Meeting Florida’s Literacy Mandates in 5 Steps

Florida’s school leaders are working to ensure that classroom instruction meets the state’s 2025 literacy requirements, including updates associated with Statute 1003.4201, B.E.S.T. English Language Arts (ELA) standards implementation, intervention documentation, and Department of Education (DOE) progress-monitoring expectations.

This quick-start guide explores five steps that Florida principals can take to maintain compliance with state mandates and accelerate literacy learning. The guide also lists the ways that Lexia® supports this work.

School leaders should prioritize the following efforts and associated action items:

1. Align literacy plans to DOE-approved science of reading materials: Conduct a midyear materials audit with reading coaches.

2. Strengthen Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) with clear Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention protocols: Create a schoolwide digital or physical “Intervention Binder.”

3. Monitor literacy data frequently, not just during FAST Assessment windows: Establish a monthly “Literacy Dashboard Review.”

4. Build capacity through DOE-aligned professional learning: Schedule walkthroughs targeting phonics and phonological awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension routines.

5. Maximize available literacy funding and document impact: Update annual funding plans to tie every dollar to a metric.

Lexia supports these efforts by offering:

• DOE-approved literacy programs

• MTSS-aligned intervention tools

• Leadership dashboards

• DOE-compliant professional learning

• Measurable reading gains

Download the checklist to discover how Florida’s principals can comply with state literacy requirements and build students’ reading skills.