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H. B. No. 810 *HR43/R355* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representatives Faulkner, Summers,
Denton
HOUSE BILL NO. 810
AN ACT TO EXPAND THE PROVISIONS OF THE LITERACY-BASED 1
PROMOTION ACT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE CERTAIN INTERVENTION AND 2
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR LITERACY PROFICIENCY AMONG STUDENTS 3
IN GRADE 4 THROUGH GRADE 8; TO DEFINE TERMINOLOGY; TO REQUIRE THE 4
STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE A SYSTEM OF SUPPORT FOR 5
SCHOOL AND DISTRICT INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS, TEACHERS, LITERACY 6
COACHES, INTERVENTIONISTS, TUTORS AND OTHER IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL 7
OF FOURTH, FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS TO 8
ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS 9
WITH READING DIFFICULTIES; TO PRESCRIBE WHAT THE SYSTEM OF 10
SUPPORTS SHALL ENTAIL; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 11
EDUCATION TO DEVELOP AND PROMULGATE RULES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION 12
OF AN EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM OF LITERACY INTERVENTION FOR STUDENTS 13
IN GRADE 4 THROUGH GRADE 8; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 14
EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A FORMULA TO IDENTIFY MIDDLE LITERACY SUPPORT 15
SCHOOLS (M-LSS) BASED ON READING PROFICIENCY DATA AS DETERMINED BY 16
THE MISSISSIPPI ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (MAAP); TO REQUIRE THE 17
STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO SUBMIT AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE 18
LEGISLATURE BY DECEMBER 1 OF EACH YEAR OF THE PROGRAM 19
IMPLEMENTATION OVER THE COURSE OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR; AND FOR 20
RELATED PURPOSES. 21
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 22
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to expand 23
upon the literacy success achieved by Mississippi teachers and 24
students in kindergarten through Grade 3 by providing the support 25
and resources required for expansion of the state's literacy 26
program to Grade 4 through Grade 8. 27
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SECTION 2. As used in this act, the following terms shall 28
have the meaning ascribed herein, unless context of use clearly 29
requires otherwise: 30
(a) "Science of reading" refers to the large body of 31
evidence that informs: 32
(i) How proficient reading and writing develop; 33
(ii) Why some have difficulty; and 34
(iii) How to most effectively assess and teach 35
and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and 36
intervention for reading difficulties. 37
(b) "Three-cueing system" means any model of teaching 38
students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax and visual 39
cues, which may also be known as "MSV". 40
(c) "Universal screener" means an assessment that is 41
administered three (3) times per year, initially within the first 42
thirty (30) days of the school year and repeated at midyear and at 43
the end of the school year to identify or predict students who may 44
be at risk for poor reading outcomes and is typically brief and 45
conducted with all students at a particular grade level. 46
(d) "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability 47
that is neurobiological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by 48
difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by 49
poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties 50
typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of 51
language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive 52
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abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. 53
Secondary consequences may include problems in reading 54
comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede 55
growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. 56
(e) "Structured literacy" means an evidence-based 57
approach to teaching oral and written language aligned to the 58
science of reading. It is based on the science of how kids learn 59
to read and is characterized by direct, explicit, systematic, 60
sequential, cumulative, and diagnostic instruction in phonology, 61
sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax 62
and semantics. 63
SECTION 3. The State Department of Education shall provide a 64
system of support for school and district instructional leaders, 65
teachers, literacy coaches, interventionists, tutors and other 66
identified personnel of Fourth-, Fifth-, Sixth-, Seventh- and 67
Eighth-Grade students to ensure that they have the knowledge and 68
skills to support students with reading difficulties. The system 69
of support shall include: 70
(a) Professional learning for school and district 71
instructional leaders, teachers, special education teachers, 72
literacy coaches, interventionists, tutors and other identified 73
personnel of Fourth-, Fifth-, Sixth-, Seventh- and Eighth-Grade 74
students. Comprehensive training grounded in the science of 75
reading to ensure all teachers have the knowledge and skills to 76
support a range of students with diverse needs, students with 77
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reading difficulties, multilingual students and students with 78
characteristics of dyslexia, including: 79
(i) Explicit and systematic instruction in 80
phonological awareness, the alphabetic principle, decoding, 81
encoding, fluency including accuracy, morphology including 82
morphological awareness and etymology, vocabulary, comprehension 83
and building content knowledge; 84
(ii) Strategies to increase educator knowledge of 85
reading and writing basics for students in Grade 4 through Grade 86
8; 87
(iii) Evidence-based strategies for motivating and 88
engaging adolescent learners; and 89
(iv) Research-based strategies for accommodations 90
and scaffolding instruction for struggling readers and writers; 91
and 92
(b) Approaches to assist educators in determining 93
causes of reading difficulties, including dyslexia and other 94
learning differences, for students in Grade 4 through Grade 8 and 95
how word reading, vocabulary, content knowledge, comprehension and 96
writing are affected; 97
(c) Job-embedded coaching support for teachers of Grade 98
4 through Grade 8 based on the State Department of Education's 99
Literacy Coaching Model; and 100
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(d) Educator preparation programs that equip candidates 101
seeking licensure for elementary, special education and middle 102
school education with training and instruction to: 103
(i) Effectively teach aligned to scientifically 104
based reading instruction, including explicit and systematic 105
instruction in phonological awareness, the alphabetic principle, 106
decoding, encoding, fluency, morphology including etymology, 107
vocabulary, comprehension, and building content knowledge; 108
(ii) Implement evidence-based reading instruction 109
using high-quality instructional materials; 110
(iii) Provide effective instruction and 111
interventions for a range of students with diverse needs, 112
including multilingual students and students with characteristics 113
of dyslexia; 114
(iv) Understand and use student data to make 115
instructional decisions; and 116
(v) Incorporate literacy instruction across all 117
subject matter content areas. 118
SECTION 4. The State Board of Education shall develop and 119
promulgate rules for and shall implement an evidence-based program 120
of literacy intervention and support for students in Grade 4 121
through Grade 8. The program shall include: 122
(a) An approved list of universal screeners to be 123
administered three (3) times per year, initially within the first 124
thirty (30) days of the school year and repeated at midyear and at 125
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the end of the school year with progress monitoring capabilities, 126
and a diagnostic tool to support teachers with targeting 127
instruction based on students needs; 128
(b) The means by which schools and students shall be 129
identified for reading intervention and support; 130
(c) The types of interventions and supports to be 131
provided to students identified as having a significant reading 132
deficiency; 133
(d) The manner and timeframe in which those 134
interventions and supports shall be provided; and 135
(e) A credit-bearing structured literacy course for 136
students in Grade 6 through Grade 8 designed to provide 137
evidence-based reading and writing interventions aligned to the 138
science of reading. 139
(2) The program shall not include intervention resources or 140
instructional materials that use the three-cueing systems method 141
of teaching word reading. 142
SECTION 5. The State Department of Education shall develop a 143
formula to identify Middle Literacy Support Schools (M-LSS) based 144
on reading proficiency data as determined by the Mississippi 145
Academic Assessment Program (MAAP). Each local school district in 146
which a M-LSS is located shall implement with fidelity the middle 147
grades literacy program established under Sections 3 and 4 of this 148
act by: 149
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(a) Assisting in the identification of student 150
participants; 151
(b) Making teachers and interventionists available for 152
related training and development; and 153
(c) Adhering to the rules promulgated by the Department 154
for the expansion of literacy success to middle grades. 155
(2) The parents or legal guardian of any student in Grade 4 156
through Grade 8 who is identified as having a significant reading 157
deficiency shall be notified in writing by the district no later 158
than fifteen (15) days after the identification of the reading 159
deficiency. The notification shall include: 160
(a) That his or her child has been identified as having 161
a significant reading deficiency; and 162
(b) A description of the proposed interventions and 163
supplemental instructional services that will be provided to the 164
student to correct the deficiency. 165
SECTION 6. No later than December l of each year, the State 166
Department of Education shall report, in writing to the 167
Legislature, a summary of program implementation in the previous 168
school year, including, but not limited to: 169
(a) The number of students in Grade 4 through Grade 8 170
identified as having a significant reading deficiency; 171
(b) Of the identified students, the number who were 172
provided literacy interventions and support; 173
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ST: Literacy-based Promotion Act; revise to
expand intervention and strategies for literacy
proficiency among students in Grades 4 through
8.
(c) The names of the school districts and schools in 174
which participating students were enrolled at the time of 175
intervention; 176
(d) Evidence that the program is leading to improved 177
student literacy outcomes as demonstrated by school-level 178
assessment data; and 179
(e) As needed, recommendations for legislative action 180
that would further improve literacy outcomes. 181
SECTION 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from 182
and after July 1, 2026 183