Kymyona Burk, Ed.D., is a Senior Policy Fellow at ExcelinEd.
Texas has made a bold commitment to improving literacy instruction and student outcomes. The Texas Education Agency touts House Bill 3 (HB3), signed by Governor Greg Abbott, as “one of the most transformative Texas education bills in recent history.” In addition to providing funding for increased teacher salaries and requiring high-quality, full-day Pre-Kindergarten for eligible 4-year-olds, HB3 includes a strategic approach to ensuring that teacher-candidates and current teachers alike are trained in the science of reading in a statewide effort to strengthen literacy instruction and improve student outcomes.
A recent report released by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), A Nation of Readers, revealed four (4) concrete actions that state chiefs can take to implement a strategic approach to improving literacy outcomes in their respective states. In addition to providing guidance and expectations for curriculum, assessment, and professional learning within the K-12 space, one of the recommended actions calls for state chiefs to “engage college and university partners to support the state reading strategy.” Effective January 1, 2021, Texas now requires teacher candidates who desire to teach students in one of five certification fields to “demonstrate proficiency in the science of teaching reading” on the new, Science of Teaching Reading (STR) Exam. This is a critical step in closing the teacher preparation gap between what new teachers know and will be able to do on the first day of school. In addition, to build the capacity of current teachers to teach reading effectively and systematically, the law requires current teachers and principals to complete the HB3 Reading Academies.
Many states across the country are beginning to develop pass, strengthen, and/or implement early literacy policy, and ExcelinEd’s Fundamental Principles of a K-3 Comprehensive Early Literacy Policy serve as a guide with strategies for adopting and implementing a comprehensive approach to improve reading outcomes. This comprehensive approach is inclusive of EPPs.
A key finding of the National Council on Teacher Quality’s (NCTQ) 2020 Teacher Prep Review is that “the number of elementary programs teaching scientifically-based reading instruction to their aspiring teachers continues to increase…Over 50 percent of traditional programs earn an A or a B, compared to only 35 percent in 2013.” Some EPPs have revamped their programs to align with the science of reading on their own, while others have been included in literacy legislation to do so.
One thing is certain, students learn what teachers know and teach. Closing the teacher preparation gap brings us one step closer to closing the literacy gap.
Emily Hanford, senior correspondent for APM Reports, sent shockwaves across the United States and around the globe when her 2018 podcast episode and article, Hard Words, brought mainstream media attention to the importance of teacher knowledge about the science of reading. At EdPalooza Emily tells the story of how she became interested in early reading instruction, discusses key insights from the scientific research and shares what she has learned from educators across the country.
