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HB1705 • 2026

Structured Literacy Pilot Program; authorize Mississippi Dyslexia Institute to establish.

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE MISSISSIPPI DYSLEXIA INSTITUTE TO ESTABLISH A STRUCTURED LITERACY PILOT PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY; TO ESTABLISH AN EVIDENCE-BASED ALTERNATIVE TO GRADE RETENTION ALIGNED WITH MISSISSIPPI'S THIRD GRADE READING GATE STATUTES; TO IMPROVE IDENTIFICATION AND REMEDIATION OF DYSLEXIA; TO ESTABLISH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS; TO REQUIRE ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING; TO DEVELOP AN ORTON-GILLINGHAM STRUCTURED LITERACY PROGRAM WITH A TEACHER TRAINING COMPONENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Education
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Roberson
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so details on funding and implementation beyond the pilot phase remain speculative.

Mississippi Dyslexia Institute Structured Literacy Pilot Program

This bill allows the Mississippi Dyslexia Institute to establish a three-year pilot program using structured literacy methods for up to 80 students who struggle with reading or have dyslexia.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the Mississippi Dyslexia Institute to start a three-year pilot program for up to 80 students who struggle with reading or have dyslexia.
  • Requires the program to use Orton-Gillingham methods, which are proven ways to teach reading skills to people with dyslexia.
  • Gives the institute flexibility in how it runs the program, like choosing teachers and materials, as long as safety rules are followed.
  • Asks for yearly reports on how well students are doing and suggests changes based on what works best.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students who struggle with reading or have dyslexia in Mississippi schools.
  • Teachers and staff at the Mississippi Dyslexia Institute.
  • School districts working with the institute on this pilot program.

Terms To Know

Structured Literacy
A way of teaching reading that is clear, step-by-step, and helps students understand how sounds make words.
Dyslexia
A learning problem where a person has trouble understanding written language, even if they are smart in other ways.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was stopped in committee.
  • It only applies to up to 80 students during the pilot phase.
  • Details about how the program will be run and funded after the pilot period are unclear.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (H) Referred To Education;Appropriations A

Official Summary Text

Structured Literacy Pilot Program; authorize Mississippi Dyslexia Institute to establish.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 1705 *HR43/R1825* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Roberson

HOUSE BILL NO. 1705

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE MISSISSIPPI DYSLEXIA INSTITUTE TO 1
ESTABLISH A STRUCTURED LITERACY PILOT PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE 2
REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY; TO ESTABLISH AN EVIDENCE-BASED ALTERNATIVE 3
TO GRADE RETENTION ALIGNED WITH MISSISSIPPI'S THIRD GRADE READING 4
GATE STATUTES; TO IMPROVE IDENTIFICATION AND REMEDIATION OF 5
DYSLEXIA; TO ESTABLISH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS; TO REQUIRE 6
ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING; TO DEVELOP AN ORTON-GILLINGHAM 7
STRUCTURED LITERACY PROGRAM WITH A TEACHER TRAINING COMPONENT; AND 8
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 10
SECTION 1. (1) The Legislature finds that: 11
(a) Mississippi's Third Grade Reading Gate, Section 12
37-177-1, et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972, establishes promotion 13
standards and requires good-faith remediation for students at risk 14
of retention due to reading underachievement; 15
(b) A significant number of students subject to 16
retention under the Third Grade Reading Gate possess average to 17
above-average intelligence but experience persistent reading 18
failure consistent with dyslexia; 19
(c) Grade retention without intensive, evidence-based 20
structured literacy remediation fails to address the underlying 21
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neurological causes of dyslexia and increases long-term academic 22
and economic risk; 23
(d) Orton-Gillingham-based structured literacy is the 24
nationally recognized, evidence-based methodology for remediating 25
dyslexia; and 26
(e) The Legislature has authority to authorize 27
alternative, evidence-based intervention models that satisfy 28
statutory remediation requirements while improving literacy 29
outcomes and reducing unnecessary retention. 30
(2) The purpose of this act is to: 31
(a) Establish a structured literacy pilot program that 32
satisfies the remediation intent of the Third Grade Reading Gate; 33
(b) Provide a lawful alternative to grade retention 34
through intensive dyslexia-specific remediation; 35
(c) Improve identification and remediation of dyslexia; 36
(d) Develop an Orton-Gillingham Structured Literacy 37
program, including a teacher training component; 38
(e) Create replicable public and private models for 39
dyslexia remediation; and 40
(f) Increase statewide access to evidence-based 41
structured literacy instruction. 42
SECTION 2. As used in this act, the following terms have the 43
meanings as defined in this section unless the context clearly 44
indicates otherwise: 45
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(a) "Low student reading performance" means reading 46
performance below the thirtieth (30th) percentile on nationally 47
norm-referenced, grade-level measures of reading accuracy and 48
fluency. 49
(b) "Structured literacy" means explicit, systematic, 50
cumulative, diagnostic, and prescriptive instruction consistent 51
with Orton-Gillingham principles. 52
(c) "Dyslexia" means a neurologically based, 53
language-related learning disability identified through a clinical 54
model of evaluation. 55
(d) "Clinical identification of dyslexia" means 56
identification by a multidisciplinary team of subject matter 57
experts, which shall include at least one Certified Academic 58
Language Therapist (CALT). 59
(e) "Approved reading intervention" means an 60
intervention authorized by statute that satisfies remediation 61
requirements under Section 37-177-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 62
1972. 63
(f) "Pilot Program" means the Structured Literacy Pilot 64
Program authorized by this act and administered by the Mississippi 65
Dyslexia Institute. 66
SECTION 3. (1) The Mississippi Dyslexia Institute is 67
authorized to establish and administer a Structured Literacy Pilot 68
Program for a period of three (3) years, with eligibility for one 69
(1) additional three-year extension upon legislative approval. 70
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(2) The total number of students served statewide under the 71
Pilot Program shall not exceed eighty (80) students during the 72
pilot period. 73
(3) Students may be identified and placed into the Pilot 74
Program: 75
(a) Upon demonstration of low student reading 76
performance; 77
(b) Upon clinical identification of dyslexia by a 78
multidisciplinary team including a CALT; and 79
(c) In lieu of grade retention for reading 80
underachievement, including students subject to the Third Grade 81
Reading Gate. 82
(4) Participation in the Pilot Program shall constitute a 83
good-faith, approved reading intervention for purposes of 84
compliance with Section 37-177-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 85
1972. 86
SECTION 4. To promote innovation and access, the Mississippi 87
Dyslexia Institute may implement the Pilot Program with reduced 88
regulatory barriers related to instructional delivery, educator 89
recruitment, instructional materials, technology, and facilities, 90
provided that no health, safety, attendance, or child welfare 91
protections are waived. 92
SECTION 5. The Pilot Program shall: 93
(a) Improve reading fluency and accuracy outcomes for 94
students identified with dyslexia through evidence-based literacy 95
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intervention, as demonstrated by measurable gains on standardized 96
reading assessments; 97
(b) Achieve sustained reading improvement over the 98
course of three (3) to four (4) years of participation; 99
(c) Reduce grade retention by substituting intensive 100
remediation for grade retention; and 101
(d) Align reading proficiency more closely with 102
students' intellectual potential. 103
SECTION 6. (1) Over the pilot period, the Mississippi 104
Dyslexia Institute shall develop a Mississippi-created 105
Orton-Gillingham Structured Literacy program. 106
(2) The program shall: 107
(a) Include a teacher training component designed to 108
prepare educators in Orton-Gillingham-based structured literacy; 109
and 110
(b) Be designed for statewide replication upon 111
legislative authorization. 112
SECTION 7. The Mississippi Dyslexia Institute may partner 113
with one or more low-performing public school districts with high 114
retention rates in kindergarten through fourth grade to provide 115
structured literacy remediation as the sole focus of the 116
partnership for a period of three (3) years. 117
SECTION 8. (1) Instruction and remediation shall be 118
prioritized over excessive testing. 119
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(2) Students shall receive ongoing progress monitoring using 120
nationally norm-referenced measures. 121
(3) Orton-Gillingham-based structured literacy methodologies 122
shall be the primary instructional approach. 123
SECTION 9. (1) The Pilot Program shall track reading 124
progress using valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced 125
assessments. 126
(2) An annual report shall be submitted to the Mississippi 127
Legislature detailing: 128
(a) Student reading outcomes; 129
(b) Promotion and retention data; 130
(c) Fiscal impacts and retention avoidance; 131
(d) Progress toward development of the structured 132
literacy program and teacher training model; and 133
(e) Recommendations for continuation, expansion, or 134
termination. 135
SECTION 10. (1) The Pilot Program shall receive funding 136
equivalent to the average per-pupil expenditure that would 137
otherwise be used to retain the same student. 138
(2) Avoided retention shall result in savings of at least 139
one (1) additional year of K-12 education for the State. 140
SECTION 11. If any provision of this act is held invalid, 141
such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions of this 142
act. 143
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ST: Structured Literacy Pilot Program;
authorize Mississippi Dyslexia Institute to
establish.
SECTION 12. This act shall take effect and be in force from 144
and after July 1, 2026. 145