KEY LEGISLATIVE READING ISSUES SURVEYS RETURNED 34 STATES REPRESENTED

QUANTITATIVE RESULTS QUALIATATIVE RESULTS

PRIORITY RANKINGS BY ALL RESPONSDENTS

1. FEDERAL LEGISLATION (2) 2. STATE READING STANDARDS AND TESTS(1) 3. SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS READING WELL BELOW THEIR GRADE PLACEMENTS(4) 4. INITIAL PREPARATION(8) 5. READING NEEDS OF SPECIALIZED POPULATIONS(3)

6. READING CERTIFICATION/LICENSES(7) 7. AVAILABILITY OF READING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS(9) 8. SUFFICIENT FUNDING FOR CURRENT BOOKS AND OTHER PRINT MATERIALS(10) 9. STATE READING ISSUES (5) 10. STATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS (5)

PRESIDENTS HIGHEST: STATE READING STANDARDS AND TESTS LOWEST: STATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

VICE-PRESIDENTS HIGHEST: READING NEEDS OF SPECIALIZED POPULATIONS LOWEST: AVAILABILITY OF READING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

IRA COORDINATORS HIGHEST: READING NEEDS OF SPECIALIZED POPULATIONS LOWEST: AVAILABILITY OF READING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

STATE LEGISLATIVE CHAIRS HIGHEST: FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND INTIAL PREPARATION LOWEST: AVAILABILITY OF READING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

OTHERS HIGHEST: FEDERAL LEGISLATION LOWEST: STATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

TEACHERS HIGHEST: FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND STATE READING STANDARDS AND TESTS LOWEST: STATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS HIGHEST: FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS READING WELL BELOW THEIR GRADE PLACEMENTS LOWEST: AVAILABILITY OF READING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND READING CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSES

COLLEGE PROFESSORS HIGHEST: FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND INTIAL PREPARATION LOWEST: STATE READING ISSUES

OTHERS HIGHEST: FEDERAL LEGISLATION LOWEST: STATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

QUALITATIVE RESULTS

Availability of Reading Instructional Materials: Middle and high schools receive lower reading funding than elementary schools. Supplementary materials for a wide range of reading levels are needed. Excellent and appropriate materials are available, but funding is low for some school districts and a low priority for states. Middle and high schools receive lower reading funding than elementary schools. Supplementary materials for a wide range of reading levels are needed. Excellent and appropriate materials are available, but funding is low for some school districts and a low priority for states.

Federal Legislation: AYP has unrealistic expectations. NCLB needs serious attention, including accommodations needed for sub groups. Funding is inadequate for programs. AYP has unrealistic expectations. NCLB needs serious attention, including accommodations needed for sub groups. Funding is inadequate for programs.

Initial Preparation: Teachers need core courses in reading. Schools should provide ongoing professional development and mentoring. Reading mentors and reading coaches are needed. College teacher preparation programs need to have courses devoted to content reading skills. Teachers need core courses in reading. Schools should provide ongoing professional development and mentoring. Reading mentors and reading coaches are needed. College teacher preparation programs need to have courses devoted to content reading skills.

Reading Certification/Licenses: Many teachers are in literacy positions without reading licensure. These positions include reading coaches, reading specialists, and literacy coaches. More reading courses should be required. Many teachers are in literacy positions without reading licensure. These positions include reading coaches, reading specialists, and literacy coaches. More reading courses should be required.

Reading Needs of Specialized Populations: ELL teachers need better training in how to help SPED students in reading. More support is needed for struggling readers. Teachers need more support and training. ELL teachers need better training in how to help SPED students in reading. More support is needed for struggling readers. Teachers need more support and training.

State Governmental Affairs: State associations need to recruit and train good governmental relations committee members. Many states are having success in working with state departments of education and state legislatures, while others are finding it difficult to work with departments of education and state governments. State associations need to recruit and train good governmental relations committee members. Many states are having success in working with state departments of education and state legislatures, while others are finding it difficult to work with departments of education and state governments.

State Reading Issues: State governmental relations committees and state reading associations have made state legislatures more aware of reading issues. More attention should be given to state issues by state reading associations. State governmental relations committees and state reading associations have made state legislatures more aware of reading issues. More attention should be given to state issues by state reading associations.

State Reading Standards and Tests: There is too much emphasis on state tests and state standards. English and reading standards should be separated when tested. There is too much emphasis on state tests and state standards. English and reading standards should be separated when tested.

Sufficient Funding for Current Books and Other Print Materials: Schools need fully supported school libraries. Funding is needed for professional school librarians and books and other printed materials for school libraries. Schools need fully supported school libraries. Funding is needed for professional school librarians and books and other printed materials for school libraries.

Support for Students Reading Well Below Their Grade Placement: There is a need for enforcement of qualified teachers in helping struggling readers. More early, middle, and high school reading intervention is needed. More time is needed for supporting struggling readers. There is a need for enforcement of qualified teachers in helping struggling readers. More early, middle, and high school reading intervention is needed. More time is needed for supporting struggling readers.

Other Issues: These include funding, teacher training for reading, RTI, role of literacy specialists and qualifications in reading, achievement gap in urban districts, high school graduation rates, and reading and technology. These include funding, teacher training for reading, RTI, role of literacy specialists and qualifications in reading, achievement gap in urban districts, high school graduation rates, and reading and technology.

MOST IMPORTANT STATE ISSUES FUNDING STATE TESTING READING COURSES FOR TEACHER CANDIDATES READING CERIFICATION NCLB

MOST IMPRTANT REGIONAL ISSUES

EASTCertification/licensesFunding State tests Federal legislation

Great Lakes Funding State tests Certification/licenses Special populations Federal legislation RTI

Plains EllFunding Staff development State tests

Rocky Mountain State tests Funding Federal legislation RTI

SoutheastFundingCertification/licenses State tests

Southwest Adolescent literacy Certification/licensesFunding Federal legislation Special populations State tests

WestFunding Certification/licenses Federal legislation

How IRA Can Help Promote the need for certified/licensed reading teachers, reading coaches, and reading specialists. Continue reporting best practices and research. Keep working at the federal level. Provide training on how to work with legislatures and state departments of education. Highlight current issues in Reading Today and other IRA journals. Send news releases to major newspapers. Develop a policy statement or position paper on RTI.

FOCUS ON READING LEGISLATION

Federal Legislation Seek changes in NCLB to provide realistic expectations and increased funding. Seek changes in NCLB to provide realistic expectations and increased funding. Support efforts to provide funding for middle and high school reading. Support efforts to provide funding for middle and high school reading.

Initial Preparation Support efforts to require colleges and universities to provide more reading courses. Support efforts to require colleges and universities to provide more reading courses. Encourage schools to provide reading mentors and reading coaches. Encourage schools to provide reading mentors and reading coaches.

Reading Needs of Specialized Populations Support efforts to provide qualified teachers for struggling readers. Support efforts to provide qualified teachers for struggling readers. Support efforts to provide better reading backgrounds for ELL and SPED teachers Support efforts to provide better reading backgrounds for ELL and SPED teachers

State Reading Standards and Tests Support efforts to have less emphasis on state standards and tests. Support efforts to have less emphasis on state standards and tests. Support efforts to separate state English and reading standards and test results. Support efforts to separate state English and reading standards and test results.

Support for Students Reading Well Below Their Grade Placements Support efforts to provide more reading intervention help for middle and high school struggling readers by highly qualified reading teachers. Support efforts to provide more reading intervention help for middle and high school struggling readers by highly qualified reading teachers.

In the other five areas, legislation should focus on the following: Funding for reading materials, especially supplementary materials; Funding for reading materials, especially supplementary materials; Awareness of reading certification/licensing in other states and replicating appropriate programs; Awareness of reading certification/licensing in other states and replicating appropriate programs; Increased and equitable funding for reading programs; Increased and equitable funding for reading programs; Reasonable interpretation of federal initiatives; and Reasonable interpretation of federal initiatives; and Fully supported school libraries. Fully supported school libraries.