DeWine Shares Ohio's Literacy Progress

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio has made literacy a central focus during his final year in office. He emphasizes that the ability to read is a fundamental right for every child in the state. To achieve this goal, DeWine is ensuring that all Ohio schools adhere to state law by implementing what is known as the “science of reading” method in their classrooms.

The science of reading is an evidence-based approach that focuses on teaching students the foundational elements of language before they learn to read. This includes understanding how words are structured and how sounds correspond to letters. Unlike older methods such as the “three-cueing” model, which relied on guessing or memorization, the science of reading is backed by extensive research and is considered the most effective way to teach literacy.

For many years, educators and researchers have debated the best approaches to literacy instruction, a period often referred to as the “reading wars.” However, DeWine argues that this debate is largely settled. He states that decades of research show that the science of reading provides students of all abilities with the best chance to become proficient readers. That’s why he has been working to ensure that every student in Ohio receives instruction based on this method.

State law mandates that colleges and universities in Ohio teach only the science of reading to future educators. If institutions fail to comply, they risk losing accreditation for their education programs. Earlier this year, the state conducted an audit of 48 colleges and universities and found that ten, including Ohio State University, still used some discredited teaching methods in their course materials. Despite this, DeWine remains confident that these institutions will soon align with the law, if they haven’t already.

“All of these can be resolved,” DeWine said when announcing the results of the audit. “It is, for some universities, cultural. It is set in. They’ve taught another way for a long, long period of time and it’s tough to change.”

Jeff Wensing, president of the Ohio Education Association, expressed skepticism about top-down education policies. He believes that teachers are the experts in their field and understand their students better than any external guidelines. “A one-size-fits-all model is probably never that great,” he said.

However, Wensing also noted that teachers are generally reporting positive experiences with the science of reading. He praised the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for its communication efforts and the resources it has provided to school districts. “With a new program, communication is so important,” he said. “They’re doing a really nice job of communicating and providing resources to districts.”

Wensing also highlighted the importance of the state funding stipends for teacher training and re-training on the science of reading. “Show me your budget and I’ll show you what your priorities are,” he said. “Making it a priority, showing educators that they’re being invested in by the state, by providing stipend and acknowledging them as professionals was very important.”

Since the audit, the ten noncompliant universities have each pledged to comply with state law. The state will verify compliance in 2026, and any university that fails to meet the requirements by the end of next year could lose its education programming accreditation.