Commission recommends annual investment of $15 million to continue work launched in 2020
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Early Literacy Commission submitted an
addendum to the
January 2020 report commissioned by the Louisiana Legislature. The report addresses the state of primary grade reading in Louisiana, seeking to evaluate how reading is taught to young children and how such teaching might be improved. In the addendum, the Commission strongly reaffirms its January 2020 goals and its recommendation of $15 million of annual state investment in early literacy.
Since the Commission’s initial report, the Department utilized $2 million of state funding to develop a K-2 Literacy Coaching Model. This pilot is being used this school year to define a scope of training; develop metrics for program implementation; and develop standard protocols for data analysis, coaching schedules, observations and feedback, professional learning and program evaluation.
The Commission is seeking an annual investment of $15 million to continue the work launched this school year. This investment will substantially increase the number of literacy coaches for the 2021-2022 school year with a long-term goal of having a school-level literacy coach in every CIR and UIR school to support K-2 reading teachers by 2024-2025.
This investment will also support the design of a K-2 accountability system that drives literacy achievement for those children and bridges the gap between the early childhood education and 3-12 accountability system currently in place. This goal is to pilot, refine and scale K-2 accountability to reach full implementation by no later than 2022-2023, with ratings with stakes attached no later than fall 2023.
"We have made progress in early literacy as a result of the initial appropriation of $2 million during the 2020 legislative session," said State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley. "While this is a great start, we must do more to provide the support and resources needed to ensure every Louisiana child becomes a proficient reader."
In order to ensure all Louisiana students are proficient readers by the end of third grade, the Commission reaffirms the following goals:
- Every teacher uses a high-quality curriculum to teach students the foundations of reading and language and literacy.
- Every student who struggles to read receives timely research-based literacy interventions.
- Every school has a culture in which all teachers are responsible for and equipped to deliver effective literacy instruction.
- Every school leader maximizes the use of time and personnel through scheduling and collaborative planning.
- Every teacher effectively uses evidence-based practices to meet the literacy needs of all students.
- Every educator preparation program emphasizes evidence-based literacy practices.
- Every school system implements a comprehensive literacy assessment plan that includes valid and reliable assessment tools used for different purposes at different times during the school year.
- Every teacher uses literacy assessment data to monitor students' progress and inform instruction.
- Every school community expands opportunities for parents and families to be engaged in their children's literacy development.
The report addendum was submitted to the Louisiana Governor, the House and Senate Education Committees, Board of Regents, Children's Cabinet and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
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