April State Actions Update: Literacy, Math and Workforce Alignment Lead Legislative Progress

State legislatures continued to advance K–12 education priorities in April 2026, with policymakers building on earlier session activity to strengthen literacy, expand access to advanced math pathways and align education systems with workforce demands. These efforts reflect a sustained focus on improving outcomes through student-centered policies. 

Across the country, policy priorities continue to take shape in statehouses, from budget allocations to instructional improvements and expanded learning options, with bills reaching governors’ desks weekly. ExcelinEd in Action continues to track these developments as legislation progresses nationwide. 

To explore the latest education legislation moving in each state, scroll down or use the quick links below. (To stay updated on the status of the latest legislation, sign up for our Weekly State Actions Update emails.) 

| Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | Colorado | Florida | Illinois | Iowa | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Michigan | Mississippi | Missouri | New Hampshire | North Carolina | Oklahoma | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Tennessee | Virginia | West Virginia |

Alabama 

• Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed four bills: 
• Rep. Danny Garrett’s 2026 supplemental education budget and 2027 education budget bills: 
  • HB 235 allocates $10 million for adolescent literacy in FY26.  
  • HB 237 This bill provides more than $100 million from the Educational Opportunity Reserve Fund for initial funding to implement the CHEER Act, which provides outcomes-based bonus funding for public colleges and universities meeting success metrics.        
  • HB 238 establishes $236 million for the CHOOSE Act, nearly $152 million in continued funding for the Alabama Reading Initiative supporting early literacy policies, including reading coaches, and $114 million to the Alabama Numeracy Act, a $19 million increase. Additionally, this bill allocates $65 million to support the CHEER Fund.  
• Rep. Garrett’s HB 565 establishes the CHEER Act and provides outcomes-based funding for public colleges and universities determined, in part, on students’ post-graduation success. 
• Rep James Lomax’s HB 517, the Talent Readiness and Industry Needs (TRAIN) Act, creates industry engagement incentives through a tax credit for employers who “loan” employees to teach high-demand career and technical education (CTE) programs or make donations to eligible entities in support of designated CTE programs. 

Arizona

• Two Arizona bills await final passage: 
  • Rep. Matt Gress and Sen. Hildy Angius’ HB 2423 would require school districts and charter schools to automatically enroll eligible middle school students in advanced math courses, unless a parent opts out, and requires schools to notify families about available math pathways.   
  • Rep. Lisa Fink’s HB 2032 would strengthen accountability by revising the statewide assessment window and allowing contractors to provide unofficial test scores.   

Arkansas 

• Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed HB 1100, the Revenue Stabilization Act and State Budget. The Act appropriates $3.6 billion for statewide public education, $309 million to meet current Education Freedom Account demand, and an additional $70 million to allow up to an additional 9,700 additional students.   

Colorado 

• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed Sen. Janice Marchman and Sen. Janice Rich’s SB 126, which streamlines the licensure process for experienced out-of-state teachers and establishes reciprocity with states participating in the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact.    
• Colorado Reps. Lesley Smith, Eliza Hamrick and Sen. Janice Marchman’s HB 1078 passed its committee and heads to the Senate floor. The bill would expand concurrent enrollment programs by allowing off-campus courses to count toward concurrent enrollment when the courses meet certain requirements.  
• Colorado Sens. Scott Bright and Cathy Kipp’s SB 145 passed its committee and awaits a vote on the House floor. The bill would require school districts considering a ballot question to solicit proposals from charter schools about capital

Florida 

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed three bills into law: 
  • Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson’s HB 1279:  
    • Requires notification of eligibility for literacy resources. 
    • Establishes a consistent statewide grading scale for high schools. 
    • Creates a new secondary math pathway that emphasizes career-centered applied math. 
    • Allows Title I funds for STEM-related programs and the usage of AI as an instructional tool.   
    • Strengthens school accountability by annually identifying districts that need school improvement plans.  
    • Clarifies that dual enrollment is only available to Florida residents. 
    • Adds private higher education institutions to the list of eligible schools that can offer dual enrollment to high school students. 
    • Creates flexibility for teacher salary increases in low-performing schools. 
    • Requires notification to families of virtual school options. 
    • Expands student access to career-centered digital tools. 
  • Sen. Shevrin Jones’ SB 182 reduces regulatory hurdles for small private schools by allowing them to operate in non-residential zoning districts without requiring rezoning or land use changes. 
  • Sen. Jonathan Martin’s SB 1296 makes changes to collective bargaining, including requiring a quorum of union members to participate in a certification election. 
• Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur’s SB 2D passed the Senate and heads to the House. The bill would establish the Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights, including requiring parental consent for minors accessing companion bots and regular platform disclosure requirements that a user is interacting with AI and not a human. The bill also allows for a parental opt-out for a student’s use of AI as an educational tool.   

Illinois 

• Illinois Sen. Cristina Castro’s SB 2427 awaits final passage. The bill would require schools to adopt distraction-free instructional time policies for high school students and bell-to-bell phone-free policies for elementary and middle school students.  
• Illinois Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz’s HB 5511, the Children’s Social Media Safety Act, passed the House and heads to the Senate. The bill would require social media companies to confirm a user’s age, prohibit nighttime notifications for users under 18, protect location and profile data and add parental controls.  

Iowa 

• Iowa lawmakers sent two bills to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk for signature: 
  • Sen. Lynn Evans’ SF 2220 requires school districts to develop an advanced mathematics pathway to ensure high-achieving students are guaranteed access to Algebra I in middle school.  
  • Iowa Rep. Skyler Wheeler’s HF 2754:  
    • Increases charter school teacher salaries by applying teacher salary supplemental funds to charter schools. 
    • Creates a revolving loan program fund for charter schools, making it easier for them to finance their school buildings. 
    • Ensures charter school students have access to extracurricular activities available in public schools. 
    • Creates a second application window for education scholarship accounts.

Kentucky 

• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed two bills into law.  
  • Rep. James Tipton’s HB 253 bans the use of harmful three-cueing literacy instruction. 
  • Rep. Tipton’s HB 307 establishes a direct admissions program and a common application platform. It also requires the annual reporting on college-going rates, postsecondary credential attainment and employment and wage outcomes by 12th grade cohort.  

Louisiana 

• Louisiana Rep. John Wyble’s HB 271 passed the House and is awaiting a final vote in the Senate. The bill would replace the Literacy Advisory Commission with the Foundational Education Commission to evaluate and recommend improvements in early learning and basic reading and math skills.     
• Two bills from Louisiana lawmakers await final House passage: 
  • Sen. Rick Edmonds’ SB 305 would expand education-to-workforce transparency and career alignment by requiring a statewide data dashboard. 
  • Sen. Beth Mizell’s SB 376 would establish the Learn and Earn Act, creating secondary education pathways connecting students to workforce training and credential opportunities.     
• Louisiana Rep. Wyble’s HB 316 awaits action in the Senate Education Committee. The bill would update Louisiana’s student literacy framework and clarify the use of literacy screening results, interventions and instructional support expectations.  
• Louisiana Rep. Annie Spell’s HB 632, which would support the state’s education data system and improve the quality of data used to study student progress and outcomes over time, passed out of committee and heads to the House floor.    
• Louisiana Rep. Dennis Bamburg’s HB 951 awaits a vote on the Senate floor. The bill establishes the Office of Talent Accelerator within Louisiana Works to align the state’s workforce programs and resources, focus on measurable outcomes and connect training efforts to employer needs, creating clear talent pipelines from K-12 through post-secondary education. 
• Louisiana Sen. Mike Reese’s SB 520 passed committee and is on the Senate floor. The bill would modernize Louisiana’s Jump Start program by strengthening career and technical education pathways, improving alignment with workforce needs and increasing accountability for program quality and outcomes across K-12. 

Maine 

• Maine Rep. Drew Gattine’s LD2212, the state’s supplemental budget, was signed by Gov. Janet Mills. The bill includes a bell-to-bell distraction-free school policy for public schools. 

Michigan 

• Michigan Reps. Ann Bollin and Tim Kelly’s education budget bill, HB 5630, passed the House and heads to the Senate. The bill includes increased funding for literacy coaches, science of reading training and early literacy supports and $50 million in one-time funding to improve educational outcomes in STEM. 
• Michigan Sen. Darrin Camilleri’s education budget bill, SB 860, passed the Senate and heads to the House. The bill includes $235 million for literacy coaches, science of reading training and school library and curriculum supports.  
• The Michigan Senate passed and sent a package of bills related to social media and AI regulations to the House.  
  • Sen. Darrin Camilleri’s SB 757, the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation Act, would prohibit social media companies from serving addictive feeds to minors without parental consent.  
  • Sen. Kevin Hertel’s SB 758, the Kids Code Act, would prohibit providers from engaging in targeted ads, profiling, promotion of harmful products or using features that could impair decision making. The bill would also require online service providers to: 
    • Set a minor’s default privacy settings to the highest level. 
    • Only process or retain the minimum amount of personal data necessary for age verification and require the information to be deleted immediately after use.  
    • Provide a parent or guardian with parental controls. 
  • Sen. Stephanie Chang’s SB 759 would make a violation of the Kids Code Act unlawful under the Michigan Consumer Protection Act.  
  • Sen. Dayna Polehanki’s SB 760, the Leading Ethical AI Development Act, would prohibit making advanced chatbots available to minors. 

Mississippi 

• Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed five bills: 
  • Sen. Chris Johnson’s SB 2294 omnibus education bill, which: 
    • Requires evidence‑based literacy practices aligned to the science of reading for grades 4-8.   
    • Expands access to math coaches, creates a K–5 universal math screener, establishes an Algebra Readiness Indicator and requires districts to adopt high‑quality math instructional materials.     
    • Modernizes the high school computer science or CTE course requirement with artificial intelligence (AI) instruction.  
    • Requires financial literacy instruction for grades 6–8 and mandates a half‑credit personal finance course for high school graduation. 
  • Sen. Dennis DeBar’s SB 2288 allows CTE incentive grants to be used to purchase equipment for programs leading specifically to industry certifications.     
  • Rep. Donnie Bell’s HB 562 provides last dollar scholarships for students enrolled in eligible career focused programs based on priority sectors and occupations of need in Mississippi.   
  • Rep. Shanda Yates’ HB 1395 revises the sale and lease of unused school district property by limiting and defining charter schools’ right of first refusal on instructional buildings. 
  • Rep. Karl Oliver’s HB 1935 provides statewide funding for public schools, including support for the student-centered funding formula, early learning programs, instructional materials and targeted school district supports.  

Missouri 

• Missouri Rep. Dane Diehl’s HB 2710 is on the Senate floor. The bill would strengthen school accountability by overhauling the current school report card system and implementing an A-F grading model. 
• Two bills from Missouri lawmakers head to their second Senate committee: 
  • Rep. Cathy Loy’s HB 2872 would strengthen literacy policy by implementing new statewide reading screeners, requiring a third-grade promotion gate and banning the use of harmful three-cueing instruction. 
  • Rep. George Hruza’s HB 2404 would ensure that public charter schools have access to and a right of first refusal on public buildings and allow public entities leasing a building to incur debt for facility improvements. 

New Hampshire 

• New Hampshire Rep. Kristin Noble’s  HB 1828 awaits consideration on the Senate floor. The bill would require the Department of Education to audit science of reading implementation in educator preparation programs and publish findings online. 
• New Hampshire Rep. Valerie McDonell’s HB 1817 would give any student who is eligible to enroll in a public school access to curricular courses and extracurricular programs offered by the school district in which they live. The bill heads to the Senate floor.

North Carolina 

• North Carolina Rep. Jeff Zenger’s HB 301, which would require age verification for social media use by minors, was amended before its final Senate committee to adopt language from Sen. Dana Jones’ SB 864. The amendment adds artificial intelligence (AI) education to existing computer science standards, requires the Department of Public Instruction to routinely evaluate AI educational products for student privacy and safety and provide guidance on responsible AI use.  
• North Carolina Sen. Jim Burgin introduced SB 913, which would require school districts to implement a bell-to-bell phone and wireless communication device-free policy.   
• North Carolina Rep. Hugh Blackwell filed HB 1163 and Sen. Eddie Settle filed SB 986. The companion college and career pathways bills would: 
  • Require the creation of an industry-valued credentials list based on wage data, labor market outcomes and job placement. 
  • Expedite credit transfer between postsecondary institutions.  
  • Create a pilot program for middle school students to strengthen graduation planning and college and career pathway exploration.  
  • SB 986 would also provide additional teacher compensation to advanced course and career and technical education teachers. 

Oklahoma 

• Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed five bills into law: 
  • Sen. Adam Pugh’s SB 1778, which amends the Strong Readers Act to ensure students are reading proficiently by the end of third grade. The law strengthens requirements for screeners, parent notification and interventions, improves teacher training, increases the number of literacy coaches in schools and implements a third-grade promotion gate. 
  • Rep. Rob Hall’s HB 3372 strengthens charter school funding by establishing a revolving loan fund that would help charter schools obtain financing for facilities-related costs. 
  • Speaker Kyle Hilbert’s HB 3705 expands the Parental Choice Tax Credit, increasing the current cap by $25 million. 
  • Rep. Brian Hill’s HB 2398 allows degrees and certificates to be designated as credentials of value if they demonstrate a positive return on investment and align with state or regional workforce needs. 
  • Rep. Chad Caldwell’s HB 1276 was amended to make the state’s bell-to-bell cell phone-free policy permanent. 
• Oklahoma lawmakers sent Sen. Adam Pugh’s SB 201 to Gov. Stitt for signature. The bill provides a teacher pay raise by adding $2,000 to each step of the minimum salary schedule.   
• Three Oklahoma bills passed the Senate and head back to the House with amendments: 
  • Rep. Anthony Moore’s HB 4359 would create more classroom time for learning by requiring that statewide summative testing for grades 3-8 be administered in the last four weeks of the school year. 
  • Rep. Ronny Johns’ HB 4268 would create a three-year pilot program for growth-based teacher compensation and reinstate a $5,000 stipend for National Board Certified Teachers. 
  • Rep. Brad Boles’ HB 3467 would extend paid maternity leave to full-time public school employees who adopt a young child. 
• Two Oklahoma bills passed the House and head back to the Senate with amendments: 
  • Sen. Pugh’s SB 1546 would strengthen teacher recruitment by increasing the annual scholarships available to prospective teachers completing in-state educator preparation programs. 
  • Sen. Warren Hamilton’s SB 1521 would require age verification for AI chatbot use, require chatbots to clearly disclose to users that they are interacting with a non-human program and place guardrails around chatbot interactions with minors. 
• Oklahoma Rep. Mark Lepak’s HB 3076 passed the Senate. The bill would expand which institutions are eligible to provide alternative educator preparation programs and direct the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to implement new certification pathways. and direct the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to implement new certification pathways. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Ally Seifried’s SB 1360 awaits consideration on the House floor. The bill enhances the Math Achievement and Proficiency Act by ensuring all math teachers have access to evidence-based professional development and creates the Office of Mathematics Improvement within the State Department of Education. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Seifried’s SB 1734 awaits a vote on the House floor. The bill would require any classroom AI tools to be educator-directed and have human oversight, stipulate that AI cannot be used for grading or discipline and direct the State Department of Education to issue guidance on responsible AI use. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Seifried’s SB 1614 awaits consideration on the House floor. The bill would amend the induction program for first-year teachers by requiring it to include professional development, mentorship and instructional coaching and would permit the program to be funded through grants, philanthropic donations and other external partnerships. 

Pennsylvania 

• Pennsylvania Sen. Devlin Robinson’s SB 1014 and Rep. Mandy Steele’s HB 1814 await consideration on the House floor. Each bill would require public schools to create a bell-to-bell distraction-free schools policy. The bills passed their House committee and head to the floor.  
• Pennsylvania Rep. Jordan Harris’ HB 2400 passed the House and heads to the Senate. The state budget includes: 
  • $35 million for student teacher stipends, a $5 million increase.  
  • $565 million for continued adequacy funding to public schools (evidence-based literacy continues to be an allowable use of these funds).  
  • $200 million for career and technical education funding, an $18 million increase.  

South Carolina 

• South Carolina’s appropriations bill, H 5126, passed the Senate with amendments and heads back to the House for finalization. The budget proposal with Senate amendments includes:    
  • $83.2 million for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, which would fund 15,000 private school choice scholarships. Senate amendments to the bill would prohibit use of program funds for at-home education services.  
  • $50 million to fund rural and charter school facilities projects.  
  • $30 million for summer reading camps and $9.9 million for reading coaches.  
  • $5 million for strategic teacher compensation and $1.4 million for a career ladder pilot program to provide effective educators with opportunities for career advancement.  
• South Carolina Sen. Greg Hembree’s S. 454 passed the House and heads back to the Senate to consider House amendments. The bill would require charter school authorizers to make charter applications and renewals publicly available and the Department of Education to review charter authorizers annually. 

Tennessee 

• Tennessee lawmakers passed eight bills that head to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for signature: 
  • Rep. Scott Cepicky and Sen. Joey Hensley’s SB 2375 guarantees access to advanced math for qualifying students, creates a pathway for teachers to teach advanced math, and requires the Department of Education to adopt advanced math policies for eighth grade students. 
  • Rep. Mark White and Sen. Dawn White’s SB 2141, strengthen college pathways by guaranteeing students can transfer between select college programs while maintaining their credits. 
  • The FY26 budget includes more than $112.9 million to expand Education Freedom Scholarships to 35,000 seats and an additional $40 million for charter facilities. 
  • Rep. Cepicky and Sen. Hensley’s HB 1886 requires each school district and public charter school to adopt a formal internet acceptable use policy.  
  • Rep. William Slater and Sen. Bo Watson’s HB 2177 exempts charter schools with less than $50,000 in revenue from requiring internal audits, establishes a new “high-performing public charter school” designation, and gives charter schools more flexibility in determining student lottery enrollment preferences.  
  • Rep. Slater and Sen. Jack Johnson’s SB 1585 allows students with education scholarship accounts to take the state summative test or a norm-referenced test and requires the state to publish aggregated results in a report. 
  • Rep. William Lamberth and Sen. Johnson’s HB 2532, expands the number of Education Freedom Scholarships available from 20,000 to 35,000.  
  • Rep. Ryan Williams and Sen. Watson’s Better Spending, Better Schools Act of 2026, HB 2121, requires all local school districts to submit financial reports to the Department of Education to promote financial transparency. 

Virginia 

• Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed two bills: 
  • Del. Jackie Glass’s HB 253 enters Virginia into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. 
  • Del. Sam Rasoul’s HB 332 allows teachers at higher education institutions to teach high school career and technical education (CTE) courses while maintaining current employment. 

West Virginia 

• West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed Sen. Amy Grady’s SB 155. The law allows adjunct teachers to be hired to teach when no fully certified teacher is available.