The Science of Reading for Educators

Literacy seems to be a universal bipartisan issue that everyone can agree is of utmost importance. In 1965 the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) was signed into law by President Lyndon B Johnson with the purpose “to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.” President Johnson believed this law to be a civil rights law at its heart. However, fourth grade reading proficiency data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that gaps continue to persist between our African American, 18% proficient, and Hispanic, 23% proficient, students when compared to their white peers, 45% proficient (NAEP 2019). Significant gaps are also found when comparing Students with Disabilities, 12% proficient, to their non-disabled peers, 39% proficient, and when comparing students of poverty, 21% proficient, to their more affluent peers, 51% proficient. The ESSA defines comprehe

Over the last twenty years, multiple states have recognized the importance and lasting impact of students being able to read on grade level by third grade and have taken measures to enact legislation to support this goal through various methods and means. Some states require grade level retention, while others require promotion with the provision of specific intervention supports (Weyer 2019). There are currently 16 states plus Washington D.C. that require retention while allowing for specific exemptions meeting criteria set by the state, and there are eight states that allow for retention but don’t require it. In response to this the North Carolina General Assembly established the Read to Achieve legislation in 2012 (RMS Research Corporation 2017). The original bill was sponsored by Phil Berger with the goal of all students able to read on grade level by the end of third grade and ending social promotion. This legislation mandated the use of early literacy screeners in grades K-3