A strategy to read
ALBANY — The New York State Education Department announced an initiative that promises to improve literacy instruction across the state.
The New York State Action Plan: The Path Forward outlines a strategy to embed evidence-based practices into teacher preparation programs, ensuring that educators are equipped with the latest tools and knowledge in the science of reading.
The Action Plan is part of the state’s participation in The Hunt Institute’s The Path Forward initiative, which supports state efforts to integrate scientifically backed literacy instruction methods into schools. New York joins other states in the third cohort of the program, which focuses on enhancing teacher preparation curricula, certification requirements, and the use of culturally responsive teaching methods.
The Action Plan comes at a critical time as schools across the state face ongoing challenges in literacy education. These issues, exacerbated by the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, include an increasing number of students who struggle with reading, especially those who are English language learners.
“Schools across the state are facing unprecedented challenges in teaching literacy,” said State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa. “The Action Plan will help ensure that our teachers are prepared to reach all students in their care, particularly by integrating culturally responsive, evidence-based practices that align with the science of reading.”
The plan targets teacher preparation programs in key areas, including early childhood education, English to speakers of other languages (ESOL), literacy, childhood education, and special education. It focuses on six primary initiatives aimed at improving teacher readiness and the overall quality of literacy instruction in state schools. These initiatives include aligning educator preparation programs with the science of reading, and ensuring that teacher preparation curricula and certification processes are integrated with evidence-based practices. In addition, the plan proposes developing a system to regularly assess educator preparation programs (EPPs) to ensure ongoing alignment with best practices in literacy education.
The plan also emphasizes the need to secure funding from both public and philanthropic sources to support partnerships between EPPs and school districts. Furthermore, it encourages engaging EPP leadership and faculty to ensure full adoption of evidence-based teaching methods, promoting partnerships between EPPs and school districts to strengthen literacy instruction, and working with third-party research organizations to evaluate the progress of the initiatives and disseminate effective literacy instruction practices.
The development of the Action Plan was a collaborative effort that involved leaders from the state education department, the state legislature, the Governor’s Office, and numerous stakeholders from across the state. These groups included higher education institutions, teacher preparation programs, school districts, community advocates, and philanthropic organizations.
Among the supporters of the initiative are key educational leaders such as Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. of the New York State Board of Regents, who highlighted the foundational role of literacy in a student’s educational experience.
“The ability to read proficiently impacts a student’s entire educational journey and future success,” Young said. “This Action Plan represents a significant step forward in making sure New York’s students receive the literacy instruction they need to thrive.”
The Path Forward Steering Committee, composed of educational leaders from NYSED, SUNY, CUNY, and the New York City Public Schools, will oversee the implementation of the plan. They will continue to meet over the next two years to rollout of the initiatives outlined in the Action Plan.
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