States, schools and districts should establish the science of reading as the common language for literacy instruction and then provide training to teachers to build capacity to teach these foundational skills that all students need to become skilled readers.

ExcelinEd’s Science of Reading Professional Learning Rubric is designed to assist state educational agencies (SEAs) in their evaluation and selection of professional learning grounded in the science of reading. This rubric is intended for use by evaluators who have completed in-depth professional learning in the science of reading and have experience applying this knowledge in the classroom. As a result, SEAs can make an informed decision about the best professional learning provider for educators in their state.  

Literacy coaches are an important support mechanism for teachers in the classroom by working directly with teachers to improve classroom practice and, ultimately, student reading achievement school-wide.

The primary grades are the least expensive and most timely opportunity to ensure every student is a successful reader. States should look for ways to reprioritize existing local, state and federal fund to support reading instruction and intervention statewide.

An approved universal screener administered three times per year is a key step to identifying students at-risk for reading difficulties, including dyslexia.

For early interventions to target areas of need, a student must be identified as at-risk for a reading difficulty, including students who may have characteristics consistent with dyslexia.

Parents should be notified immediately if their child has been identified with a reading deficiency. As a trusted partner, parents need to be part of instructional decisions for their child and be provided with support on how to help their child with literacy at home.

The materials that districts choose for reading instruction impact student learning and teacher practice. High-quality instructional materials aligned to the science of reading and the respective state standards give teachers access to quality content and assignments.

Three-cueing is a flawed literacy instructional practice that teaches students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues, which may also be known as “MSV." This instructional model should be eliminated from curricula because it encourages students to guess, not sound out, words they do not know based on pictures or what they think might make sense given the context of the sentence.

Students who have a reading deficiency should have an individual reading plan created. The plan should include intervention services the student will receive and strategies for parents to use at home with their child.

Progress monitoring helps teachers track a student's progress in reading and adjust instruction to meet the student's needs in a timely manner. Monitoring can take many forms and can be embedded in classroom instruction.

Interventions grounded in the science of reading should target students' individual needs beginning with the lowest deficit skill that has been identified by data.

Reading skills that are lost during the summer slows progress toward reading proficiency by the end of the third grade. Children in low-income families lose one to three months of reading skills each summer. Reading camps can both remediate learning loss and build skills at the same time.

A student who is unable to demonstrate sufficient reading skills on the state test-based options provided – and does not meet a good cause exemption – be retained.

The state offers at least three pathways for promotion to fourth grade including achieving a predetermined level on the state reading assessment, passing an alternative assessment or retest, or successfully demonstrating sufficient 3rd grade reading skills through a portfolio of student work.

Most students with disabilities and English Language Learners should be able to read on grade-level if provided with effective instruction and specialized support. However, there should be good cause exemptions that recognize the special needs of some students with disabilities, English language learners and students who were previously retained.