HB173 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Leigh HulseyRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Public K-12 education, use of three-cueing system prohibited

Summary

HB173 would ban the three-cueing system in Alabama public K-12 reading instruction and require materials and teaching methods to be based on the science of reading, with new rules for curricula, teacher preparation, and materials reviews.

What This Bill Does

It prohibits the three-cueing system and any visual memory approach in reading instruction and in instructional materials. It requires high-quality, Alabama Literacy Act–aligned materials that use scientifically researched strategies for phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, with explicit, systematic, and multisensory approaches. It establishes criteria for educator preparation programs and requires that reviews of core reading programs and intervention materials occur in the same year as the state textbook adoption, with additional reviews considered by the literacy task force. It also requires local boards to ensure materials used meet the new criteria, and gives the State Board authority to notify districts of violations beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, with violations potentially reported to the Legislature and public; the act takes effect June 1, 2024.

Who It Affects

• Students in kindergarten through 12th grade, who would receive reading instruction based on science-of-reading methods rather than the three-cueing system or visual memory approaches.
• Teachers and teacher candidates, through educator preparation programs, who must be trained under new criteria emphasizing evidence-based reading instruction.
• Local boards of education (districts), which must choose and use compliant instructional materials and ensure reading instruction meets the new standards.
• State Board of Education and the Department of Education, which would establish rules, oversee compliance, and enforce the new requirements.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits the three-cueing system and visual memory approaches in reading instruction and in materials used in Alabama public schools.
• Requires instructional materials to be high-quality, aligned to the Alabama Literacy Act, and based on scientifically researched strategies that cover phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing, using explicit, systematic, and multisensory methods.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education