Patricia Levesque, Executive Director of the Foundation for Florida’s Future, has expressed support for House Bill 1309, which was passed by the Florida House of Representatives. The bill aims to enhance the state’s focus on literacy, educator training, and district-level reading plans.
Levesque highlighted the significance of early literacy, stating, “Florida has led the way on early literacy for decades because we know that students who struggle to read by the end of third grade will struggle with the rest of their education journey. This important legislation brings a much-needed focus to teacher training and district reading plans to ensure students have access to effective instruction in the classroom and intervention strategies when and where they need help.”
The pressing need for legislative action is emphasized by recent reading scores from the Nation’s Report Card, which indicate that Florida students have fallen behind in reading, with the state ranking 43rd for eighth-grade performance. Levesque further noted, “The state’s most recent reading scores on the Nation’s Report Card underscore the urgent need to strengthen state literacy policy.”
In an appeal to the Senate, Levesque stated, “For Florida to reassert itself as a national leader in student achievement, and to ensure we are giving our children every chance to succeed, we must take decisive action. We thank Rep. John Snyder for championing this legislation, and on behalf of students and families, we encourage the Senate to pass this proposal before the end of the legislative session.”
House Bill 1309 seeks to improve professional learning supports by instructing the Florida Center for Reading and Research to develop intensive reading instruction and intervention trainings for instructional personnel from grades 4 to 12, including those at Career and Technical Education Centers. It also requires districts to prioritize high-quality teachers in early grades and to implement evidence-based reading interventions for students with reading deficiencies, with plans subject to approval by the Department of Education.
