State of the States 2024 Five Policy Actions to Strengthen Implementation of the Science of Reading

January 2024

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State of the States 2024 Five Policy Actions to Strengthen Implementation of the Science of Reading

For states to succeed in their efforts to improve reading instruction, they must ensure teachers are prepared to implement and sustain scientifically based reading instruction.

New data and analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that while many states seek to improve literacy outcomes for students, they overlook a key component to implementation and sustainability: effective teachers.

The report shows the extent to which states focus on 5 key policies actions:

  1. Set specific, detailed reading standards for teacher prep programs
  2. Review teacher prep programs to ensure they teach the science of reading
  3. Adopt a strong elementary reading licensure test
  4. Require districts to select a high-quality reading curriculum
  5. Provide professional learning for teachers and ongoing support to sustain the implementation of the science of reading

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