1. Amanda Szekely, Senior Policy Analyst Education Division October 17, 2013 A Comprehensive State Strategy to Improve Third Grade Reading Proficiency

2. 2 Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), 2011 Reading

3. Children Not Graduating by Age 19 3 TOTALPROFICENTNOT PROFICIENT From Hernandez, Donald J., Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation. The Annie E. Casey Foundation; Center for Demographic Analysis, University at Albany, State of New York; Foundation for Child Development (2012).

4. Research Consensus 1: Reading Proficiency Requires a Comprehensive Approach… 4 Code-based Skills Content Knowledge Meaning- based Skills Reading Proficiency More attention paid to code-based skills.

5. Research Consensus 2: Language and Literacy Development Begins at Birth… 5 Policies mostly focus on K-3 Limited access to early learning opportunities

6. Research Consensus 3: Parents, Caregivers, Educators Have the Most Influence 6 These adults lack supports to provide high- quality interactions or instruction.

7. 5 Policy Actions for a Comprehensive Strategy 1.Adopt comprehensive language and literacy standards to inform curricula and assessments. 2.Expand access to high-quality early care and education. 3.Engage and support parents as partners in early language and literacy development. 4.Equip B-3 rd educators with the necessary skills and knowledge for improving reading proficiency. 5.Develop mechanisms to promote continuous improvement and accountability. 7

8. Action 1 Adopt comprehensive language and literacy standards to inform curricula and assessments. 8

9. Action 2 Expand access to high-quality early care and education. 9

10. Action 3 Engage and support parents as partners in early language and literacy development. 10

11. Action 4 Equip B-3 rd educators with the necessary skills and knowledge for improving reading proficiency. 11

12. Action 5 Develop mechanisms to promote continuous improvement and accountability. 12

13. Contact Info Amanda Szekely - aszekely@nga.org National Governors Association http://www.nga.org/cms/center/edu 13