MA S2924

Establishes an Early Literacy Fund with $25 million transferred from the Education and Transportation Capital and Innovation Fund in fiscal year 2026 to develop free K-3 curriculum, provide grants to districts for curriculum updates, materials, and professional development

Requires all school districts to adopt a department-approved "high-quality curriculum" for K-3 literacy instruction based on the five research-based areas: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension by the 2027-2028 school year

Mandates literacy screening assessments for all students in kindergarten through grade 3 at least twice per school year, with districts required to notify parents within 30 days and provide intervention if a student falls significantly below grade-level benchmarks

Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to maintain lists of approved curricula, professional development programs, and free online training modules aligned with evidence-based literacy instruction practices

Districts may apply for up to 5-year waivers to use alternative curricula not on the approved list, subject to department audits and quality standards, with public posting of reports and curriculum samples required