained licensed teacher;

(6) employees who select literacy instructional materials for a district; and

(7) teachers holding English as a second language teaching licenses.

(b) A district must provide training from a menu of approved evidence-based training
programs to the following teachers by July 1, 2027:

(1) teachers who provide foundational reading instruction to students in grades 4 to 12;

(2) teachers who provide instruction to students in a state-approved alternative program;
deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(3) teachers who provide instruction to students in dual language immersion programs deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ;
and
new text end

new text begin (4) licensed library media specialists who select district library materials.
new text end

(c) The commissioner of education may grant a district an extension to the deadlines in
this subdivision.

(d) Training provided by the following may satisfy the professional development
requirements under this subdivision:

(1) a certified trained facilitator; or

(2) a training program that the department has determined meets the professional
development requirements under the Read Act.

(e) Beginning July 1, 2027, an educator required to receive training under paragraph
(a), who is new to the state of Minnesota or is a newly licensed teacher who did not receive
instruction in the teaching of foundational reading skills based on structured literacy, must
complete one of the approved required trainings. Training must be offered through the
regional literacy network and facilitated by a local certified trained facilitator. The
Department of Education must review district literacy lead waiver requests and grant waivers
to educators new to the state or educators who provide reading instruction exclusively using
alternatives to sound-based approaches, and who have completed the professional
development requirements consistent with this subdivision.

(f) For the 2024-2025 deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin , new text end 2025-2026 new text begin , and 2026-2027 new text end school years only, the hours of
instruction requirement under section 120A.41 for students in elementary and secondary
school, as defined in section 120A.05, subdivisions 9 and 13, is reduced by 5-1/2 hours for
a district that enters into an agreement with the exclusive representative of the teachers that
requires teachers to receive at least 5-1/2 hours of approved evidence-based training required
under this subdivision, on a day when other students in the district receive instruction. If a
charter school's teachers are not represented by an exclusive representative, the charter
school may reduce the number of instructional hours for students in elementary and secondary
school, as defined in section 120A.05, subdivisions 9 and 13, by 5-1/2 hours after consulting
with its teachers in order to provide teachers with at least 5-1/2 hours of evidence-based
training required under this subdivision on a day when other students receive instruction.
The hours of instruction reduction for secondary school students is applicable only for the
2025-2026 new text begin and 2026-2027 new text end school deleted text begin year deleted text end new text begin years new text end .

Sec. 7.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.123, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Accessibility standards. new text end

new text begin (a) All professional development and digital curriculum
resources must comply with the accessibility standards developed according to section
16E.03, subdivision 9.
new text end

new text begin (b) Professional development provided in accordance with the Read Act is subject to
the requirements of section 363A.43.
new text end

Sec. 8.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 120B.124, subdivision 5, is amended
to read:

Subd. 5.

Ongoing review of literacy materials.

new text begin (a) By June 1, 2027, the department
must establish an ongoing review process in order to identify curriculum and intervention
materials that are evidence-based, focused on structural literacy, culturally and linguistically
responsive, and reflective of diverse populations. new text end The department may partner with one or
more institutions of higher education new text begin or a third party new text end to conduct independent and objective
reviews of curriculum and intervention materials. The department must determine whether
it will partner with an institution of higher education new text begin or a third party new text end to conduct ongoing
reviews of literacy materials by June 1, deleted text begin 2026 deleted text end new text begin 2027 new text end . A publisher may submit curriculum or
intervention materials for review. The publisher is responsible for paying the cost of the
review directly to deleted text begin the deleted text end new text begin a partnering new text end institution of higher education new text begin or third party new text end . The review
must use the new text begin Read Act new text end rubric used to approve curriculum deleted text begin and post deleted text end new text begin . The department may
modify the Read Act rubric to reflect the needs of grade levels and special populations,
including the Minnesota English Language Arts standards, culturally and linguistically
responsive criteria, and criteria reflective of diverse populations. new text end The new text begin Read Act new text end rubric new text begin must
be posted new text end on the department website. The department and deleted text begin institution of higher education deleted text end new text begin
its partner new text end may approve the curriculum or intervention materials if they determine that the
curriculum or intervention materials are evidence-based, focused on structured literacy,
culturally and linguistically responsive, and reflect diverse populations. The department
must add the approved curriculum or intervention materials to the list of curricula and
materials approved under the Read Act. new text begin Following each review cycle, the department must
post the findings of the curriculum and intervention materials review on the department
website.
new text end

new text begin (b) The reviewed resources must be categorized as highly aligned, partially aligned,
minimally aligned, or not aligned to evidence-based structural literacy practices. For purposes
of this subdivision, the reviewed resource categories are defined as follows:
new text end

new text begin (1) "highly aligned" means 100 percent of domains were at or above the cut point with
no significant red flags identified for the program. Curriculum and intervention materials
that are not reviewed do not meet criteria for Tier 1 interventions and must not be categorized
as highly aligned;
new text end

new text begin (2) "partially aligned" means 60 to 99 percent of domains were at or above the cut point;
new text end

new text begin (3) "minimally aligned" means 34 to 59 percent of domains were at or above the cut
point; and
new text end

new text begin (4) "not aligned" means 33 percent or less of domains were at or above the cut point.
new text end

new text begin When planning for curriculum implementation, it is a district's responsibility to verify that
curriculum and intervention materials align with evidence-based structured literacy practices.
A district must resolve any issues identified by the department in the review of materials
using the Read Act rubric and report of reviewed resources.
new text end

new text begin (c) A district must ensure that any red flags for a program are resolved through district
enhancements to the selected program.
new text end

new text begin (d) A program undergoing a full review cycle must be added to the reviewed curricula
and intervention program list after the review process is completed.
new text end

new text begin (e) Resources that are categorized as highly aligned to evidence-based structural literacy
practices qualify for use of literacy aid under section 124D.98 or state funding provided
under the Read Act. Resources that are categorized as partially aligned, minimally aligned,
or not aligned to evidence-based structural literacy practices do not qualify for use of literacy
aid under section 124D.98 or state funding provided under the Read Act.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end