Guest Opinion: The science of reading pays off – Coastland Times

John Hood

RALEIGH — Over the past two years, North Carolina has made important investments in the state’s future.

No, I’m not talking about highway projects, university research and development, or private investment in new businesses, places and workers spurred by this Congress’s pro-growth tax and regulatory reforms. These are certainly valuable examples of capital formation — physical, intellectual and human capital — but they’re different bills to which I refer today.

In April 2021, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted and Governor Roy Cooper signed the Excellent Public Schools Act, which, among other things, requires that literacy instruction in the state’s public schools be based on the “science of reading,” a technical term that describes a research-based consensus supporting “phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling, fluency, vocabulary, oral language, and comprehension.”

After decades of “literacy wars” between educators, researchers, and policymakers, those who argue that phonics is a necessary tool for decoding words have won both academic debate and real-world results: When Mississippi rewrote its instructional methods to emphasize the science of reading, it saw dramatic improvements in performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress—and not just in reading and writing.

According to the Urban Institute’s analysis of the latest NAEP scores, Mississippi’s fourth graders were second only to Florida in average reading scores adjusted for student background (a good way to assess the value added by schooling). The year Mississippi passed the Reading Science Act, the state was 40th in reading. During the same period, Mississippi also jumped to third place in reading. Math That’s the third-highest score after Florida and Texas. After all, learning how to read well opens the door to learning other subjects.

North Carolina’s reading instruction has never been as bad as Mississippi’s. In fact, as I’ve pointed out many times, North Carolina’s public schools have ranked highly in value-added performance for many years (according to an Urban Institute analysis, North Carolina fourth graders rank 6th in reading and 7th in math).

Still, our students have much to gain from the 2021 reforms. So far, we seem to be implementing the reforms effectively. EdNC’s Hannah Vinueza McClellan reported last week that about 44,000 elementary teachers have been trained in North Carolina’s LETRS program (Language Foundations for Literacy Teachers). “We know how important literacy is to student success,” said State Superintendent Katherine Truitt. “I’m grateful for the passion and dedication North Carolina educators have shown to help students reach their goals.”

Early evidence suggests this new approach may be working: From 2022 to 2024, the number of students who scored below state benchmarks in reading proficiency, accuracy, and comprehension dropped significantly. Minority students made especially strong gains.

Of course, it’s too early to declare victory, but it’s worth reflecting for a moment on how this promising policy shift came about.

Nationwide and statewide, education researchers and policy analysts were ready to follow wherever the evidence on reading instruction led, even if it ran counter to their preconceived notions. Republican and Democratic lawmakers acted as well, and the Excellent Public Schools Act passed unanimously in the Senate and by a 113-5 margin in the House, allocating $114 million to train teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators in LETRS programs.

North Carolina’s turn to the science of reading occurred within a national context. We were willing to learn from the practical experiences of Mississippi and other jurisdictions. Our law, in turn, became a model for other legislatures to follow. This is how public policy should be made.

Finally, although initial experiences seem promising, there are no guarantees. Early reading gains may prove to be insufficient to sustain into later grades. It is also possible that flaws in the LETRS training will be found, necessitating administrative or legal adjustments.

Public policy is a learning process in itself. Strive to improve your fluency and comprehension.

John Hood is a trustee of the John Locke Foundation.

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