by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal
June 12, 2026
An academic intervention bill that would also exempt Ohio’s classical schools from teaching the science of reading curriculum is heading to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk.
The Ohio House passed Ohio Senate Bill 19 with a 84-12 vote on Tuesday and the Ohio Senate concurred with changes made to the bill during Wednesday’s session.
State Rep. Michelle Teska, R-Clearcreek Twp., joined some Ohio House Democratic lawmakers in voting against the bill, which previously passed unanimously in the Ohio Senate.
“This bill is about meeting students where they are,” said Ohio Rep. Sarah Fowler-Arthur, R-Ashtabula. “For the student ready to accelerate, it opens the next door. For the student that is struggling, it provides targeted supports, especially in mathematics and reading.”
State Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, introduced the bill, which requires school districts or individual schools to provide academic interventions for free to students who scored at a limited skill level in a state assessment test in math or English language arts, or both.
The interventions include high-dosage tutoring, additional instruction time, an extended school calendar, and participating in a learning support program.
“Senate Bill 19 helps to make sure that students who need additional support are not falling through the cracks, that they receive a more consistent support that is tied directly to the instruction happening in their classroom,” Fowler-Arthur said.
The bill would require school districts or individual schools to come up with a math achievement improvement plan if 51% or less of the district or school’s students who took the third grade math achievement assessment scored at least a proficient score on the assessment.
The bill now also requires automatically advancing students who test highly in math to move onto advanced math courses.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce would be required to make a list of high-quality core curriculum and instructional materials.
“Mathematics proficiency opens doors,” said state Rep. Sean Brennan, D-Parma.
“When students fall behind in mathematics, the consequences can follow them for years. … The legislation is not perfect. There are still provisions I would have preferred to see handled differently there. There are sections I will continue to monitor closely, as will others, as they’re implemented.”
The Ohio Education Association said the bill is well-intentioned.
“Struggling students need to be caught up, but classroom teachers already know that,” said OEA President Jeff Wensing. “I still think we can continue to work together to do better for the students in public education across our state.”
Science of reading
The Ohio House Education Committee added a carveout that would excuse Ohio’s classical schools from having to teach the science of reading, which is based on decades of research that shows how the human brain learns to read and incorporates phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Ohio school districts were required to teach the science of reading curriculum starting with the 2024-25 school year after the law took effect in 2023 through the state’s two-year operating budget.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has said one of the most important things he has done is require Ohio schools to teach the science of reading curriculum.
Ohio has eight classical schools that follow the K-12 curriculum of Hillsdale College, a Christian liberal arts college in Michigan.
Some tenets of classical school curriculum include teaching Latin and a close reading of Western classics, among other things, according to Hillsdale College.
More than 40 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws or implemented new policies related to evidence-based instruction since 2013, according to Education Week.
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