Today, the Minnesota Senate approved an education bill that will reverse Minnesota’s chronically foundering literacy scores. The legislation instructs school boards to develop a public, accountable plan that will achieve 90% reading proficiency by third grade; delivers funding to provide all Minnesota teachers with indispensable training in the science of reading instruction; removes the burdensome, unsuccessful “World’s Best Workforce” mandate that hasn’t produced results; and refocuses Regional Centers of Excellence to prioritize literacy.
The Senate’s relentless focus on improving literacy comes on the heels of historic education bills that have fully funded K-12 schools, including $18.6 billion in total education funding in 2017, 2% annual student formula increases in 2019, and $1.1 billion in funding increases in 2021 – including the largest formula growth in 15 years.
“Minnesota’s education system is failing its students, and the problem isn’t simply fixed by throwing money at it,” Senator Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) said. “We have to go back to the drawing board and look for innovative and effective ways to get our kids on the right track. This bill supports students and works on giving them the toolkit they need to succeed in school.”
ACHIEVING 90% THIRD GRADE READING PROFICIENCY
Minnesota’s third grade reading proficiency has been flat or declined every year since 2013. Currently, only about one-half of students are reading at grade level.
The Senate’s education bill instructs each school district and charter school to develop a comprehensive plan with clearly-defined benchmarks to achieve 90% reading proficiency by third grade and hold an annual public meeting to review progress and revise as needed.
The Department of Education (MDE) is tasked with making an annual report of school districts’ or charter schools’ progress toward 90% reading proficiency. MDE must also assist districts in helping them reach that goal.
LANGUAGE ESSENTIALS FOR TEACHERS OF READING AND SPELLING (LETRS)
Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) is a training program with a remarkable track record of improving reading scores. States like Mississippi are outperforming Minnesota in reading score increases due to their use of LETRS, which trains teachers on the science of reading and the most effective ways to teach kids to read.
The education bill appropriates $30 million to provide all teachers with LETRS program training by 2026.
REFOCUSING REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
Regional Centers of Excellence are facilities staffed with specialists to support schools across the state. The Senate’s education bill requires these regional centers to prioritize reading instruction using scientifically-based research, including fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and the LETRS program.
According to the bill, Regional Centers of Excellence must be led by LETRS-certified reading professionals, including at least two literacy specialists and a dyslexia specialist.
The bill provides Regional Centers of Excellence with an additional $700,000 to hire regional literacy support directors.