February 25, 2025
Mr. Huizenga (for himself, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Thanedar, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. McDonald Rivet, Ms. Scholten, and Mr. James) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the goal of education in schools across America shall be that virtually every student in the United States achieves grade-level reading proficiency, providing them with the foundation to develop the skills and knowledge needed for success in school, work, and life.
Whereas literacy is an essential skill for success in the United States;
Whereas illiteracy continues to challenge thousands of students annually across many grade levels;
Whereas illiteracy has been a silent epidemic that has not been addressed in the United States for decades and now finds the Nation at a crisis level;
Whereas a literacy gap nationwide, measuring 8th-grade students who are reading below proficiency, exists at well over 50 percent;
Whereas children who struggle to read become adults who struggle in society, leading to a cycle of poverty;
Whereas literacy transforms the lives of students and creates strong communities;
Whereas a literacy curriculum with a structured literacy approach that includes multisensory, phonics, and decoding components is foundational to reading skills;
Whereas literacy programs that include an individual diagnostic assessment overseen by a certified teacher are best set to improve outcomes;
Whereas research shows students who are tutored 1-on-1, 5 days a week achieve grade-level movement in reading;
Whereas research shows individuals who can read at least at a high school level are more likely to be hired in the workforce;
Whereas research shows individuals who can read at least at a high school level are less likely to be incarcerated;
Whereas research shows Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps students who are reading at a high school level or better are more likely to be accepted into the military; and
Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic exacerbated learning loss among elementary school and secondary school students: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
recognizes the goal of education in schools across America shall be that virtually every student in the United States achieves grade-level reading proficiency, providing them with the foundation to develop the skills and knowledge needed for success in school, work, and life;
(2)
encourages the development and use of literacy programs that include 1-on-1 tutoring for each student diagnosed with a literacy gap of 1 year or more, 5 days per week until the student is reading at grade level;
(3)
encourages State and local governments, including educational agencies, to collaborate with private organizations offering proven literacy programs to identify and implement effective solutions to address illiteracy; and
(4)
encourages State and local governments, including educational agencies, to collaborate with private organizations that offer proven literacy programs to create adult literacy initiatives aimed at helping adults with reading skills below an eighth-grade level.