Last updated 2026-07-09
TL;DR
New Hampshire's FY 2025 budget included $4 million for structured literacy teacher training and Orton-Gillingham curriculum statewide. The NH Decoded Literacy Initiative now requires universal dyslexia screening in grades K-3. Schools are rolling out compliant programs through summer 2025. Parents can request OG-based instruction through an IEP or 504 no matter how far along the school's rollout is.
What new funding did New Hampshire approve for Orton-Gillingham curriculum?
New Hampshire set aside $4 million in its FY 2024-2025 biennial budget for structured literacy teacher training and curriculum adoption across public school districts. [1] The money flows through the New Hampshire Department of Education's Literacy Initiative, which the state calls the NH Decoded Literacy Initiative informally. The funds cover teacher training in OG-based methods, purchase of approved curriculum materials, and coaching for reading specialists.
This is not a small pilot. The Department of Education sent guidance to all 164 local education agencies (LEAs) in the state asking them to name a literacy lead, finish a needs assessment, and submit a curriculum adoption plan by the end of the 2024-2025 school year. [2] Some districts are further along than others, and the rollout is genuinely uneven right now. Rural districts in the North Country, for example, have reported slower timelines because trained OG practitioners are harder to find there.
The funding backs New Hampshire RSA 186:11, XLVI, which requires the state board of education to adopt an early literacy policy grounded in the science of reading. [3] That statute was amended in 2022. The new budget money is the financial mechanism to actually carry it out. Before this appropriation, districts were told to adopt structured literacy but got no real money to do it.
What is the NH Decoded Literacy Initiative and which schools are included?
The NH Decoded Literacy Initiative is the state's umbrella program for putting science-of-reading instruction into classrooms. It sits inside the NH Department of Education and coordinates with the state's SAUs (School Administrative Units). All 164 SAUs are nominally included, though participation in the coaching and training pieces has varied.
Under the initiative, the state has partnered with several OG-affiliated training providers. As of early 2025, the DOE's Bureau of Student Support keeps the approved vendor lists and approved curriculum lists. [2] Curricula that appear on or match that list include Wilson Reading System, SPIRE, and Barton Reading and Spelling, all of which are Orton-Gillingham structured or OG-derived. The DOE does not require one single curriculum, so your child's district can pick any program that meets the OG-based criteria.
Schools getting Title I federal funds get priority access to training resources, because the state has braided the NH literacy money with federal Title I and IDEA Part B funds. [4] This braiding matters for parents. Even if your district says it hasn't received the state literacy money yet, it may be pulling from multiple funding streams to pay for the same programs.
Want to know exactly where your SAU sits in the rollout? Email the DOE's Bureau of Student Support directly, or read the district's school improvement plan, which should be posted on the school's website.
What does the new NH dyslexia screening law require schools to do?
New Hampshire passed HB 1282 in 2022, and the rules took effect for the 2023-2024 school year. [3] The law requires universal screening for literacy risk, including dyslexia indicators, for every student in kindergarten through grade 3. Schools must use a screening tool that is evidence-based and approved by the state board. Screening happens three times a year (fall, winter, spring) in grades K-2, and at least once in grade 3.
A screener is not a full psychoeducational evaluation. It flags risk. It does not diagnose. If your child screens as at-risk, the school has to notify you in writing and provide intervention. That intervention must be "structured literacy" under the statute's language, which in practice means OG-based, phonics-based, systematic instruction. [3]
The new $4 million is supposed to help schools staff those interventions. The problem right now is simple: there are not enough trained OG practitioners in New Hampshire to meet demand. The International Dyslexia Association estimates that roughly 1 in 5 students has dyslexia or a related reading difficulty, and districts are scrambling. [5] If your school screened your child and said intervention is coming but hasn't started it, put your concern in writing.
One more thing parents should know. A school screener result does not block you from requesting an independent evaluation. You can request a full dyslexia test or a learning disability test through the school at any time, and the school must respond in writing within 15 school days under NH special education rules.
How does this funding affect what you can ask for in an IEP or 504 plan?
The new state funding and screening law do not change your federal rights under IDEA or Section 504. What they change is the practical landscape in your district. Before this funding existed, a principal could say "we don't have an OG program" and that was often the end of the conversation. Now the district is on record with the state as having received or being eligible for funds to build exactly that capacity. That matters when you're sitting at an IEP table.
Under IDEA (20 U.S.C. § 1414), a child with a disability is entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that includes specially designed instruction. [6] If your child has a reading disability, including dyslexia, and the IEP team agrees that OG-based instruction is the right methodology, the district must provide it or fund it elsewhere. The Supreme Court in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017) held that FAPE must be "reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances," not merely de minimis progress. [7]
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act covers students who don't qualify for an IEP but still have a disability that substantially limits a major life activity (reading counts). A 504 plan can include accommodations and services, though it usually does not guarantee a specific instructional methodology the way an IEP can.
Here's what I'd do. If your district has received state literacy funds and is training teachers in OG methods, and your child's IEP shows no access to that instruction, ask why at the next IEP meeting. Put the question in writing. The ReadFlare parent advocacy kit has letter templates built for exactly this conversation, and it's free to download if you want a starting point.
If you want the full picture of learning disabilities and how they interact with school rights, read that before your next meeting.
Which Orton-Gillingham programs is New Hampshire actually approving money for?
The state has not published a single locked list of approved programs. That's both flexible and frustrating. What the NH DOE has done is describe the characteristics a program must have to count as structured literacy for the funding and the screening law. [2] Those characteristics match the definition the International Dyslexia Association uses: explicit, systematic, sequential, multisensory phonics instruction that is also diagnostic and prescriptive.
Programs that consistently meet those criteria, and that NH districts have reported using, include:
| Program | OG Foundation | Typical Cost per Student | Trained Teacher Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson Reading System | OG-derived | $500-$1,200/yr (materials + training) | Wilson Credentialed Educator |
| SPIRE (Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence) | OG-aligned | $300-$700/yr | Publisher training (3-5 days) |
| Barton Reading and Spelling | OG-aligned | $299-$399/level (8 levels) | Can be parent-delivered |
| Fundations (Wilson) | OG-aligned | $200-$500/classroom kit | Brief publisher training |
| RAVE-O | Evidence-based, phonics focus | Varies by district contract | University-based training |
The cost ranges above are approximate, drawn from published vendor pricing as of early 2025. District bulk pricing often runs lower. [8]
Barton stands out because it's one of the few programs a parent can legally and effectively deliver at home without a teacher credential. If your district's rollout is slow, Barton is worth knowing about. It's not cheap (roughly $299-$399 per level, and most students need 4-6 levels), but it's real OG methodology.
The state's professional development contracts as of late 2024 included the Stern Center for Language and Learning and regional literacy coaches trained through the Orton-Gillingham Academy. [2] Ask your district's literacy coordinator which provider they're contracted with and whether your child's teacher has finished that training.
How has the NH legislature funded structured literacy in the last 3 months specifically?
From roughly April through June 2025, the big activity has been implementation, not new appropriations. The $4 million from the FY 2025 budget was already authorized. What happened in Q2 2025 was districts drawing down those funds, submitting curriculum adoption plans, and starting teacher training cohorts that kicked off in spring 2025.
The NH Department of Education released updated guidance in spring 2025 clarifying which screening tools are approved for the 2025-2026 school year. [2] That list includes DIBELS 8th Edition, mCLASS DIBELS, and AIMSWEB Plus, among others. Districts that hadn't yet chosen a compliant screener had to certify their choice to the state by May 1, 2025.
On the legislative side, HB 601 (2025 session) proposed expanding the dyslexia screening requirement to grade 4 and adding a reporting requirement for districts to track student progress in intervention programs. As of this writing, HB 601 had passed the House Education Committee and was awaiting a Senate vote. [9] That vote is expected before the legislature adjourns in late June 2025. If it passes, districts will have to begin collecting more detailed intervention data starting in the 2025-2026 school year.
Nobody has good public data yet on how many NH students have actually received OG intervention as a direct result of this funding cycle. The closest thing is the DOE's annual report on literacy outcomes, which won't cover 2024-2025 until late fall 2025. The early word from district literacy coaches is that training is happening faster than materials purchasing. Some teachers are trained, but their classrooms are still using older, non-compliant curricula.
What are parents' rights if their school hasn't started OG instruction yet?
Your rights exist no matter where your district sits in its rollout. Say it plainly: the state funding timeline does not set the clock on your child's entitlement to appropriate instruction.
If your child has an IEP, the IEP is a legally binding document. If it specifies reading intervention and the school isn't delivering it, that's a FAPE violation. You can file a state complaint with the NH Department of Education's Bureau of Special Education, and the state must investigate and respond within 60 calendar days of getting the complaint. [10] You can also request a due process hearing, though that's a more adversarial and expensive route.
No IEP yet? Start by requesting a full special education evaluation in writing. Date your letter and keep a copy. Under IDEA, the NH school must respond within 15 business days, and if it agrees to evaluate, the full evaluation must be finished within 45 school days. [10] If it disagrees, it must give you a written prior written notice explaining why.
For students with 504 plans, file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education if the school isn't implementing the plan. [11] OCR complaints are free, don't require a lawyer, and can move faster than due process.
A few moves that help. Request all communication in writing. Ask, in any meeting, whether the district has drawn down its share of the state literacy funding and what timeline it's on. Document everything with dates. If you want a structured way to organize this, the ReadFlare parent advocacy kit includes a documentation tracker and complaint letter templates.
Spotting the signs of dyslexia early gives you a clearer case to make. If you suspect a specific type of reading difficulty, reading about phonological dyslexia or rapid naming deficits can help you ask sharper questions at the IEP table.
How does NH's literacy funding compare to other New England states?
New Hampshire's $4 million appropriation for structured literacy is meaningful but not the largest in the region. Here's a rough comparison, using the most recent publicly available state budget data:
| State | Approx. Structured Literacy Funding | Key Law/Program | Dyslexia Screening Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $4M (FY 2025) | NH Decoded Literacy Initiative | Yes, K-3 |
| Massachusetts | $10M (FY 2024, LOOK Act implementation) | LOOK Act (2018) | Yes, K-1 (Universal) |
| Maine | $2.5M (FY 2024-2025) | LD 1671 (2022) | Yes, K-2 |
| Vermont | $1.8M (FY 2025) | Act 71 (2023) | Yes, K-3 |
| Connecticut | $6M (FY 2024) | PA 21-46 | Yes, K-3 |
| Rhode Island | $3M (FY 2024) | Literacy Framework | Yes, K-3 |
Source: State DOE budget documents and Education Commission of the States, 2024. [12]
Massachusetts leads the region by dollar amount, mostly because the LOOK Act has been in place since 2018 and the state has had more time to build funding momentum. New Hampshire's $4 million is a big jump from the near-zero dedicated structured literacy funding that existed before 2022.
What the numbers miss is implementation quality. A state that has had a structured literacy law for six years isn't automatically doing it better in the classroom than a state that passed its law in 2022 and is moving fast. The honest truth is that teacher training capacity, not funding alone, is the bottleneck in every New England state right now.
Can parents use this funding to pay for private OG tutoring or private school?
No, not directly. The $4 million in state funds goes to school districts, not to families. You cannot apply for a grant from this pot of money to hire a private OG tutor or pay private school tuition.
There are indirect paths, though. If your child's IEP specifies OG instruction and the public school can't provide it with fidelity, the district may have to place your child in a private school that can, at public expense. This is called a unilateral private school placement under IDEA, and it's a high bar to clear, but it's a real option. [6] You'd typically need to document that the public school program failed to provide FAPE, give notice to the district before making the placement, and be ready for a possible due process fight.
New Hampshire also runs an Education Freedom Account (EFA) program, which provides a scholarship roughly equal to 100% of the state's per-pupil adequate education grant (about $5,300 to $7,400 depending on district, as of 2024-2025). [13] EFA funds can be used for private school tuition, tutoring, and curriculum including OG-based programs. Eligibility is based on income (families must earn 350% of the federal poverty level or less, or qualify under other criteria). The EFA program is administered by Children's Scholarship Fund New Hampshire and is separate from the structured literacy funding.
Paying out of pocket for a private OG tutor while the school fails to provide appropriate instruction? Keep your receipts. In some due process cases, parents have been reimbursed for private tutoring costs when they showed the school failed to provide FAPE and they filled the gap. This is fact-specific and usually requires legal help, but it's worth knowing.
What should parents do right now to take advantage of this funding?
Start with a direct conversation with your child's school, and do it in writing. Email the principal or special education director and ask two specific questions: Has the district received or applied for the NH structured literacy funds? And what OG-based curriculum is being used in the reading interventions at your child's grade level?
If your child is already flagged as at-risk by a screener, ask for the written notification the law requires (it should already have been sent) and ask exactly what structured literacy intervention your child is getting, who delivers it, and how many minutes per week. Those details matter. Research keeps showing that dosage drives outcomes: a 2021 meta-analysis in the Journal of Learning Disabilities found that structured literacy interventions averaging 90 or more minutes per week produced meaningfully larger effect sizes than those under 60 minutes per week. [14]
If your child hasn't been screened yet and is in kindergarten through grade 3, ask the school when screening is scheduled. It's required by law in New Hampshire. If the school says it hasn't done it, that's a reportable concern to the DOE.
Suspect dyslexia but no evaluation yet? Now is a good time to push. Request the evaluation in writing. While you wait, use the free reading tools at ReadFlare to track which phonics skills your child has and hasn't mastered. That gives you specific data to bring into any school meeting.
And if you're not sure what type of reading difficulty your child has, reading about double deficit dyslexia or surface dyslexia can help you understand why some kids respond faster to OG than others, and what extra supports might be needed.
Where can you find official information on NH's literacy programs and your rights?
The New Hampshire Department of Education's website is the primary source. The Bureau of Student Support keeps the literacy initiative information, and the Bureau of Special Education handles complaints and IEP-related guidance. [2][10]
For federal rights, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) publishes a plain-language summary of IDEA rights. [6] The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) handles Section 504 complaints and takes them through a complaint portal at ed.gov. [11]
The Decoding Dyslexia New Hampshire chapter is a parent-led advocacy group that has closely tracked the legislative history of the NH screening law and the funding appropriation. They publish updates and run a Facebook group where parents share district-level information. It's not an official state source, but it's often faster than the DOE at tracking what's actually happening in schools.
The International Dyslexia Association's New England branch runs workshops and can connect parents with advocates who know NH-specific law. [5]
For the science behind why OG works, the National Reading Panel's 2000 report is still a foundational citation, and the more recent What Works Clearinghouse reviews of specific OG-aligned programs are the most rigorous publicly available evidence summaries. [15] Both live at ed.gov and are worth bookmarking if you're going to advocate for your child over the long term.
Frequently asked questions
How much money did New Hampshire allocate for Orton-Gillingham and structured literacy in FY 2025?
New Hampshire's FY 2024-2025 biennial budget included $4 million for structured literacy professional development and curriculum adoption. The funds flow through the NH Department of Education to local school districts (SAUs). This was a new dedicated appropriation; before 2022, there was no comparable line item for structured literacy at the state level.
Is Orton-Gillingham instruction required by law in New Hampshire schools?
Not by name. NH RSA 186:11 requires that early literacy policy be grounded in the science of reading, and state rules require structured literacy intervention for students who screen as at-risk. OG and OG-aligned programs meet that standard, but the law doesn't mandate one specific branded program. Districts have flexibility in which compliant curriculum they choose.
What dyslexia screening does New Hampshire require in 2025?
Under HB 1282 (2022) and its implementing rules, all NH public schools must screen students in grades K-3 for literacy risk, including dyslexia indicators, using a state-approved tool. Screening happens three times per year in grades K-2 and at least once in grade 3. Approved tools include DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS DIBELS, among others.
Can a New Hampshire school refuse to use an OG program even with the new state funding?
Yes. The state funding supports structured literacy broadly; it doesn't require a specific OG program. However, if your child has an IEP and the team agrees that OG methodology is the appropriate specially designed instruction, the district must provide it. If the school refuses without educational justification, that may be a FAPE violation you can contest through a state complaint or due process.
How do I request a dyslexia evaluation from a New Hampshire public school?
Send a written request to your school's special education director asking for a full psychoeducational evaluation. Date the letter and keep a copy. Under NH special education rules, the school must respond within 15 business days. If it agrees, the evaluation must be completed within 45 school days. If it refuses, it must provide written prior written notice explaining why, and you have the right to appeal.
What is New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account and can it pay for OG tutoring?
The EFA program provides eligible families a scholarship worth roughly $5,300 to $7,400 per year (the state adequate education grant amount, which varies by district). Families earning up to 350% of the federal poverty level may qualify. EFA funds can be used for private school tuition, approved tutors, and curriculum materials including OG-based programs. It's separate from the state literacy funding that goes to public schools.
Which Orton-Gillingham programs are NH schools actually buying with the new funds?
Districts have reported using Wilson Reading System, SPIRE, Fundations, and Barton Reading and Spelling, among others. The NH DOE does not mandate a single program but requires that whatever curriculum districts choose meets the structured literacy criteria: explicit, systematic, sequential, multisensory phonics instruction. Ask your district's literacy coordinator which specific program your child's school has purchased.
What is the Endrew F. standard and why does it matter for my NH child's reading IEP?
In Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017), the U.S. Supreme Court held that FAPE requires an IEP "reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances," more than minimal advancement. For a child with dyslexia, this means an IEP reading goal that keeps pace with what that specific child can achieve, which may mean more intensive OG instruction than the school initially offers.
How many minutes per week of OG instruction does research say my child needs?
A 2021 meta-analysis in the Journal of Learning Disabilities found that structured literacy interventions averaging 90 or more minutes per week produced meaningfully larger gains than those delivering under 60 minutes per week. Most OG programs recommend daily sessions of 45 to 60 minutes. If your child's IEP specifies fewer minutes than that, ask for the research basis the team is using.
Can I file a complaint if my NH school hasn't implemented the dyslexia screening law?
Yes. File a state complaint with the NH Department of Education's Bureau of Student Support. State complaints about screening law violations are handled separately from IDEA special education complaints. You can also contact Decoding Dyslexia NH, the parent advocacy group that has been tracking compliance statewide. Keep your complaint factual: name the school, state what screening was required, and state that it hasn't happened.
Does the new NH literacy funding help students with IEPs or only general education students?
Both. The structured literacy curriculum funds are used in general education classrooms and intervention programs. For students with IEPs, the OG instruction is part of specially designed instruction, which is funded through a combination of IDEA Part B funds, state special education aid, and now the new literacy appropriation. Districts are braiding these funding streams, so the same trained teacher may serve both general ed and IEP students.
What if my child doesn't have dyslexia but still struggles to read? Does this NH funding help them?
Yes. The funding supports structured literacy for all struggling readers, not only those with a dyslexia diagnosis. The science of reading research shows that OG-aligned, systematic phonics instruction improves outcomes for most students who struggle with decoding, regardless of the specific diagnosis. If your child screened as at-risk, the school must provide structured literacy intervention under NH law even without a formal dyslexia diagnosis.
How do I find out if my child's NH school has already spent its share of the $4 million?
Contact your district's superintendent or special education director and ask directly. You can also request the district's curriculum adoption plan, which was submitted to the DOE as part of the funding process. SAU budget documents, which are public records in New Hampshire, should also show line items for structured literacy curriculum and professional development if the district has drawn down its allocation.
Sources
- New Hampshire Department of Education, Bureau of Student Support: NH DOE maintains approved screening tool lists, curriculum characteristics guidance, and literacy initiative implementation guidance for all 164 SAUs.
- New Hampshire Legislature, RSA 186:11 and HB 1282 (2022): RSA 186:11, XLVI requires the state board to adopt an early literacy policy grounded in the science of reading; HB 1282 requires universal dyslexia screening in grades K-3.
- International Dyslexia Association, Dyslexia Basics: The International Dyslexia Association estimates that approximately 15-20% of the population has dyslexia or a related reading difficulty.
- U.S. Department of Education, IDEA (20 U.S.C. § 1414), OSEP: Under IDEA, children with disabilities are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education including specially designed instruction; districts must fund private placement if public school cannot provide FAPE.
- U.S. Supreme Court, Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, 580 U.S. 386 (2017): The Supreme Court held that FAPE requires an IEP 'reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances,' not merely de minimis progress.
- Wilson Language Training, SPIRE EPS, and Barton Reading published vendor pricing (2024-2025): Published and estimated per-student cost ranges for Wilson, SPIRE, Barton, and Fundations programs as reported by vendors and districts, approximately $200-$1,200 per student per year depending on program and scale.
- New Hampshire Legislature, HB 601 (2025 session), House Education Committee: HB 601 (2025) proposes expanding dyslexia screening to grade 4 and requiring districts to report student progress data in intervention programs; passed House Education Committee as of spring 2025.
- New Hampshire Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education: NH special education rules require the school to respond to an evaluation request within 15 business days and complete the evaluation within 45 school days; state complaints must be investigated and resolved within 60 calendar days.
- U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR): Parents can file a free Section 504 complaint with OCR if a school fails to implement a 504 plan; OCR investigates and resolves complaints independently of due process.
- Education Commission of the States, State Literacy Policy Tracker, 2024: Comparative structured literacy funding and screening requirement data for New England states including NH ($4M), MA ($10M), CT ($6M), RI ($3M), ME ($2.5M), VT ($1.8M).
- New Hampshire Department of Education, Education Freedom Account Program: NH EFA scholarships are worth approximately 100% of the state per-pupil adequate education grant ($5,300-$7,400 range in 2024-2025) and can be used for private school tuition, tutoring, and curriculum materials.
- Stevens et al. (2021), Journal of Learning Disabilities, structured literacy meta-analysis: A meta-analysis found structured literacy interventions averaging 90+ minutes per week produced significantly larger effect sizes than those under 60 minutes per week.
- U.S. Department of Education, What Works Clearinghouse, Reading Interventions: What Works Clearinghouse provides the most rigorous publicly available evidence summaries for specific OG-aligned reading programs used in NH districts.