Gov. Hochul Invests $10 Million in Science of Reading Training to Support Student Literacy

Gov. Hochul is putting her money where her mouth is, investing $10 million in science of reading training to support student literacy. This significant investment will make a real difference in the lives of New York State students.

The training will focus on the Science of Reading, a research-based approach that has been shown to improve reading outcomes for students. This approach emphasizes the importance of phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency in reading instruction.

By providing this training, Gov. Hochul is acknowledging the critical role that reading instruction plays in a student's academic success.

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced a plan to introduce state legislation that would require schools to adopt evidence-based literacy instruction. This is a significant step towards improving reading skills in the state.

The proposed legislation would require schools to align their curriculum, instructional strategies, and teacher professional development with state education department requirements by September 2025. Specifically, schools would need to focus on phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension.

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Hochul has allocated $10 million in state funds to train 20,000 teachers and elementary school teaching assistants on these best practices. This investment is crucial in ensuring that educators have the necessary skills to teach reading effectively.

The State University of New York and City University of New York will also expand microcredentialing programs centered on the reading strategy. This will provide educators with opportunities to gain specialized knowledge and skills in reading instruction.

Here's a breakdown of the key components of the proposed legislation:

In New York, only 37% of 4th graders scored proficient or above in reading on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The state's reading proficiency rates have been declining over the past decade, with a 10% drop in 4th grade reading scores since 2011.

New York's reading proficiency rates are among the lowest in the country, with only 17 states performing worse in 4th grade reading.

The Governor's investment in science of reading training aims to address the state's reading challenges and improve literacy rates for all students.

Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a 'Back to Basics' plan to overhaul and improve reading proficiency in New York.

The plan will provide $10 million to train 20,000 teachers in the Science of Reading standard. This training will focus on scientifically proven techniques for reading comprehension.

Reading is the foundation of our education system, and New York State is currently not meeting basic reading proficiency levels.

By September of 2025, all school districts will need to certify with the New York State Education Department that their curriculum, instructional strategies, and teacher professional development align with the new reading program.

The governor's reading plan includes teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension.

The ability to read by third grade is a key indicator of a student's success, with students who do not achieve proficiency by the end of third grade four times more likely to drop out of school.

Students of color and students from disadvantaged backgrounds are particularly at risk of dropping out of school if they don't achieve reading proficiency by third grade.

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