Tom Greene is the National Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action. In this role, he manages the organization’s advocacy team and works with leaders and lawmakers from across the states to promote student-centered solutions.
If you keep an eye on education news, you know that the first national assessment of student reading skills since the pandemic showed a devastating loss of previous learning gains at all grade levels. The data, released this fall, confirmed what many of us were fearing yet expecting.
Declining reading skills are rightfully in the news because reading is the foundation for all learning. Studies show that if students aren’t reading at grade level before fourth grade, they risk never mastering the literacy skills needed to succeed in school and careers.
I am encouraged that the science of reading (SOR) is gaining attention nationwide. Policies aligned with the SOR will include three core objectives to help more students succeed: 1) teacher and educator training; 2) eliminating failed practices and curriculum; and 3) establishing early screening to provide support for our youngest students.
I’m also encouraged by the bipartisan support in a growing number of states for embracing the science of reading in legislation. Below are notable examples of this year’s progress, including how states are backing up policy improvements with wise investments in educators and students.
Alaska took bold action in 2022 by passing the Alaska Reads Act. This comprehensive legislation ensures teachers statewide are trained in evidence-backed reading practices and provides reading specialists to support their work in the classroom. It also provides an early screening tool to help teachers identify K-3 students with reading difficulties, while parents will receive tools to support reading at home.
On the opposite coast in Virginia, policymakers created the Virginia Early Literacy Act. Passed with unanimous legislative support, this comprehensive legislation requires training in the science of reading for teachers, ensures struggling readers are identified early and directs school boards to draft and implement literacy plans that include intervention services for struggling students.
In the Midwest, Missouri, lawmakers and educators agreed to support teachers with training and certification in phonics-based instruction, ending the use of outdated and ineffective curricula.
Across the nation this year, the number of states recognizing the critical need to improve early literacy is cause for optimism. Delaware lawmakers unanimously required districts to use curriculum that is grounded in the science of reading. Kentucky has done the same while also investing in professional development for teachers. Utah improved their policies and added a new program to provide books for students to use outside of school. In all, fifteen states improved their early literacy policies this year.
Yet as Governor Bush often reminds us, success is never final. States like Mississippi and Florida, which led the nation in reading gains over the past two decades, cannot rest on past progress. Every state must double down on early literacy with a focus on science-based practices and giving educators and parents the support they need to help every student succeed.
