Southwest Allegheny News

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a new bill aimed at enhancing early literacy achievement throughout the state. The legislation has been a key focus for Representative Jason Ortitay (R-Washington/Allegheny) over the past five years.

Rep. Ortitay highlighted the importance of the bill, stating, “We are closer to finally having a strong, evidence-based reading program required for our young learners in the Commonwealth. This legislation is not a political issue or about picking winners and losers. It’s about making sure every student knows how to read. Reading is foundational for everyone’s education. With statewide early literacy scores hovering around 30% proficiency by the end of third grade, we need to change the way we teach students how to read. I believe this bill will be quickly taken up by the Senate and signed by the governor in the near future. There’s still a lot of work to do, and I am committed to finishing that work.”

The proposed Senate Bill 801, which draws similarities with Ortitay’s House Bill 998, would lead to the formation of a Reading Leadership Council. This council's mandate would include developing a list of approved reading curricula and universal reading screeners that align with evidence-based methods. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Education would be tasked with establishing a free professional development program to train teachers in these methods, along with abolishing the ineffective three-cuing system.

In the 2022-23 state budget, Ortitay had successfully incorporated language into the Education Code to initiate a professional development program in structured literacy for school personnel. This program consists of in-class demonstrations, modeling, and coaching support to improve early literacy outcomes. Ortitay has been collaborating with colleagues from both the House and Senate since spring 2023 to advance such legislation further.

Having passed the House, the bill now moves to the Senate for concurrence.

The 46th Legislative District, represented by Ortitay, includes several boroughs and townships within Allegheny and Washington counties.