Action Steps on Teaching for Policymakers

Policymakers can have a great impact on the success of schools in raising reading achievement for all students. Policymakers can:

Support colleges and universities in revising the reading instruction curriculum so that it focuses not only on theory but also on practical applications of reading development principles.

Ensure that prospective teachers have balanced instruction that provides foundations in a wide range of research-based approaches to reading.

Require college students preparing to be teachers to have extended learning experiences in diverse classrooms prior to graduation.

Provide the training, support, and materials for all teachers in kindergarten through third grade to become more proficient in reading instruction.

Provide incentives for teachers to pursue master’s-level training to become reading specialists.

Encourage the community to support ongoing, intensive, high-quality professional development for teachers as a way to improve reading instruction.

Create new avenues through which to circulate new research findings on reading instruction quickly and effectively

Provide teachers with assessments to gauge reading skills and to aid in the design and implementation of effective, individualized reading intervention.

Devise incentives for teacher education programs to seek national accreditation.

Support the effective instruction of limited-English-proficient students. Ensure that these students have language-appropriate books and other materials.

Require college students preparing to be teachers to take the time to practice research-based techniques and to get feedback from master teachers.

Develop performance-based assessments for the initial licensing of teachers that require prospective elementary school teachers to demonstrate their ability to teach reading.