N.Y. Assemblymember Robert Carroll on the Literacy Crisis and Evidence-Based Reading Instruction

The State of Education in New York

• ⚠️ Education is presented as a critical but often overlooked issue, impacting all members of society, not just parents.
• 🎯 Assemblymember Robert Carroll highlights a "serious emergency in education" within New York State.

Poor Public Policy and Reading Instruction

• 📚 For approximately 40 years, New York has made "poor public policy choices" regarding how children are taught to read.
• 🧩 The shift towards a "whole language curriculum" is criticized for relying on "vibes and guessing" rather than evidence and structure.
• 💡 The speaker advocates for implementing "evidence-based literacy instruction" statewide to ensure all students become strong, fluid, and fluent readers.

Evidence-Based Literacy Explained

• 🧠 Evidence-based literacy instruction is rooted in research on how people learn to read, emphasizing a structured and sequential approach.
• 🗣️ This method contrasts with the previous reliance on context clues and guessing, instead focusing on breaking down the English language into its 46 essential sounds for blending.
• 🎯 While New York City has begun implementing a new reading program, it's noted that progress is ongoing, and there's still significant work needed in professional development and classroom fidelity.

Addressing the Literacy Crisis

• 📈 A staggering 50% of students statewide read below grade level, with nearly 70% in New York City facing the same issue, even after program changes.
• 📌 Carroll, who personally struggled with dyslexia, emphasizes that no child should rely on luck to learn to read.
• 🧩 He calls for mandates for evidence-based literacy instruction and teacher professional development at the state level.
• 🔍 Universal screening for dyslexia and other learning disabilities is crucial for early identification and intervention.

Solutions and Future Steps

• 🛠️ Professional development for teachers is essential, as is ensuring principals and superintendents are equipped to oversee implementation with fidelity.
• 🏫 Restructuring the school day in early grades to prioritize literacy is a key recommendation.
• 🎓 For students struggling with language-based learning disabilities like dyslexia, intensive small group instruction using methods like the Orton-Gillingham approach is vital.
• 📜 Implementing statewide laws that mandate evidence-based reading instruction, similar to other states, is necessary, along with integrating these methods into teacher college curricula and professional development programs.