Mindworks Georgia

Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026

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The Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026 is one of several legislative efforts in the last few years to improve literacy rates for Georgia’s school-age youth. In 2023, the General Assembly passed the Georgia Early Literacy Act. Since then, the Georgia Department of Education has taken steps toward implementation, including appointing a director of literacy, developing an approved list of instructional materials, adopting a list of universal reading screeners, developing an approved list of quality professional learning resources, establishing the Georgia Literacy Academy, and providing a free universal screener for districts. They have also launched a public-facing dashboard that provides transparent data on literacy rates in Georgia.[1] While significant progress has been made, Georgia’s literacy rates remain low compared to rates in other states.

In 2024, Georgia ranked 41st in literacy rates, with the ninth-highest percentage of the population having low literacy at 23.6%. As of 2024, 62% of third-grade students were not proficient in reading.[2] Georgia’s average reading proficiency score for third grade has been below the midpoint for nearly a decade.[3] Low literacy not only impacts a child’s academic performance, but over time can impact their physical and mental well-being, contributing to low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. Low literacy rates are also linked to poorer health outcomes, as they can contribute to difficulties with accessing services, understanding medical information, and managing health problems.[4]

As such, the speaker of the house identified improved literacy rates as a priority for the 2026 legislative session. House Bill 1193, the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, was introduced in the House with the intent of updating and adding additional support to Georgia’s early literacy framework. Some of the major components of the bill include the following:

  • Authorizes the State Board of Education to provide grants to eligible schools to reimburse for salaries and benefits of one school-based literacy coach per eligible school. The literacy coach will analyze student data, including screening, diagnostic, and progress-monitoring data to inform instruction, grouping, and intervention within a multitiered system of supports framework.
  • Directs the State Board of Education and Office of Student Achievement to establish the job description and minimum qualifications for school-based literacy coaches.
  • Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs) will employ regional literacy coaches and regional leadership literacy coaches to provide coaching, support, and other services to schools in the RESA service area.
  • Directs the Professional Standards Commission to develop a literacy coaching endorsement that school personnel can receive.
  • Updates the Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act with updated definitions of dyslexia; requirements for collaboration with early-learning centers to support school readiness; and requirements for screening, measurement, and identification of students at risk of not reaching grade-level reading proficiency.
  • Prohibits schools that receive state funds from purchasing literacy materials that are not approved by the State Board of Education, which is charged with approving high-quality reading materials for K-3.
  • Establishes the state literacy director role, which will report to the director of the Office of Student Achievement.
  • Establishes the Georgia Literacy Task Force to be convened by September 2026. The task force will provide recommendations to the state related to the statewide curriculum provided to teachers and literacy coaches, and related to universal reading screeners.
  • Requires the Office of Student Achievement to collaborate with state agencies to develop a promotional campaign to increase awareness and education around the importance of literacy, especially for children aged 0 through fifth grade.
  • Recommends that children start school at age 5.
  • Requires children to attend a kindergarten program prior to being enrolled in first grade. Allows for parents and guardians to request that a child receive a readiness assessment, which includes a reading screener adopted by the State Board of Education, for promotion to first grade.
  • Requires development of a tiered reading intervention plan if a child is identified as at risk for not reaching grade-level reading proficiency. If a child continues to present as at risk after a tiered intervention plan has been implemented, the school principal must determine that the child is not ready for promotion to first grade.
  • Requires the Office of Student Achievement to provide an annual report on the readiness of children for promotion to first grade, including information on grade-level reading proficiency.
  • Requires the State Board of Education to develop criteria for local school systems to adopt a placement and promotion policy that includes a requirement that no student shall be promoted to the next grade if the student is determined to be significantly at risk of not attaining grade-level reading proficiency.

The bill was passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Brian P. Kemp in May 2026. This bill will require that state agencies, regional coalitions, local school systems, and communities continue to work together to improve literacy to ensure that Georgia’s children thrive.

[1] Georgia’s Focus on Literacy and Reading, GaDOE

[2] Literacy Data in Georgia, Georgia Reads

[3] State of Literacy in Georgia

[4] Child Illiteracy in America: Statistics, Facts, and Resources, Regis College