SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond will host a Literacy Leadership Summit with educational and philanthropic partners to discuss delivering on California’s literacy and biliteracy promise, specifically his Five-Year Literacy Plan to ensure that every child is reading proficiently by third grade. The summit is scheduled for today, Tuesday, May 5, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the State Board Room of the California Department of Education, 1430 N St., Sacramento, CA 95814.
“Since 2019, California has committed more than $1.2 billion to literacy efforts, and those investments are paying off. This year’s data shows one of the most significant year-over-year increases in students meeting or exceeding English Language Arts standards in recent memory,” Thurmond said. “We are on a positive trajectory, but progress requires consistency. The next phase will require continued focus and partnership. Over the next five years, we are proposing a $1.5 billion investment to not only recover lost ground, but accelerate outcomes and ensure all students, especially the most vulnerable students, have access to high-quality literacy and biliteracy instruction.”
The summit will convene state leaders, legislators, educational partners and philanthropic partners to examine where California currently stands in student literacy achievement, where the state aims to be, and how a comprehensive literacy strategy can help close the opportunity gap. The discussion will focus on implementation, recognizing that California has a literacy strategy and must be prepared to fully deliver on it.
WHO: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, educational and philanthropic partners
WHEN: Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 1 p.m.
WHERE: State Board Room, California Department of Education, 1430 N St., Sacramento, CA 95814