Abstract
Michigan’s Public Act 146 (PA 146), the state’s K–12 Literacy and Dyslexia Law, establishes new requirements for screening, evidence-based instruction, structured literacy practices, professional learning, and strengthened multi-tiered systems of support to improve reading outcomes. While the law provides detailed and prescriptive guidance for elementary schools—particularly regarding decoding-focused instruction aligned to the science of reading, universal screening, and intervention planning—its implications for grades 4–12 are less clearly defined. This article examines what is explicit in the legislation, what remains open to interpretation in secondary contexts, and how districts can move forward strategically as they prepare for full implementation by 2027–2028. It argues that successful implementation depends on distinguishing between foundational skill intervention and Tier I disciplinary literacy instruction, ensuring that compliance efforts reinforce rather than disrupt coherent literacy systems across K–12 settings.
Recommended Citation
Williams, Jenelle and Peterson, Nicole
(2026)
"PA 146: What is Clear, What is Fuzzy, and What Should We Do Next?,"
Michigan Reading Journal: Vol. 58:
Iss.
3, Article 12.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mrj/vol58/iss3/12
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Elementary Education Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons, Secondary Education Commons, Secondary Education and Teaching Commons