Citing Low Reading Scores Among PA Students, Advocates Form Coalition To Improve Literacy

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By Dale Mezzacappa | Chalkbeat

File photo Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

A new statewide coalition aims to respond to alarming data showing that just 1 in 3 Pennsylvania students — and even fewer in Philadelphia — can read proficiently by fourth grade.

Eighty people from 20 organizations under the umbrella of the Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition met via Zoom Wednesday to push for state policies that will improve student outcomes in reading. These include $100 million to make sure that all districts have access to training in “evidence-based strategies,” including the science of reading, which represents the consensus on the best methods for literacy instruction like a focus on phonics and vocabulary-building.

The coalition is also calling for dedicated resources to support the early screening of struggling students.

The trend in reading outcomes also concerns advocates. Laura Boyce of Teach Plus, a group that’s in the new coalition, cited 2022 data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress showing a post-pandemic decline in Pennsylvania students’ reading proficiency, a downturn that occurred nationwide. New NAEP results are expected later this month.

“Given what we know about how early reading proficiency affects future life outcomes, that is something we are focusing on as we talk about the importance of improving literacy outcomes and how that connects to overall economic well being,” said Boyce, the executive director of Teach Plus’ Pennsylvania chapter.

Fourth grade is the target because research shows that is the crucial point when students should be moving from “learning to read” to “reading to learn,” she said.

The Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition plans to screen the film “The Right to Read” in Harrisburg on Jan. 28, followed by a discussion of the issue with lawmakers. It also plans to hold a day-long summit on March 26 to highlight the issue.

In Philadelphia, advocates, school officials, caregivers, and neighbors are taking a communal approach to improving reading scores. The school district has started a new English Language Arts curriculum focused on the science of reading. Advocates are hosting small neighborhood events featuring the “Alphabet Song” for younger children that’s linked with the Freedom Schools model. And Philly’s Reading Captains are taking the effort door-to-door to deliver books and resources to families on their block.

This is the time of year when budget jockeying begins in the state capital. Gov. Josh Shapiro is scheduled to give his annual budget address on Feb. 4.

“We’re waiting for the governor’s budget address, we’re all looking to hear what he will prioritize,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes, a Democrat and longtime advocate for additional education spending. “Hopefully this will be part of it. We’ll talk to his folks beforehand, this is fundamental to student success.”

Both Hughes and Boyce said that it is important to raise awareness of how Pennsylvania students lag behind other states in proficiency rates.

Democrat Rep. Peter Schweyer, the chair of the House Education Committee, said that he is prioritizing achieving the continuing effort to ensure fair and equitable school funding for all districts, rather than telling them what programs to adopt.

Two years ago, Commonwealth Court Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer ruled Pennsylvania’s school funding formula unconstitutional, citing wide spending gaps between wealthier and low-income districts. As a result, the state increased overall education spending by $1.1 billion and adopted a new funding formula.

“There’s no way to anticipate now what’s going to make it into the budget,” Shweyer said, noting that it won’t be finalized until June. “What I can say on the topic of literacy is that it is in the forefront of everybody’s mind.”

Rep. Bryan Cutler, the committee’s top Republican, said in a statement that, “It is clear to me that Pennsylvania is behind the times in teaching our kids how to read….I will support ideas that make sure we fund literacy efforts, but also make the necessary changes in how we support our students who are learning to read.”

Ralph Smith, the managing director of the advocacy group Read by Fourth, pointed out that recent research from North Carolina shows that there is a wide gap in reading readiness that persists through kindergarten between students from more affluent and low-income backgrounds.

“However you calculate it, low income kids start kindergarten behind better resourced kids, and during the kindergarten year they fall farther behind both developmentally and academically,” he said.

He said it is important to dedicate some resources to informing and training parents, in addition to investing more in schools and early childhood centers, to close the readiness gap before kindergarten starts.

Dale Mezzacappa is a senior writer for Chalkbeat Philadelphia, where she covers K-12 schools and early childhood education in Philadelphia. Contact Dale at dmezzacappa@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

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