2/15/2024

Gaining Momentum: New York’s Incredible Journey to Embrace Reading Science

In January, Gov. Kathy Hochul stood in a local elementary school flanked by books stacked ceiling-high and said, “New York State is currently not meeting basic reading proficiency levels. We cannot continue to allow our kids to fall further behind by utilizing outdated and discredited approaches to reading comprehension.”

Five years of change culminated in this very moment as New York reconciled its long-standing history with balanced literacy. Like 72% of American educators nationally, many New York districts reported that they used balanced literacy in the past. Dedicated, well-meaning state educators were told the method helped teach in a way that met individual student needs and fostered a love of reading.

But experts say balanced literacy did not give students “enough foundational skills, such as phonics, to ensure they became capable readers.” The impact of balanced literacy continues to linger. According to the 2022 NAEP reading report card, only 30% of New York’s fourth graders read at a proficient level or higher.

A revolution for literacy

The “push for reform” began when 2019 national reading scores revealed only Mississippi and Washington, D.C., improved against national averages. Both had implemented evidence-based reading policies, including foundations in phonics. After the 2019 NAEP results, the pandemic derailed conventional learning and stagnated student performance, permanently changing the Empire State and the nation.

By 2021, the science of reading was "sweeping legislatures.” As more states passed laws to replicate the “Mississippi model, ”New York was one of only five states that did not pass new legislation. This decision may have been linked to literacy icon Lucy Calkins, founder of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University and an advocate of balanced literacy. According to reports, the Teachers College program was “by far” the most popular program in New York City in 2019, and was backed by city leadership.

The lower 2022 New York NAEP scores highlighted post-pandemic opportunity gaps that were still a critical challenge.

Pioneering a literacy initiative

In 2022, Buffalo parents, educators, and local leaders took action despite legislative stalling. They formed the WNY Literacy Initiative, a Western New York-based nonprofit dedicated to improving reading for all students with research-backed instruction. The initiative launched the inaugural Science of Reading Conference, a landmark meeting convening the nation’s preeminent literacy thought leaders and New York’s finest educators and Structured Literacy activists.

As a result, upstate districts and schools pivoted to the science of reading. In Fulton County, more than 100 teachers enrolled in the Lexia® LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional development suite. According to Heather Witter, former director of literacy for the district, LETRS “changed our conversations and how we, as a district, teach students to read.”

New York’s Monroe One Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) also enrolled in LETRS and discovered that it helped bolster DIBELS® scores.

“Before, we talked about phonics from a much more constructivist, inquiry-based approach and did a lot of word study within a balanced literacy framework,” said Christine Treasure, director of school improvement for Monroe One BOCES. Now, Treasure advocates for instruction to fully address phonemic awareness and phonics. “It’s really what we should have learned during our pre-service training,” she admitted.

Elsewhere in the state, Lee-Ann Mertzlufft, assistive technology specialist for individuals with disabilities in the City School District of Albany, also saw science of reading-based programs make a difference.

"The programs engage students while tackling the fundamental skills they need," Mertzlufft explained. "The computer-based programs offer differentiated instruction and substantial practice at the appropriate level for each student, and the just-right pencil-and-paper materials allow teachers to transfer those skills into the offline world. I’m very happy with our students’ progress—there’s no doubt, Lexia makes an impact on their reading."

The tipping point

As more evidence mounted in favor of the science of reading, entrenched standards collapsed, creating a tidal wave of changes in New York City.

• The New York City Department of Education required all K–5 classrooms to adopt “pre-approved, phonics-based reading curricula” with New York City Reads.
• Big Apple high schools quickly followed suit, reportedly "moving away" from teaching practices that have been increasingly discredited.
• Then, the Teachers College at Columbia University dissolved the Reading and Writing Project and Lucy Calkins stepped down.

From the Big Apple to Western NY, school and district leaders began taking the initiative to improve student outcomes through literacy.

The race for 2025 and how you can get started

While standing in that school library filled with elementary students and community leaders, Gov. Hochul unveiled her updated Back to Basics reading plan, stating that all districts should align with best practices by 2025.

It’s clear New York’s literacy education landscape is evolving. Even The Hunt Institute selected New York for the Path Forward, a cohort of state teams reshaping literacy instruction for years to come by embedding the science of reading in future teacher preparation.

Now’s the time for your school or district to transition from unproven practices like three-cueing. Get started by taking advantage of Lexia’s comprehensive professional learning solutions built on five decades of gold-standard research. Equip educators with an essential understanding of how the brain learns to read and instill the know-how to overcome any reading challenge.

Every child deserves to read, and you can give students and educators—no matter their background—the best opportunities to make literacy possible for all.

Are you ready? See how Lexia helps New York improve literacy outcomes.

New York Science of Reading Timeline