HB253 Bans Three-Cueing Reading System in Kentucky Schools
Summary
Kentucky Governor signed HB253 into law on April 10, 2026, prohibiting school districts from using three-cueing reading systems in curricula, interventions, or teacher professional development. The Kentucky Department of Education must establish an approved list of reading programs that exclude three-cueing, and the Educational Professional Standards Board must promulgate regulations requiring educator preparation programs to use evidence-based reading instruction. The bill converts optional dyslexia policies into mandatory requirements for local boards of education.
What changed
HB253 creates a new section of KRS Chapter 158 defining three-cueing system and prohibiting its use in any curriculum, intervention program, or professional development offered by Kentucky school districts. The bill requires the Kentucky Department of Education to compile an approved list of reading curricula and interventions that exclude three-cueing. Teacher preparation programs at postsecondary institutions must include instruction on evidence-based reading methods and exclude three-cueing training by the 2027-2028 school year, removing the prior contingent funding requirement.
Affected parties including school districts, educator preparation programs, and the Educational Professional Standards Board should begin reviewing current reading curricula and teacher training materials to identify and replace any three-cueing-based programs. Local boards of education previously operating under permissive dyslexia policies must now adopt mandatory policies including the specified listed items. Districts should monitor KDE rulemaking for the approved curriculum list and ensure full compliance before the 2027-2028 school year implementation deadline.
What to do next
- Monitor Kentucky Department of Education for approved reading curriculum list
- Review and update teacher preparation programs to eliminate three-cueing instruction
- Update local board dyslexia policies to comply with mandatory requirements
Archived snapshot
Apr 12, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
ChangeBridge / Kentucky / HB253 Signed by Governor HB253 House Bill Signed by Governor 2026-04-10
AN ACT relating to education and declaring an emergency.
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; require the Kentucky Department of Education to establish an approved list of reading curriculum and interventions that do not use a three-cueing system; prohibit school districts from using any curriculum or program that employs a three-cueing system; prohibit the use of a three-cueing system in teacher professional development; require the Educational Professional Standards Board to promulgate administrative regulations establishing curriculum for each approved educator preparation program; amend KRS 158.307 to require rather than allow local boards of education to develop a policy on dyslexia; require rather than allow the policy to include listed items; amend KRS 164.304 to require postsecondary institutions offering teacher preparation programs to include instruction on dyslexia by the 2027-2028 school year, rather than the instruction being contingent on funding availability; amend KRS 164.306 to specify that educator preparation programs shall use evidence-based reading instruction and intervention programs and shall not provide instruction on a three-cueing system; amend KRS 161.028 to require the board to include in the standards set for teacher preparation programs that the programs shall use evidence-based reading instruction and intervention programs and shall not provide instruction on a three-cueing system.
Bill Details
State Kentucky
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb253....
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Sponsors
James Tipton (Rep - R) Tina Bojanowski (Rep - D) Beverly Chester-Burton (Rep - D) Daniel Grossberg (Rep - D) Kevin Jackson (Rep - R) Pamela Stevenson (Rep - D)
Action History
2026-04-10 H signed by Governor 2026-03-31 H delivered to Governor 2026-03-31 H enrolled, signed by President of the Senate 2026-03-31 H enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House 2026-03-31 H passed 93-1 2026-03-31 H House concurred in Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (2) and Floor Amendment (3-title) 2026-03-27 H posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Floor Amendments (2) and (3-title) and Committee Substitute (1) 2026-03-26 H to Rules (H) 2026-03-26 H received in House 2026-03-25 S passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (2) and Floor Amendment (3-title) 2026-03-25 S floor amendment (1) withdrawn 2026-03-25 S 3rd reading 2026-03-24 S passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day 2026-03-20 S posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 24 2026 2026-03-20 S floor amendments (1) and (2) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendment (3-title) filed to bill 2026-03-20 S 2nd reading, to Rules 2026-03-19 S reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) 2026-03-11 S to Education (S) 2026-02-13 S to Committee on Committees (S) 2026-02-13 S received in Senate 2026-02-12 H 3rd reading, passed 94-1 with Committee Substitute (1) 2026-02-10 H posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, February 11 2026 2026-02-05 H 2nd reading, to Rules 2026-02-04 H reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) 2026-01-15 H to Primary and Secondary Education (H) 2026-01-08 H to Committee on Committees (H) 2026-01-08 H introduced in House
Votes
2026-02-12 House: Veto Override RCS# 85 Yea: 94 Nay: 1 2026-03-25 Senate: Third Reading RSN# 4016 Yea: 38 Nay: 0 2026-03-31 House: Veto Override RCS# 368 Yea: 93 Nay: 1
Committee Referrals
2026-01-08 H Committee On Committees 2026-01-15 H Primary and Secondary Education 2026-02-05 H Rules 2026-02-13 S Committee on Committees 2026-03-11 S Education 2026-03-20 S Rules 2026-03-26 H Rules
Amendments
0000-00-00 House Committee Substitute 0000-00-00 Senate Committee Substitute 0000-00-00 Senate Committee Amendment 0000-00-00 Senate Floor Amendment 0000-00-00 Senate Floor Amendment 0000-00-00 Senate Floor Amendment
Bill Text Versions
0000-00-00 Introduced 0000-00-00 Engrossed 0000-00-00 Enrolled
Subjects
Administrative Regulations and Proceedings Boards and Commissions Education, Elementary and Secondary Education, Higher State Agencies Teachers Universities and Colleges Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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