The Science of Reading in Ohio: Progress, Challenges, and the Road Ahead The science of reading has been a central focus of Ohio’s education policy since 2023, with the state implementing sweeping changes to align classroom instruction with evidence-based practices. The law, which took effect through the state’s two-year operating budget, allocated $86 million for educator professional development, $64 million for curriculum and instructional materials, and $18 million for literacy coaches. These funds were intended to support schools in adopting the science of reading, a framework rooted in decades of research on how the brain learns to read. This approach emphasizes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, aiming to improve literacy outcomes for students. However, as of 2026, the state’s education department acknowledges that measurable progress may take time, particularly as the first cohort of kindergartners to receive science of reading instruction enters third grade. Ohio’s education department director, Stephen Dackin, emphasized that tracking the progress of these students will serve as a critical indicator of the state’s success. “This year’s kindergartners will be the first class that all four years going up to third grade, they’re going to get the science of reading,” Dackin told the Ohio Capital Journal. “That’s a pretty good barometer of where we will be as a state in terms of our implementation and then increased outcomes in literacy.” Despite the state’s commitment, challenges persist. Literacy scores for third graders dropped slightly in the most recent report cards, with 61.3% of students reading at or above grade level compared to 64.5% in the previous school year.#ohio_state_university #ohio #stephen_dackin #mike_dewine #science_of_reading
