With literacy lagging, Hochul proposes changing the way schools teach reading
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday proposed a major change in education policy that could change the way many New York schools teach reading, following the lead of other states that have jettisoned methods that experts say have left millions of children behind.
The proposal comes as education experts point to mounting evidence that the state’s approach to literacy is failing. Less than half of New York’s third graders last year were adept at state reading tests.
Ms. Hochul said she would call on the state education department to require school districts to certify by September 2025 that their curricula have embraced “scientifically proven” approaches to literacy.
“We cannot continue to allow our children to fall further behind by using outdated and discredited approaches to reading comprehension,” Ms Hochul said in a statement.
Like most of the proposals she will outline in the speech, this proposal would need the support of the state Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats.
New York has fallen to 32nd in the nation in reading proficiency in recent years, comparable to five other states based on a national assessment.
Many teachers in New York City and the state are trained in a method known as “balanced literacy,” which encourages independent reading and includes some practices that experts say are problematic, such as teaching children to guess words using pictures.
Experts and policymakers say it is now clear that the balanced literacy approach has not provided children with enough foundational skills, such as phonics, to ensure they become capable readers.
Although some children can learn to read without explicit phonics instruction, research has shown that most children need more systematic instruction about letter sounds and other components of language. And many also struggle without a grounding in broader topics about the world so that they can understand what they read.
According to Ms. Hochul’s office, students who do not learn to read well by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school. Students of color and low-income students are particularly at risk of falling behind. This is because they are more likely to lThis is especially common in households where families may not have the resources to provide additional assistancesuch as paying for tutoring.
The effects can be long-lasting: Students who cannot read well tend to have lower earnings and poorer health outcomes than their peers, Ms. Hochul said.
Susan Neuman, a professor of childhood and literacy education at New York University, celebrated the prospect of New York moving away from what she called the “loose-goose approach” to literacy.
“I think this is a good thing,” she said of the plan and the $10 million Ms. Hochul proposed spending on training. “I think it’s really needed – and it’s probably not enough money.”
The literacy plan was the latest proposal announced by Ms Hochul this week ahead of her State of the State address.
On Tuesday, she unveiled a package of plans to expand consumer protections in New York. One would ban co-pays for insulin and the other would increase the limit on disability benefits for people who experience injury or illness, from $170 a week to more than $1,200.