Rep. Jack Lewis Votes to Promote Early Childhood Literacy

(Framingham - November 12) Representative Jack Patrick Lewis joined his colleagues in the State House in supporting several education bills that seek to improve reading outcomes among elementary school students and educate middle- and high-school students on personal financial literacy.

“While the impacts of the pandemic are still being felt throughout our schools, it is crucial that we reinvest in our schools, teachers, and students to ensure that the next generations are well-prepared to inherit our world,” noted Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis (Framingham). “I am heartened to see our state act boldly and support comprehensive, evidence-based strategies for teaching, especially in subjects as basic as reading, writing, and financial literacy.”

“As a former public-school teacher, and as someone who cares deeply about the future of our Commonwealth, I believe strongly that Massachusetts must do more to address the literacy challenges that our students are facing, and to better prepare our students for life after graduation. That’s why these bills are so important, as they ensure that every student in the Commonwealth will have access to strong, evidence-based literacy instruction, and that students in Massachusetts will receive comprehensive financial literacy instruction as well,” expressed House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (Quincy). “I want to thank Chairman Michlewitz, Leader Peisch, and Chairman Gordon for their hard work on these bills, and to all my colleagues in the House for voting to advance these critical reforms.”

“Over the past few years, the Commonwealth has met the financial needs of our school districts in the difficult post COVID days. Despite this new influx of funds, we have seen some troubling trends develop among our students, literacy being the most concerning. The legislation that the House engrossed today will take a major step toward reversing those trends and assist students and educators alike to improving a child’s path to receiving the world class education that we have come to expect for our students here in the Commonwealth”, noted Representative Aaron Michlewitz (Boston), Chair of the House Committee on Ways & Means. “I want to thank Speaker Mariano for his commitment to the Commonwealth’s education system, as well Chairman Gordon and all my House colleagues for their hard work and dedication to this issue.”

Early Literacy and Teacher Preparation

English Language Arts scores continue to lag behind pre-pandemic levels. Almost 60 percent of all students in grades 3-8 are not meeting or exceeding expectations in English Language Arts (ELA), and 50 percent in grade 10 are not meeting or exceeding ELA expectations. Additionally, achievement gaps among all major racial and ethnic student groups, students with disabilities, low-income students, and English learners have widened when compared with 2019, according to data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

The early literacy bill passed by the House today defines evidence-based early literacy as grounded in scientific research methods, and demonstrated to produce significant and positive effects on student learning outcomes. Many school districts in Massachusetts have switched to evidence-based early literacy curricula, and some have been assisted by grants awarded through the state’s Literacy Launch program, administered by Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and funded by the Legislature at $35 million. However, some school districts have yet to fully adopt proven literacy curricula, despite being the most effective ways to improve reading outcomes.

The bill provides a framework for DESE to identify and approve a list of high-quality curricula that school districts will select from for kindergarten through third grade literacy. It also allows districts to apply to DESE to use a K-3 literacy instruction curriculum that is not on DESE’s list of high-quality curricula, provided DESE verifies that it uses evidence-based literacy instruction.

The bill supports teachers by requiring DESE to provide tools and resources, including online materials and free training modules, to aid districts with professional development aligned with evidence-based literacy instruction for K-3. It also ensures that educator preparation programs are preparing future educators in alignment with evidence-based literacy instruction. To measure progress, the bill requires schools to report on early literacy instruction starting in the 2026 school year, and requires DESE to report annually on literacy instruction. Finally, the bill requires a study and district reporting on the literacy workforce in schools and school libraries, it also allows literacy grants to be used to coordinate screenings, professional development, and library investments.

Financial Literacy
The financial literacy bill passed today creates a Financial Literacy Trust Fund for educating middle- and high-school students on personal financial literacy. The funds may be used for procurement, development and distribution of personal financial literacy educational resources and materials, as well as professional development opportunities –including trainings, seminars, conferences and materials, for educators to use in teaching personal financial literacy.

The bill requires school districts to provide instruction to middle- and high-school students on personal financial literacy, starting in the 2026 school year, consistent with standards set by DESE, including:

• earning and spending income, local, state and federal taxes, charitable giving, methods of payment, consumer protection, balancing ledgers and checkbooks and budgeting;
• long-term saving, the role of banks and financial institutions, interest both simple and compound, financial regulation and planning for the future;
• using credit and making investments, risks of various financial instruments and basic diversification of assets;
• protecting and insuring assets, preventing identity theft and avoiding online scams;
• emerging technologies in the financial industry, a basic understanding of crypto currencies, online commerce and computer stock-trading, how to evaluate media content, including digital content relating to personal finance matters and how to evaluate risk; and
• rights and responsibilities of renting or buying a home or making other large purchases or investments.

The bill requires DESE to assist schools by facilitating access to high-quality curricular materials and professional development opportunities, which may be in person or through audio, video, or other electronic media. To measure progress, the bill requires DESE to report annually on personal financial literacy instruction.

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