With the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) drawing closer, many groups are already staking out positions for the upcoming debate. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings created a stir in late August, claiming NCLB was almost totally pure, like Ivory Soap, and would require little modification to achieve its goals. Others are less optimistic, with recent polls by the National Council of Teachers of English and Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup showing a sizable number of both educators and the general public expressing concerns about the act’s effectiveness.
The International Reading Association is committed to the ideals and objectives of NCLB, which include strong academic achievement for all children and closing the achievement gap. The Association believes that components of NCLB—renewed attention to teaching and instruction through the high-quality teacher provisions, assessments that measure progress, and an accountability system with disaggregated data—are of vital importance in assuring an excellent education for all students. However, IRA believes that NCLB should be reformed to ensure that we:
support high-quality teachers,
define criteria for high-quality reading instruction,
design assessments to inform instruction, and
adequately fund literacy education.
With that in mind, IRA has developed, over a period of 15 months, a Call to Action and a Framework for Change, which offers almost 30 recommendations related to NCLB provisions concerning highly qualified teachers, evidence-based reading instruction, assessment, accountability, and funding. These recommendations were developed by a group that included members of the IRA Board of Directors, members of IRA’s Title I Committee, and members of IRA’s Government Relations Committee.
On some points, notably assessment requirements and accountability issues, IRA expects to join forces with large and powerful coalitions to pursue its agenda. For other changes to the law, which are key issues for reading educators and not for other groups—such as redefining high-quality teachers and strengthening teacher quality requirements by raising the bar for reading instruction teacher preparation, certification, and licensure—IRA will take more of a leadership role. “We will use different strategies to promote different recommendations,” says Richard Long, IRA’s director of government relations.
IRA believes that the success of educational reform efforts depends upon having a well-prepared, high-quality teacher in every classroom. Excellent teachers motivate children, encourage independent learning, have high expectations for achievement, and help children who are having difficulty.
These teachers understand that reading is a developmental process that begins well before children enter school and continues throughout their lifetime. These teachers also work with colleagues to build a school community to ensure that every student receives appropriate reading instruction. IRA’s study of the research on quality classroom teachers of reading reveals that they possess the following skills:
They understand children’s reading and writing development.
They assess a child’s individual progress and relate reading instruction to a child’s previous experience.
They use a variety of ways to teach reading.
They use a variety of materials and texts for children to read.
They specifically tailor instruction to individual students.
Teachers must be adequately prepared to competently perform these various roles. IRA has articulated standards for five distinct categories of reading professionals responsible for reading instruction: paraprofessionals, classroom teachers, reading specialists, reading teacher educators, and administrators.
IRA firmly believes that students at all academic levels deserve access to high-quality teachers who are trained in the teaching of reading. The Association hopes to promote expanded adolescent literacy programs and to encourage professional development opportunities for teachers in the upper elementary grades and above who are involved in reading instruction, either as reading teachers or through content area reading.
IRA is an advocate for informed public policy and informed educational practice. Accordingly, the Association has developed clearly defined criteria to ensure quality teaching and learning in reading. These criteria are based on what is known about effective reading instruction. IRA believes the definition of reading and the review of evidence-based reading research need to be constantly revised and expanded.
While the National Reading Panel provided quality research-based information on five major areas of reading, many important components of reading were not addressed in the panel’s report, and research evidence continues to accumulate. Sufficient experimental evidence exists to support adding the following items to the current five essential elements of effective reading instruction:
classroom organization,
differentiated instruction,
expert intensive tutoring,
motivation and engagement,
writing, and
oral language.
In regard to assessment, the Association believes that the key is informing instruction. Assessments should be used to support rich academic instruction and provide information that improves student learning. Children have a right to reading assessment that identifies their strengths as well as their needs and involves them in making decisions about their own learning.
IRA favors the use of diagnostic assessments to guide teachers in the improvement of learning outcomes. The Association also supports the use of assessments that measure progress and achievement in multiple ways, noting that the focus on a single interpretation of a single test score can be harmful, as it tends to narrow instructional objectives. The Association believes that multiple assessments should be used when crucial decisions with long-term consequences are being made.
Throughout its recommendations, IRA seeks to use the rich evidence base available to help schools and teachers provide instruction that will allow all students to reach their full potential in reading. “The ability to read well is too vital to a child’s school success not to take advantage of the best research available,” says IRA President Timothy Shanahan of the University of Illinois at Chicago. “We have a solid knowledge base about best practices in reading instruction, and researchers continue to contribute to the field.”
To see all of IRA’s recommendations for NCLB reform, visit the IRA website at www.reading.org.
IRA issues NCLB recommendations. (October 2006). Reading Today, 24(2), 1.
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