A Call to Action on Literacy in Minnesota: Recommendations By Minnesota’s Path Forward Literacy Team

May 24, 2024

Minnesota’s literacy problem is well-documented, persistent, and at a crossroads. The Read Act, a sweeping $90 million literacy bill that passed in the 2023 legislative session, aims to better align teaching in all corners of the state with evidence on the way children in Minnesota learn to read. This shift in practice is a direct response to Minnesota’s lackluster literacy scores. While Minnesota’s aggregate reading scores have historically placed it ahead of national averages, the numbers are still relatively low. Based on the most recent Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment exam (MCA), just half of all students are proficient in reading.

To address Minnesota’s current literacy crisis, EdAllies joined with passionate and renowned literacy experts to help identify the strengths and challenges of Minnesota’s current system, break down the impacts of recently-passed legislation such as the Read Act, and outline a proposed action place moving forward.

To continue to focus on best practices in literacy instruction, EdAllies partnered with the Hunt Literacy Coalition to profile two schools that have already been doing exemplary work in literacy and are starting to see positive data trends. Monroe Elementary in the Anoka-Hennepin Public School District and Wildwood Elementary in the Mahtomedi School District can offer insights into the work they are already doing to shift to evidence-based literacy.

The contributors to this report and the subsequent profiles come from a variety of backgrounds, including higher education, state government, policy research and advocacy, business, and non-profit organizations. Many are classroom teachers. Despite the diversity of their backgrounds, they are united in their deep commitment to improving literacy outcomes in Minnesota. The Hunt Institute provided the framework for building the plan and strategy on how to carry it forward.