The Improving America's Literacy Act modifies federal literacy education programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to require schools and states receiving federal grants to use evidence-based reading instruction methods that focus on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The bill specifically prohibits the use of the "three-cueing model," an instructional approach that emphasizes context and picture clues for word recognition. The legislation affects states, school districts, and schools that receive federal literacy grants, requiring them to implement specific reading strategies and submit to annual reviews measuring student literacy outcomes. The bill directs the Institute of Education Sciences to conduct a five-year study evaluating successful literacy strategies used by states and districts and report findings to Congress and the public. The legislation maintains protections for students with disabilities under existing federal law and clarifies that it does not give the federal government authority to mandate specific curriculum or academic standards.
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