The State of Early Literacy in New York
A Call to Action from the Education Trust-New York
Last week, the Education Trust-NY released their report "The State of Early Literacy in New York." This is an important examination of the literacy landscape in our state that deserves wide-spread attention. Please take a moment to read it.
Among the key findings:
1. "There is a glaring lack of leadership and guidance from state leaders, including the New York State Department of Education, Board of Regents, the Governor’s Office, and the Legislature, centered on early literacy, the science of reading, and the reading crisis facing our students."
2. "New York’s approach to local education control results in many school districts using non-evidence-based reading curriculum in grades K-5, many of which are proven to be ineffective in teaching students how to read."
When surveyed, only 36% of school districts in NYS responded by providing information about the reading curriculum used in their schools. Among those districts that did respond, 59% use either Units of Study or Fountas & Pinnell. We believe that the actual percentage of districts using these flawed curricula are much higher in WNY.
The EdTrust-NY noted: “Many New York districts use a combination of balanced and structured literacy programs, which can often be ineffective and confusing to students.”
3. "Parents overwhelmingly support an increased state and local focus on the science of reading, including policy changes, and want more transparency and support from schools to aid their young readers."
4. "Teachers are generally supportive of the science of reading and see the impact of poor reading skills on their students in elementary, middle, and high school."
5. "Students understand the link between reading and future success, and acknowledge that mental health concerns, being an English language learner, and lacking family support can make reading proficiency difficult for some students."
6. "Teacher preparation programs are a major obstacle to improved reading outcomeswith most new teachers not being trained in the science of reading or how to use evidence-based literacy instructional resources in the classroom."
7. "Experts across the state and nation believe that New York is in desperate need of an increased focus on evidence-based literacy instruction."
8. "Many district leaders would welcome more guidance from the state on how to implement the science of reading and evidence–based instruction in their schools."
Click HERE for the full report, and again, please share these important findings.
“LETRS Training for Administrators” - Day 1 Done!
The partners in the #WNYLiteracyInitiative are proud to sponsor LETRS Training for Administrators for 40 admin from public school districts & charter schools across Western NY.
Last Saturday was a great first day of training!
Thank you to Erie 1 BOCES for hosting our LETRS Training for Administrators, and to Lexia Learning for partnering with us to bring the reading science to Western New York.
Thank you, as well, to the 40 dedicated administrators for taking time over their weekend to understand how the brain learns to read, in order to support their teachers and students.
We see LETRS Training for Admin as a first step of many. Professional development must be matched with high-quality curriculum and coaching, to go beyond 'why' and get to the 'what' and 'how' needed for change. Professional learning is important - but done alone is unlikely to raise student outcomes.
We can't wait to see the next steps in the reading instruction and curriculum journeys of the 40 admin who participated in our LETRS Training for Admin!
To others in WNY who are interested in further PD in reading science, please reach out.
What We’re Reading
“Just Adding More Phonics Yields Only Short-Term Gains on Reading Tests” - By Natalie Wexler
Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!
A Discount Code to The Reading League Store: Save 20% off* your order using code ThankYou20. Shop and save on the Science of Reading: Defining Guide, The Writing Rope, Tim's Quiz, and more! Hurry, don't miss out on this 2-day sale! Offer valid May 2 & 3, 2023.
Thanks, as always, for reading!
Have a great week,
Tarja
