North Carolina Strengthens Early Literacy Support for Young Readers

North Carolina
Quality

Governor Roy Cooper has signed the Excellent Public Schools Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 387) into law, prioritizing strong early literacy policy for all North Carolina students. One of the new law’s provisions is supporting training for teachers in the science of reading, with an emphasis on phonics, spelling and vocabulary. This proven, evidence-based and data-backed approach allows educators to tailor reading instruction based on an individual student’s unique needs.

The law also provides for more intensive, one-on-one interventions for students struggling to read in the early grades and ensures that parents are informed of their child’s progress along the way.  Notably, the new law requires that educator preparation programs align coursework to the Science of Reading to better prepare future teachers to teach reading.

Children who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out or fail to graduate from high school, according to a report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. For low-income black and Hispanic students, that likelihood doubles.

Similar measures were implemented in Mississippi in 2013. Six years later the state showed the largest learning gains by fourth grade readers in the nation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

“Early literacy is the foundation to a strong education.  This student-centered law will give North Carolina teachers the tools they need to successfully teach reading and support the state’s young learners.

“We are grateful for the strong leadership of Governor Roy Cooper, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Senators Deanna Ballard and Mike Lee who are true champions for students. Most of all, we appreciate the teachers and educators who are tirelessly working to ensure each student has the ability and skills needed to succeed in school and in life.”

Patricia Levesque, CEO of ExcelinEd

For more information on the importance of early literacy, visit the ExcelinEd policy library.

Solution Areas:

Early Literacy