Pennsylvania Mandated Structured Literacy Curriculum
State legislation requires new reading curricula and screening for students by the 2027-28 school year.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Primary Education
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Pennsylvania enacted Act 47 of 2025 to address declining literacy performance by mandating evidence-based reading instruction. The new law requires all school districts to adopt structured literacy curricula and implement universal screening for kindergarten through third-grade students by the 2027-28 school year.
Why it matters
The mandate responds to a significant statewide decline in English Language Arts proficiency. By institutionalizing the science of reading, the state aims to identify and address student literacy deficiencies through early intervention.
Pennsylvania saw average student English Language Arts proficiency drop from 60.8% in the 2015-2019 period to 53.1% between 2021 and 2025. Districts must now conduct universal reading screenings for kindergarten through third-grade students three times annually.
The players
Pennsylvania General Assembly
This is the state legislature responsible for drafting and passing the Pennsylvania state school code.
The details
Act 47 of 2025 requires school districts to align their curricula with the science of reading, an interdisciplinary body of research regarding literacy acquisition. Following the results of mandatory screenings, districts are tasked with referring students identified as having deficiencies to specialized intervention programs.
Timeline
Average literacy proficiency was 60.8 percent from 2015 to 2019.
Average literacy proficiency fell to 53.1 percent from 2021 to 2025.
Reading specialists in Wilkes-Barre completed structured literacy training in May 2024.
The deadline for curriculum adoption and screening mandate is the 2027-28 school year.
The deadline for incumbent teacher training completion is the 2028-29 school year.
Roadmap
The move aligns Pennsylvania with a growing national trend of states codifying the science of reading into law to reverse post-pandemic academic decline. This shift requires a major departure from previous instructional models, potentially challenging existing district training programs.
Parents can expect schools to introduce new universal reading screenings for children in kindergarten through third grade to identify literacy needs. Over the next several years, teachers in local districts will be transitioning to new evidence-based training methods to comply with the state mandate.
The takeaway
The transition to a structured literacy model represents a fundamental change in how elementary students receive reading instruction across Pennsylvania. Families should stay informed as local districts update their specific curricula and screening procedures ahead of the 2027-28 deadline.
Further reading
For more information on curriculum standards and updates, visit Primary Education.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hazleton Standard Speaker.
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