Harrisburg, PA, February 3, 2026 —

Harrisburg, PA — Today, Gov. Josh Shapiro released his 2026-27 budget proposal, which included significant investments in K-12 and early childhood education. However, by omitting funding for early literacy, the proposal misses the opportunity to double down on the Commonwealth’s recent bipartisan commitments to evidence-based reading instruction and to advance Pennsylvania toward national leadership in literacy. 

Act 47—the omnibus school code bill enacted as part of the 2025-26 state budget—requires schools across the Commonwealth to adopt evidence-based literacy curricula aligned with the science of reading, provide teacher training in those approaches, and administer universal literacy screeners to students in grades K–3 to identify students at risk for reading difficulties. These mandates represent a significant and necessary shift in how Pennsylvania approaches early literacy. However, without dedicated, sustained funding to support curriculum adoption, professional development, screening, and intervention capacity, Act 47 risks becoming a compliance exercise rather than a catalyst for real instructional change. 

Reading proficiency in Pennsylvania has been declining for more than a decade, with recent results reaching record lows. According to the Nation’s Report Card, only 33% of fourth-grade students are proficient in reading, including just 16% of Black and Hispanic students and 23% of low-income students. These outcomes reflect systemic gaps: statewide systems and supports remain insufficiently aligned with evidence-based literacy practices.

“As Pennsylvania continues to invest in education, we must ensure those investments lead to measurable student outcomes, and literacy is the most urgent place to act,” said Rachael Garnick, Teach Plus PA Coalition Manager and leader of the Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition. “In recent years, our commonwealth has taken important steps forward, but there is more work to be done. We must meet this moment with the urgency, leadership, and sustained investment required to ensure that no child’s future is determined by whether the system was prepared to teach them to read.”

The Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition urges the Commonwealth to commit to a multi-year plan, beginning with $50 million in this year’s state budget, to support implementation of Act 47 of 2025, including funding for:

• High-quality, evidence-aligned instructional materials

• Statewide professional learning aligned to the science of reading

• Universal literacy screening, data-driven interventions, and transparent reporting

• Ongoing, school-embedded literacy coaching

When children are not taught to read effectively, the consequences follow them into adulthood, limiting their ability to navigate the systems that shape daily life, from employment and healthcare to civic participation and family stability. 

These consequences ripple far beyond the classroom. In Pennsylvania alone, low literacy is estimated to cost the Commonwealth $113 billion in lost annual earnings each year.

Pennsylvania has made important progress through Act 135 of 2024, Act 47 of 2025, and the early literacy investments in the FY25-26 budget. But achieving lasting, statewide results will require more than policy passage alone. It demands a coordinated implementation plan, dedicated and sustained funding, aligned instructional materials, universal screening, ongoing professional learning, and school-embedded coaching to translate evidence into daily classroom practice.

The Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition will continue working closely with partners in both the House and the Senate to ensure that meaningful literacy investments are included in the final state budget. Improving reading outcomes has long enjoyed strong bipartisan support in the General Assembly, and Pennsylvania is not alone in this work. States across the country are prioritizing evidence-based literacy instruction as a foundational investment in their workforce, their economy, and their democratic future through both policy reform and targeted implementation funding. Sustaining Pennsylvania’s progress will require matching policy commitments with the resources necessary to implement them well and equitably.

“At its core, reading is not just an academic skill; it is a matter of human dignity, agency, and freedom,” said Garnick. “Literacy shapes who children become, making it a civil rights issue, an economic issue, and a moral imperative.”

# # # 

About The PA Literacy Coalition

Led by Teach Plus Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition unites educators, families, policymakers, and community leaders in the fight to ensure all children have the literacy skills they need to thrive. A coalition over more than 70 cross-sector organizations from across Pennsylvania, PLC advances evidence-based literacy policy, supports aligned investment, and mobilizes communities for change. For more information, visit www.paliteracy.org.