Ohio implements literacy reforms to address declining student reading scores

In Ohio, literacy rates among students have seen a decline, with 38 percent of fourth graders and 31 percent of eighth graders scoring “below basic” on the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress. These failure rates have reached their highest levels since the turn of the century, a trend that accelerated during the pandemic.

To combat this, Ohio has implemented two major policy reforms: the third grade reading guarantee (2012) and the science of reading initiative (2023). The latter requires schools to align instruction with evidence-based practices such as phonics, fluency, and comprehension. The initiative also mandates that colleges of education align teacher preparation with these standards and includes over $170 million in funding to support K–12 schools and higher education.