Arizona Budget Proposes $2 Million for Literacy Coaches to Boost Third Grade Reading

Arizona Budget Proposes $2 Million for Literacy Coaches to Boost Third Grade Reading

Governor Katie Hobbs proposed $2 million in funding for literacy coaches in her FY 2027 budget, aiming to expand early reading support across Arizona schools as part of the Arizona Literacy Plan 2030.

The proposal comes as Arizona faces declining third grade reading proficiency. Only 36 percent of Arizona students scored at or above proficiency on the state English Language Arts assessment in 2025, a three percentage point decline from the previous year and ten points below pre-pandemic levels.

The literacy coaching funding would build on an existing program that currently serves more than 30 coaches in high-need PreK through third grade communities, supporting more than 300 teachers and thousands of students.

Literacy coaches provide teachers with job-embedded support to implement evidence-based reading instruction. They collaborate with educators to plan and model lessons, analyze assessment data, and refine instruction to align with how children learn to read.

Schools with foundational literacy coaches have posted stronger growth than the state average, with benchmark scores increasing by about 12 percent according to Arizona Department of Education data.

Arizona Literacy Plan 2030 Sets Ambitious Goals

The Arizona Literacy Plan 2030 was developed by education stakeholders over 18 months to bring evidence-based solutions to more students. The plan aims to raise third grade reading proficiency from 39 percent to 72 percent within five years.

Terri Clark, director of literacy for Read On Arizona, said the plan focuses on proven solutions like teacher training, family engagement and early childhood education.

"The science actually says that 95 percent or more students can learn to read if given the proper support and service," Clark said. "So the 72 percent is doable if we do these things at scale."

Read On Arizona holds O.C. Johnson Elementary in Yuma as a success story for rapidly boosting proficiency with evidence-based strategies. The school saw third grade English Language Arts scores go from 16 percent in 2021 to 72 percent in 2024.

Funding Gap Between Current Program and Plan Goals

Education leaders say the current level of literacy coaching funding does not meet the needs identified in the literacy plan.

Rebecca Beebe, director of government relations for Arizona School Administrators, noted that Arizona currently has 36 literacy coaches. Beebe said to match Mississippi's statewide initiative, Arizona would need to put 125 coaches in their lowest performing schools.

Mississippi implemented 95 literacy coaches in their lowest performing schools and improved reading proficiency from 49th to 21st in the nation, according to Beebe.

Karla Phillips-Krivickas, co-founder of Champions for Kids, said the literacy coaching program is going well based on anecdotal and early data. However, she noted Arizona has not funded at the level the state immediately promised and other states are doing.

School superintendents have identified securing additional funding for literacy coaches as a top priority for the next legislative session.

Coaching Model Targets Struggling Readers

The Arizona Literacy Plan 2030 calls for expanding literacy coaches where they are needed most. Through the Arizona Department of Education's Foundational Literacy Coaching Grant, coaches would be deployed to schools scoring in the bottom 10 percent and showing the highest number of struggling readers.

High-quality literacy coaching works because it is job-embedded and directly focused on helping teachers implement evidence-based reading instruction. When teachers receive ongoing classroom-centered support, students benefit through stronger decoding, comprehension and overall reading proficiency.

Children's Action Alliance commends the governor's budget proposal, which includes a targeted $2 million investment to expand literacy coaching in schools and districts with the most struggling readers.

The organization said this funding aligns with the Arizona Literacy Plan 2030 scale-to-succeed strategy to increase the number of foundational literacy coaches from a few dozen today toward the plan's goal of more than 100 coaches serving the highest-need K through 5 schools later this decade.

Statewide Impact of Early Literacy

Improving early literacy is one of Arizona's most powerful strategies for economic success and expanding opportunity. Students who are not strong readers by the end of third grade are more likely to struggle in every subject, less likely to graduate and less prepared for the jobs that power the state's future.

The plan also includes other strategies to boost reading proficiency, such as decreasing chronic absenteeism, focusing on students on the cusp of proficiency and ensuring teachers receive their K-5 Literacy Endorsement, a state requirement for K-5 literacy teachers.

Educators can access the Arizona Literacy Plan 2030 at Lithubaz.org. That website also houses additional resources about how to boost literacy, including the Arizona Chronic Absence Resource Guide.