key legislative reading issues 2008 125 surveys returned 34 states represented

KEY LEGISLATIVE KEY LEGISLATIVE READING ISSUES 2008READING ISSUES 2008

125 SURVEYS RETURNED125 SURVEYS RETURNED

34 STATES REPRESENTED34 STATES REPRESENTED

QUANTITATIVE RESULTSQUANTITATIVE RESULTS

QUALIATATIVE RESULTSQUALIATATIVE RESULTS

PRIORITY RANKINGS BY ALL PRIORITY RANKINGS BY ALL RESPONSDENTSRESPONSDENTS

1. FEDERAL LEGISLATION (2)1. FEDERAL LEGISLATION (2)

2. STATE READING STANDARDS AND 2. STATE READING STANDARDS AND TESTS(1)TESTS(1)

3. SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS READING 3. SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS READING WELL BELOW THEIR GRADE WELL BELOW THEIR GRADE PLACEMENTS(4)PLACEMENTS(4)

4. INITIAL PREPARATION(8) 4. INITIAL PREPARATION(8)

5. READING NEEDS OF SPECIALIZED 5. READING NEEDS OF SPECIALIZED POPULATIONS(3)POPULATIONS(3)

6. READING CERTIFICATION/LICENSES(7)6. READING CERTIFICATION/LICENSES(7)

7. AVAILABILITY OF READING 7. AVAILABILITY OF READING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS(9)INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS(9)

8. SUFFICIENT FUNDING FOR CURRENT 8. SUFFICIENT FUNDING FOR CURRENT BOOKS AND OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND OTHER PRINT MATERIALS(10)MATERIALS(10)

9. STATE READING ISSUES (5)9. STATE READING ISSUES (5)

10. STATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS (5)10. STATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS (5)

PRESIDENTSPRESIDENTS

HIGHEST: HIGHEST:

STATE READING STANDARDS AND STATE READING STANDARDS AND TESTSTESTS

LOWEST: LOWEST:

STATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRSSTATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

VICE-PRESIDENTSVICE-PRESIDENTS

HIGHEST: HIGHEST:

READING NEEDS OF SPECIALIZED READING NEEDS OF SPECIALIZED POPULATIONSPOPULATIONS

LOWEST: LOWEST:

AVAILABILITY OF READING AVAILABILITY OF READING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALSINSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

IRA COORDINATORSIRA COORDINATORS

HIGHEST: HIGHEST:

READING NEEDS OF SPECIALIZED READING NEEDS OF SPECIALIZED POPULATIONSPOPULATIONS

LOWEST: LOWEST:


STATE LEGISLATIVE CHAIRSSTATE LEGISLATIVE CHAIRS

HIGHEST: HIGHEST:

FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND INTIAL FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND INTIAL PREPARATIONPREPARATION

LOWEST: LOWEST:


OTHERSOTHERS

HIGHEST: HIGHEST:

FEDERAL LEGISLATIONFEDERAL LEGISLATION

LOWEST: LOWEST:

STATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRSSTATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

TEACHERSTEACHERS

HIGHEST: HIGHEST:

FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND STATE FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND STATE READING STANDARDS AND TESTSREADING STANDARDS AND TESTS

LOWEST: LOWEST:

STATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRSSTATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORSSCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

HIGHEST: HIGHEST: FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND SUPPORT FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND SUPPORT

FOR STUDENTS READING WELL FOR STUDENTS READING WELL BELOW THEIR GRADE PLACEMENTSBELOW THEIR GRADE PLACEMENTS

LOWEST: LOWEST: AVAILABILITY OF READING AVAILABILITY OF READING

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND READING CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSESREADING CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSES

COLLEGE PROFESSORSCOLLEGE PROFESSORS

HIGHEST: HIGHEST:

FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND INTIAL FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND INTIAL PREPARATIONPREPARATION

LOWEST: LOWEST:

STATE READING ISSUESSTATE READING ISSUES

OTHERSOTHERS

HIGHEST: HIGHEST:

FEDERAL LEGISLATIONFEDERAL LEGISLATION

LOWEST: LOWEST:

STATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRSSTATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

QUALITATIVE RESULTSQUALITATIVE RESULTS

Availability of Reading Instructional Availability of Reading Instructional Materials: Materials:

Middle and high schools receive lower Middle and high schools receive lower reading funding than elementary reading funding than elementary schools. Supplementary materials for a schools. Supplementary materials for a wide range of reading levels are wide range of reading levels are needed. Excellent and appropriate needed. Excellent and appropriate materials are available, but funding is materials are available, but funding is low for some school districts and a low low for some school districts and a low priority for states.priority for states.

Federal Legislation:Federal Legislation:

AYP has unrealistic expectations. AYP has unrealistic expectations. NCLB needs serious attention, NCLB needs serious attention, including accommodations needed including accommodations needed for sub groups. Funding is for sub groups. Funding is inadequate for programs.inadequate for programs.

Initial Preparation: Initial Preparation:

Teachers need core courses in Teachers need core courses in reading. Schools should provide reading. Schools should provide ongoing professional development ongoing professional development and mentoring. Reading mentors and mentoring. Reading mentors and reading coaches are needed. and reading coaches are needed. College teacher preparation College teacher preparation programs need to have courses programs need to have courses devoted to content reading skills.devoted to content reading skills.

Reading Certification/Licenses: Reading Certification/Licenses:

Many teachers are in literacy Many teachers are in literacy positions without reading licensure. positions without reading licensure. These positions include reading These positions include reading coaches, reading specialists, and coaches, reading specialists, and literacy coaches. More reading literacy coaches. More reading courses should be required.courses should be required.

Reading Needs of Specialized Reading Needs of Specialized Populations: Populations:

ELL teachers need better training in ELL teachers need better training in how to help SPED students in how to help SPED students in reading. More support is needed for reading. More support is needed for struggling readers. Teachers need struggling readers. Teachers need more support and training.more support and training.

State Governmental Affairs:State Governmental Affairs:

State associations need to recruit and train State associations need to recruit and train good governmental relations committee good governmental relations committee members. Many states are having success members. Many states are having success in working with state departments of in working with state departments of education and state legislatures, while education and state legislatures, while others are finding it difficult to work with others are finding it difficult to work with departments of education and state departments of education and state governments. governments.

State Reading Issues:State Reading Issues:

State governmental relations State governmental relations committees and state reading committees and state reading associations have made state associations have made state legislatures more aware of reading legislatures more aware of reading issues. More attention should be issues. More attention should be given to state issues by state reading given to state issues by state reading associations.associations.

State Reading Standards and State Reading Standards and Tests: Tests:

There is too much emphasis onThere is too much emphasis on state state tests and state standards. English tests and state standards. English and reading standards should be and reading standards should be separated when tested. separated when tested.

Sufficient Funding for Current Sufficient Funding for Current Books and Other Print Materials: Books and Other Print Materials:

Schools need fully supported school Schools need fully supported school libraries. Funding is needed for libraries. Funding is needed for professional school librarians and professional school librarians and books and other printed materials for books and other printed materials for school libraries. school libraries.

Support for Students Reading Well Support for Students Reading Well Below Their Grade Placement: Below Their Grade Placement:

There is a need for enforcement of There is a need for enforcement of qualified teachers in helping qualified teachers in helping struggling readers. More early, struggling readers. More early, middle, and high school reading middle, and high school reading intervention is needed. More time is intervention is needed. More time is needed for supporting struggling needed for supporting struggling readers.readers.

Other Issues: Other Issues:

These include funding, teacher These include funding, teacher training for reading, RTI, role of training for reading, RTI, role of literacy specialists and qualifications literacy specialists and qualifications in reading, achievement gap in urban in reading, achievement gap in urban districts, high school graduation districts, high school graduation rates, and reading and technology. rates, and reading and technology.

MOST IMPORTANT STATE ISSUESMOST IMPORTANT STATE ISSUES

FUNDINGFUNDING

STATE TESTINGSTATE TESTING

READING COURSES FOR TEACHER READING COURSES FOR TEACHER CANDIDATESCANDIDATES

READING CERIFICATIONREADING CERIFICATION

NCLBNCLB

MOST IMPRTANT REGIONAL MOST IMPRTANT REGIONAL ISSUESISSUES

EASTEAST

Certification/licensesCertification/licenses

FundingFunding

State testsState tests

Federal legislationFederal legislation

Great LakesGreat Lakes

FundingFunding



Special populationsSpecial populations


RTIRTI

Plains Plains

EllEll

FundingFunding

Staff developmentStaff development


Rocky MountainRocky Mountain


FundingFunding


RTIRTI

SoutheastSoutheast

FundingFunding




SouthwestSouthwest

Adolescent literacyAdolescent literacy


FundingFunding


Special populationsSpecial populations


WestWest

FundingFunding




How IRA Can HelpHow IRA Can Help

Promote the need for certified/licensed reading teachers, Promote the need for certified/licensed reading teachers, reading coaches, and reading specialists.reading coaches, and reading specialists.

Continue reporting best practices and research.Continue reporting best practices and research.

Keep working at the federal level.Keep working at the federal level.

Provide training on how to work with legislatures and state Provide training on how to work with legislatures and state departments of education.departments of education.

Highlight current issues in Reading Today and other IRA Highlight current issues in Reading Today and other IRA journals.journals.

Send news releases to major newspapers.Send news releases to major newspapers.

Develop a policy statement or position paper on RTI. Develop a policy statement or position paper on RTI.

FOCUS ON READING FOCUS ON READING LEGISLATIONLEGISLATION

Federal LegislationFederal Legislation

Seek changes in NCLB to provide Seek changes in NCLB to provide

realistic expectations and increased realistic expectations and increased funding.funding.

Support efforts to provide funding for Support efforts to provide funding for middle and high school reading. middle and high school reading.

Initial PreparationInitial Preparation

Support efforts to require colleges Support efforts to require colleges and universities to provide more and universities to provide more reading courses.reading courses.

Encourage schools to provide reading Encourage schools to provide reading mentors and reading coaches.mentors and reading coaches.

Reading Needs of Specialized Reading Needs of Specialized PopulationsPopulations

Support efforts to provide qualified Support efforts to provide qualified teachers for struggling readers. teachers for struggling readers.

Support efforts to provide better Support efforts to provide better reading backgrounds for ELL and SPED reading backgrounds for ELL and SPED teachersteachers

State Reading Standards and TestsState Reading Standards and Tests

Support efforts to have less emphasis Support efforts to have less emphasis on state standards and tests.on state standards and tests.

Support efforts to separate state Support efforts to separate state English and reading standards and English and reading standards and test results. test results.

Support for Students Reading Well Support for Students Reading Well Below Their Grade PlacementsBelow Their Grade Placements

Support efforts to provide more Support efforts to provide more

reading intervention help for middle reading intervention help for middle and high school struggling readers and high school struggling readers by highly qualified reading teachers. by highly qualified reading teachers.

In the other five areas, legislation In the other five areas, legislation should focus on the following:should focus on the following:

Funding for reading materials, especially Funding for reading materials, especially supplementary materials;supplementary materials;

Awareness of reading certification/licensing in Awareness of reading certification/licensing in other states and replicating appropriate programs;other states and replicating appropriate programs;

Increased and equitable funding for reading Increased and equitable funding for reading programs;programs;

Reasonable interpretation of federal initiatives; Reasonable interpretation of federal initiatives; andand

Fully supported school libraries.Fully supported school libraries.

key legislative reading issues 2008 125 surveys returned 34 states represented

Documents

state reading issues

state reading standards

reading courses

reading coaches

reading certificationlicenses7

aware of reading issues

state issues

lower reading funding