Jennifer Livingstone
When observing an elementary reading session, you can witness children learning the long U sound, expanding their vocabulary, and honing their oral reading skills with natural cadence.
In the upcoming academic year at Kansas City Public Schools, the goal is to ensure uniform learning experiences across grade levels.
Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) are actively working to standardize reading programs and ground them in research-backed best practices for effective student learning.
Across Missouri, schools are retraining numerous educators, overhauling outdated reading curricula, and pinpointing students who require additional reading support.
Missouri joins a growing number of states investing resources and implementing laws to enhance literacy skills among students.
Research, commonly referred to as the “science of reading,” indicates more effective teaching methods. However, these insights were not always integrated into practice.
Connie Moore, KCPS Director of Elementary Curriculum, noted the lack of foundational reading knowledge among new teachers entering the profession.
Evidence-based teacher training aims to support teachers, both novice and seasoned, in addressing reading deficiencies and specific learning needs, ultimately striving to bring students up to grade-level reading proficiency.
Recently enacted Missouri legislation mandates that all elementary public school students receive reading instruction deemed “highly likely to be effective.”
This requirement necessitates techniques proven effective through extensive student outcome research and includes the five key aspects of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Prior to this shift, advocates of the science of reading highlight the insufficiency of phonics instruction, emphasizing the significance of explicit teaching on sound-letter relationships for word decoding.
Past instructional methods that encouraged guessing words through visuals and context are now viewed as counterproductive, paving the way for a more structured approach in all five reading components.
Megan Mitchell, K-5 English Language Arts Curriculum Coordinator at KCPS, underscored the need for systematic instruction covering all reading components for students.
Teachers must be equipped to address students requiring extra assistance by identifying the root cause of reading errors and applying targeted interventions.
The legislative changes aim to drive schools towards proven instructional strategies.
The alterations encompass educational guidelines for new teachers and grant the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education authority to recommend curricula, offer enhanced teacher training, and closely monitor students’ reading proficiency.
Students displaying low reading scores are to receive intensive support to bolster their literacy skills.
However, transitioning new educational laws into practice proves challenging amidst the existing workload constraints, notes Torree Pederson, President and CEO of Aligned, a nonprofit advocating for educational reforms.
While the state lacks the jurisdiction to dictate curricula or teacher training, it is directing districts towards a specified trajectory.
With $25 million state funds and an additional $35 million in federal relief aid, the state education department finances specialized intensive reading training for at least 15,000 teachers.
The Literacy Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training, emphasizing the science of reading and the stipulated reading components, spans approximately 168 hours over a minimum of two years.
Furthermore, grants are available to substitute outdated curricula with evidence-based materials. Schools ineligible for grants can refer to the state’s list of recommended resources as a guide.
Under the existing state program, around 11,000 teachers have initiated the LETRS training. Heather Knight, the state’s literacy coordinator, cited a surge in training participants through state and local initiatives since 2021.
Initially aimed at K-3 and preschool educators, the training now extends to fourth and fifth-grade teachers as well.
Participation spans over 480 out of approximately 550 school districts and charter schools in Missouri, though the pace of adoption varies even among districts appreciating the LETRS training.
KCPS mandates the training for early elementary teachers and reading specialists to comply with evidence-based instructional requirements, reflecting a high adoption rate among the targeted groups, noted Moore.
In contrast, North Kansas City Public Schools adopted a more gradual approach, with instructional coordinator Lisa Friesen indicating that the training is recommended but not obligatory for most teachers, with only about a third of elementary teachers engaging in the program.
Key insights from the LETRS program have already influenced the district’s internally developed and regularly updated reading curriculum.
Mitchell, the Curriculum Coordinator at KCPS, recalled noticing the emergence of research on the science of reading approximately four years ago.
While initially encountered through job-related research, Mitchell also gleaned insights from a science of reading Facebook group and the American Public Media podcast “Sold a Story,” which has helped shape public opinion and raise awareness on reading research.
Despite the existing extensive research on reading, recent momentum favors evidence-based teaching practices. However, Missouri represents just one among various states embracing this change.
The impact of a 2013 law in Mississippi, garnering acclaim for significant reading score improvements statewide, underscores the effectiveness of evidence-based teaching methods. Several Deep South states, including Alabama and Louisiana, have witnessed notable reading proficiency enhancements. Similarly, Florida, a pioneer in reading legislation since 2002, boasts remarkable reading scores.
Education Week reported in January 2024 that 37 states and the District of Columbia passed reading legislation within the last decade, with 17 enacted in 2023 alone, indicating a broad shift towards prioritizing reading initiatives.
An early 2024 policy analysis by ExcelInEd revealed a significant uptake of reading policies across states, with Missouri aligning well with the recommended benchmarks.
Noteworthy is Kansas’ recent implementation of literacy legislation under Gov. Laura Kelly’s authorization, further exemplifying the widespread recognition of the importance of reading proficiency initiatives.
Companies specializing in educational resources are adapting to the evolving landscape.
Learning A-Z anticipated the demand for science of reading-based materials, prompting the development of the comprehensive curriculum Foundations A-Z in alignment with Missouri’s suggested resources.
Increased emphasis on phonics instruction and the inclusion of decodable books, focusing on practiced spelling patterns and words, have replaced outdated strategies like “cueing” in Learning A-Z’s curriculum, noted President Aaron Ingold.
Moore acknowledged that the dissemination of reading research sometimes lags but expressed optimism regarding the sustained impact of the science of reading, buoyed by curriculum providers and heightened expectations for classroom improvements.
This article was originally published on Beacon: Missouri and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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