Governor Hochul Announces "Back To Basics" Reading Initiative

[TTL News 317]

This week Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled her Back to Basics plan to improve reading proficiency in New York as a part of her 2024 State of the State.

To transition New York to reading instruction that teaches students the foundational skills they need to become proficient readers, Governor Hochul will introduce legislation that ensures evidence-based best practices are used throughout New York. 

“Reading is the foundation of our education system, but New York State is currently not meeting basic reading proficiency levels,” Governor Hochul said. “We cannot continue to allow our kids to fall further behind by utilizing outdated and discredited approaches to reading comprehension. Our Back to Basics initiative will reset how schools approach reading, returning to scientifically proven techniques. Along with investments in teacher training programs, we are tackling this issue head on to make sure our teachers and kids are set up for success.”

The ability to read by third grade is an important indicator of a student’s future success. Students who do not achieve proficiency by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school, with dropout rates even more pronounced for students of color and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, failure to ensure reading proficiency at an early age has a cascading effect, potentially derailing a student’s academic trajectory, impacting future earning potential, health, and wellbeing. Recognizing the urgent need to improve reading proficiency and ensure student success, more than 30 states have transitioned to a ‘back-to-basics’ approach.

The "new" approach will actually look quite familiar to many over the age of thirty, as it incorporates phonics which was taught until about twenty years ago. 

“There was this idea about 20 years ago. They thought, ‘Hey, there's a whole different way of learning. Why don't we just put kids in a room with books? And they'll figure it out,’” Hochul said. “Let's teach the kids what they mean. And that's the difference that has not been taught.”

Governor Hochul’s Back to Basics  reading plan takes statewide action to ensure that every school district utilizes instructional best practices grounded in the Science of Reading. Governor Hochul will seek passage this year of legislation to require that the State Education Department (SED) promulgate instructional best practices in reading instruction, and that school districts adopt those practices. This approach includes teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. By September of 2025, all school districts will need to certify with SED that their curriculum, instructional strategies, and teacher professional development align with all elements of the instructional best practices.

Governor Hochul also announced $10 million for teacher training programs to ensure teachers are prepared to utilize evidence-based standards in the classroom. The New York State United Teachers and the United Federation Teachers have already begun training thousands of teachers in the Science of Reading, and this funding would support the training of 20,000 additional teachers and elementary school teaching assistants. 

[Chris 2,218]

I've made it no secret I think Hochul is an idiot and often makes me miss Cuomo. But every once in a while, even a blind squirrel finds a nut. This is a good move. 

I wasn't aware of changes to how kids were taught to read because our sons went to parochial school where teaching is ( was ) done differently. Add to that the Leapfrog videos they enjoyed which were phenomenal about how things were taught, phonics for example, helped. 

The problem is, whoever makes the changes ( as was done with reading 20 years ago ) which end in disastrous results never face any repercussion for their stupidity. They're likely retired and enjoying a nice fat pension.