From the ECS State Policy Database: Reading/Literacy - This policy database—updated weekly—is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States....

A Problem Still in Search of a Solution: A State Policy Roadmap for Improving Early Reading Proficiency PDF - A Problem Still in Search of a Solution: A State Policy Roadmap for Improving Early Reading Proficiency provides a framework to help state leaders and policymakers create more effective policies that will result in improved reading performance. (September 2012)...

Third Grade Reading Policies PDF - This paper outlines state policies relating to 3rd-grade reading proficiency, including identification of, intervention for, and retention of struggling readers in the P-3 grades. The paper provides a state-by-state policy summary, sample statutory language, and highlights from bills enacted this year. (Stephanie Rose, ECS, August 2012) ...

Third Grade Literacy Policies: Identification, Intervention, Retention PDF - This paper examines policies to promote 3rd-grade reading proficiency, including early identification of and intervention for struggling readers, as well as retention as an action of last resort. The authors outline case studies in both Florida and New York City, and identify decisions policymakers must consider as they implement policies around 3rd-grade literacy. (Stephanie Rose and Karen Schimke, ECS, March 2012)...

2012 State of the State Addresses: Governors' Top Education Issues PDF - This analysis highlights the education issues prioritized by governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C. in their 2012 state of the state addresses. The state leaders explained that increasing the quality and availability of education, from preschool through postsecondary, was essential to recovering from the recession, spurring economic growth, remaining competitive, and to the health and well-being of each state's citizens. Top issues include Finance (K-12 & Postsecondary), Teaching Quality, Postsecondary Affordability/Access, School Choice, Workforce Development, Early Learning (P-3), and Reading and Literacy....

From the ECS State Policy Database: Reading/Literacy--Adult Literacy - This policy database—updated weekly—is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States....

Adolescent Literacy PDF - Traditionally reading is taught in the primary grades. However, a growing awareness of the need to address the reading skills of adolescents has resulted in states incorporating literacy instruction in their secondary-level teacher preparation and certification requirements, modifying and aligning curriculum standards, and establishing state policies to guide change. (Melodye Bush, Education Commission of the States, September 2008)...

Adolescent Literacy - This database provides 50-state information on 13 approaches to address student literacy needs in grades 4-12. (Melodye Bush, Education Commission of the States, June 2008)...

Vocabulary Results from the 2009 and 2011 NAEP Reading Assessments - The National Assessment of Educational Progress first integrated word meaning into passage comprehension in 2009, so this report offers the first comparisons that can be made over time. Fourth- and eighth-grade scores did not change significantly; 12th-graders were not assessed in 2011. The report, which assessed word meaning within the context of passages, found some changes at the percentile level. Both 4th- and 8th-grade students in higher-performing percentiles scored lower in 2011 than in 2009. Low-performing 8th-graders scored higher in 2011. Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities and English language learners scored lower than their demographic opposites. A comparison of state scores in 2011 may be found on page 8. Additional state results appear in appendix tables A-4 through A-6. (National Center for Education Statistics, December 2012)...

Hawai'i P-3 Initiative: Findings from the First Year of the Evaluation - Recent efforts to improve K–12 educational outcomes have had mixed success. One possible reason is that many students entering kindergarten lack the basic skills to succeed in school. In 2007, with support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Hawai'i launched its P–3 initiative, the early childhood component of the state's P–20 work. This report of the first year of RAND's multiyear evaluation of the P–3 initiative examined plans, activities, and policy in two demonstration sites and at the P–20 level. (The RAND Corporation, June 2011)...

A Critical Mission: Making Adolescent Reading an Immediate Priority in SREB States - SREB sought advice of national literacy experts, surveyed its member states, and formed a committee of state leaders to study this issue and identify solutions. Among their interesting findings: many states lack the specific policies they need; none of the SREB states have tied specific reading skills to academic standards for each subject in high school. Recommendations are included in the report. (Southern Regional Education Board, 2009)...