MISSION
- To raise awareness about struggling readers and dyslexia;
- To empower parents, educators and students to support struggling readers and students with dyslexia;
- To inform policy-makers on best practices to support struggling readers and students with dyslexia.
Policy Goals 2019 Legislative Session
Guiding Principles 2019-2020
Local District Focus
IN-SERVICE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING for Educators
Educators often lament that their pre-service teacher preparation coursework did not prepare them to teach reading to all students, including those with dyslexia. Typically local school districts are left to find and fund professional learning on the science of reading and even then they have only so much funding they can allocate to reading preparation. Ongoing discussion by the Kirwan Commission reveals that education is underfunded by billions of dollars -- the funding formula for education has not changed in decades. It's time to address disparities in funding, including support for educator development and pay and to hold higher education preparation accountable for a lack of educator knowledge and practice in the science of reading.
BEST PRACTICES FOR READING INSTRUCTION
All districts must have dyslexia intervention programs that are evidence-based and address dyslexia for both general and special education populations. Instruction and interventions must be explicit, systematic, and cumulative and be designed to promote understanding, memory, recall, and use of spoken and written language. Instruction must also include components that focus on phonological skills, phonics and word analysis, spelling, word recognition and oral reading fluency, grammar and syntax, text comprehension, writing, and study skills. Structured Literacy defined
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY & ACCOMMODATIONS
Ensure access to appropriate accommodations including “assistive technologies” in the public school setting to SUPPORT students with dyslexia. See recommendations Dyslexia Task Force Report & Recommendations 2016
Accomplishments
EDUCATOR READING CERTIFICATION REQUIRED
On July 19th, 2019, Maryland will require a separate reading test for initial certification of Early Childhood, Elementary Education, ESOL, and Special Education Teachers (birth-grade 3, grades 1-8, and grades 6-12). Decoding Dyslexia Maryland and coalition partners Right to Read Maryland, advocated for the foundational reading assessment in Annapolis. It was one of the 7 recommendations of the Dyslexia Task Force and was shepherded through the legislative and regulatory process by Barbara Donick with Right to Read Maryland. The groups' tireless efforts to institute a reading certification for teachers who work with young children ended with the certification exam passing the State BOE unanimously.
About Teaching Reading: Elementary Education, 5205 (ETS)
The Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary Education test focuses on the knowledge and skills a teacher must have to support reading development at
the elementary level. It reflects the five essential components of effective reading instruction as identified by the National Reading Panel and included in ESSA, Sec. 2221, U.S.C. 20: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, along with other foundational reading skills students must develop, such as word recognition and the application of print concepts.
In addition, the test assesses the individual’s knowledge of how to support developing literacy as an integrated skill, starting with oral language development and building to include developing writing skills in parallel with reading development. Test questions call on the individual’s knowledge of research-based reading practices as well as the ability to apply knowledge and principles to instructional situations. The test taker will be required to analyze and respond to situations involving both classes and individual students at the grade levels from kindergarten through grade six, including students with diverse needs.
The Maryland State Board of Education voted unanimously to support this requirement on December 4, 2018. The requirement will take effect on July 19, 2019.
Expected Outcomes: Requiring reading certification should have a domino effect on teacher preparation institutions. The coursework and certification assessment should also align with the revised Reading Course Work Standards developed by a working group of educators and higher education representatives. Students in classrooms with new teachers or teachers new to Maryland will have the benefit of an educator with the knowledge and practice to teach phonemic awareness and phonics skills to all students. New teachers will also have the benefit of a one year practicum and supervised mentoring/coaches to help ease their transition.
DEFINE DYSLEXIA
In Maryland, there is not a statutory definition of dyslexia; however, the Technical Assistance Bulletin on SLD: Focus on Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia, 2016/MSDE defines dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia and provides indicators of struggle for each along with evidence based interventions and accommodations.
- The Ready to Read Act of 2019 requires universal reading screening each year for students in PK, K and 1st grade. Research has identified which pre-reading skills are predictive of later reading outcome. Screening and early interventions will lead to a reading support model that has been shown to reduce the number of students who are identified for later for special education.
- We support the Kirwan Commission’s intent to invest in education by offering full day pre-kindergarten, providing support to students who need it most, creating a world class instructional system, investing in teachers and school leaders, ensuring excellence through accountability and oversight measures, and fully funding public education.
Guiding Principles 2019-2020
- We support public education and public school educators.
- We support local school systems that provide students the opportunity to meet grade level reading standards. We support the delivery of explicit and systematic reading instruction that includes phonemic awareness, phonic decoding, vocabulary, language structure, reading fluency and comprehension (Section 2221, ESSA, 2015). Race, ethnicity, dialect, disability, poverty, zip code and other potentially limiting social, linguistic, environmental or cultural factors should not determine if a child receives equitable instruction.
- We support access to evidence-based structured literacy interventions for students with dyslexia. Effective instruction and interventions must be supported by administrators and provided by educators with the knowledge & practice to prevent reading difficulties and “accelerate student learning to close reading gaps” MD Dyslexia Technical Assistance Bulletin.
- We support Maryland Institutes of Higher Education (IHE) that provide teacher candidates with the knowledge and practice to teach all students to read. Poverty, English language status, disability status and race are not an excuse for poor reading outcomes. IHE’s must be transparent about their performance and disclose results of the Foundational Reading Praxis.
Local District Focus
IN-SERVICE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING for Educators
Educators often lament that their pre-service teacher preparation coursework did not prepare them to teach reading to all students, including those with dyslexia. Typically local school districts are left to find and fund professional learning on the science of reading and even then they have only so much funding they can allocate to reading preparation. Ongoing discussion by the Kirwan Commission reveals that education is underfunded by billions of dollars -- the funding formula for education has not changed in decades. It's time to address disparities in funding, including support for educator development and pay and to hold higher education preparation accountable for a lack of educator knowledge and practice in the science of reading.
- Teachers Criticize Their Colleges of Ed. for Not Preparing Them to Teach Reading, Madeline Will, 10.24.18, EdWeek
- Why are We Still Teaching Reading the Wrong Way?, Emily Hanford, New York Times, 10.26.18
- What to Do if Your Child’s School Isn’t Teaching Reading Right, Emily Hanford, APM Reports, 10.8.17
BEST PRACTICES FOR READING INSTRUCTION
All districts must have dyslexia intervention programs that are evidence-based and address dyslexia for both general and special education populations. Instruction and interventions must be explicit, systematic, and cumulative and be designed to promote understanding, memory, recall, and use of spoken and written language. Instruction must also include components that focus on phonological skills, phonics and word analysis, spelling, word recognition and oral reading fluency, grammar and syntax, text comprehension, writing, and study skills. Structured Literacy defined
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY & ACCOMMODATIONS
Ensure access to appropriate accommodations including “assistive technologies” in the public school setting to SUPPORT students with dyslexia. See recommendations Dyslexia Task Force Report & Recommendations 2016
Accomplishments
EDUCATOR READING CERTIFICATION REQUIRED
On July 19th, 2019, Maryland will require a separate reading test for initial certification of Early Childhood, Elementary Education, ESOL, and Special Education Teachers (birth-grade 3, grades 1-8, and grades 6-12). Decoding Dyslexia Maryland and coalition partners Right to Read Maryland, advocated for the foundational reading assessment in Annapolis. It was one of the 7 recommendations of the Dyslexia Task Force and was shepherded through the legislative and regulatory process by Barbara Donick with Right to Read Maryland. The groups' tireless efforts to institute a reading certification for teachers who work with young children ended with the certification exam passing the State BOE unanimously.
About Teaching Reading: Elementary Education, 5205 (ETS)
The Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary Education test focuses on the knowledge and skills a teacher must have to support reading development at
the elementary level. It reflects the five essential components of effective reading instruction as identified by the National Reading Panel and included in ESSA, Sec. 2221, U.S.C. 20: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, along with other foundational reading skills students must develop, such as word recognition and the application of print concepts.
In addition, the test assesses the individual’s knowledge of how to support developing literacy as an integrated skill, starting with oral language development and building to include developing writing skills in parallel with reading development. Test questions call on the individual’s knowledge of research-based reading practices as well as the ability to apply knowledge and principles to instructional situations. The test taker will be required to analyze and respond to situations involving both classes and individual students at the grade levels from kindergarten through grade six, including students with diverse needs.
The Maryland State Board of Education voted unanimously to support this requirement on December 4, 2018. The requirement will take effect on July 19, 2019.
Expected Outcomes: Requiring reading certification should have a domino effect on teacher preparation institutions. The coursework and certification assessment should also align with the revised Reading Course Work Standards developed by a working group of educators and higher education representatives. Students in classrooms with new teachers or teachers new to Maryland will have the benefit of an educator with the knowledge and practice to teach phonemic awareness and phonics skills to all students. New teachers will also have the benefit of a one year practicum and supervised mentoring/coaches to help ease their transition.
DEFINE DYSLEXIA
In Maryland, there is not a statutory definition of dyslexia; however, the Technical Assistance Bulletin on SLD: Focus on Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia, 2016/MSDE defines dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia and provides indicators of struggle for each along with evidence based interventions and accommodations.
- Dyslexia Technical Assistance Bulletin for a definition: Dyslexia TAB
- Dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia "drop-down" menu on the e-IEP form
- Dyslexia Task Force Report & Recommendations 2016