Issued by: The Freedom in Education Media Team 

Release Date: March 2, 2026

     This month’s brief discusses the literacy crisis in American K-12 education, highlighting shifts in instructional methodology, the expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms, and emerging state-level policy responses. As reading proficiency declines and concerns about comprehension, equity, and digital dependency intensify, educators, lawmakers, and key players alike are reconsidering how students learn to read and what structures most effectively support long-term literacy and student success.

IN THE NEWS

News articles and analyses underscore the growing K-12 literacy crisis in America, with a particular emphasis on changing instructional methodology, shifting resources, and new concerns. 

In a book excerpt published by Edutopia, the authors name “passage-based” and “choice-based” literacy models to the readers’ attention, arguing that both methods reduce the chance that a book’s full, intended meaning and dilute the experience of diligently reading.

• • • Passage-based instruction often involves students reading new excerpts from a novel each day, while choice-based instruction allows students to choose their own books. The article from Edutopia argues that passages cause students to lose narrative comprehension and that, when selecting their own reading materials, students are unlikely to choose something truly impactful.

In this piece by Janice Mak, a professor from Arizona State University, discusses the results of a survey she distributed amongst educators. Notably, the data indicates that while states are working to develop blanket AI plans for K-12 schools, local decisions still “dominate” — leaving school districts responsible for most of the development. 

• • • Naturally, this has led to uneven outcomes throughout states and across demographics. While a litany of teachers report incorporating AI into their instruction, the guardrails and efficacy of these tools when teaching literacy has yet to be assessed.

NPR takes a more cynical position, reporting on the findings from a Brookings Institution study claiming that the risks of AI in education “overshadow” the benefits. To conduct its research, Brookings connected with a wide-ranging group of K-12 students, parents, educators, and tech experts in more than 50 countries. 

• • • While a few “Pros” featured in the article concede that AI can “help” with reading skills and supplant the skills of a real human teacher, the opportunities to cognitively “off-load” — or pass off the real “thinking work” — are vast, which critically stymies the mental effort needed from students to master literacy. 

EdSurge published a piece by a North Carolina teacher Terri Ashchi centering around a phrase one of her multilingual students used: “I read the word, but I don’t know what it means.” This sentiment reflects how much of public literacy teaching focuses on decoding versus deep comprehension, but Ashchi also points out that multilingual students and students of color have a harder time with the latter because of cultural differences and experience gaps. 

• • • She suggests selecting culturally relevant books, encouraging learners to discuss their ideas about what they are reading, and teaching vocabulary with more intention and context. 

Baseline literacy statistics and facts from the National Literacy Institute, capturing data from the most recent (2024-2025) completed school year:

• • 54% of U.S. adults read at a sixth-grade level. 
  • America ranks 36th globally in literacy.
  • There are provable links between illiteracy, poverty, and incarceration.

READING AND TECHNOLOGY

     A piece from Reading Rockets, an organization focused on childrens’ literacy, discusses “responsibly” integrating face-to-face learning with digital tools, as the risk for “passive instruction” is high. For example, “e-books” (online books) can create unengaged reading habits and feature distracting elements, leading to a loss of focus. The source argues — like others — that digital technology should assist, and not replace, reading instruction. 

     Interestingly, to combat this potential for intellectual atrophy, writers from nonprofit The Albert Shanker Institute propose “biliteracy,” which involves tailoring methodology to develop skills in print consumption and digital consumption.

LEGISLATION TO WATCH: CASE STUDIES

NAEP: WHAT IS IT?

     To understand conversations about literacy, it is equally important to understand NAEP.

• NAEP stands for the “National Assessment for Educational Progress,” which is the name of the standardized test. 

• • The assessment — which takes various forms across subjects including reading, math, writing, and science — is only administered to a select sample of students nationwide in 4th, 8th, and 12th grade. 
    • The schools hosting the test are selected by NAEP through a probability sample design, and those students who take the test are a representative group intended to represent learners nationwide. 
  • NAEP scores in reading have plummeted in recent years, reaching “below basic levels” in literacy skills. 
• NAEP is often used by districts and policymakers to assess performance in their respective regions, and it remains the only source that provides a country-wide picture of student success.

FREEDOM IN EDUCATION FEATURE: GOOD BOOK DRIVE

     To do its part in aiding the literacy crisis, Freedom in Education hosts the Good Book Drive by partnering with publishers and distributors to get quality books into the hands of students for free. 

• • To commemorate America’s 250th birthday, the Patriotic Book Drive’s goal is to send 250 book bundles of American history-adjacent texts to classrooms and libraries across the U.S.  
• To learn more, visit us here.

📧 Contact Us: press@freedomined.org