‘Struggling to read’: Delaware implements early literacy plan to boost student learning outcomes

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Experts say kids who can’t read proficiently by third grade are more likely to drop out of high school. Living in poverty compounds the problem.

Delaware Gov. Matt Mayer declared a literacy emergency last year when national test results showed the state’s eighth-grade reading scores hit a 27-year low. More recent statewide assessment scores show proficiency rates are basically flat. Students in grades 3-8 are 41% proficient in English and 34% in math, a one percentage point increase over last year. Racial and income disparities remain.

These dismal results drove state lawmakers to approve $8 million in funding for an emergency literacy fund. That money is going toward literacy coaches, instruction materials and teacher grants to help prekindergartners to third graders. The legislation dictates funding priorities will go to schools who have the most students struggling with literacy proficiency.

“The way that you get sustainable long-term growth and outcomes for students is by investing in teachers and giving them the right supports,” said Delaware Department of Education Secretary Cindy Marten.

Improving early literacy in Delaware

Educators say literacy is being able to read, write, speak and listen. A literate child is able to communicate effectively and make sense of the world.

The state Department of Education has an early literacy plan to help boost reading scores by third grade by delivering high-quality classroom materials, literacy supports and evidence-based techniques. The goal is to have students grasp the concept of reading in the classroom without needing later inventions to get them up to grade level.

Marten said investing in high-quality instruction on the front end makes it more likely students will pick it up from the beginning.

“You don’t need high dosage tutoring, summer school, after school, before school, extra learning time when students learn the first time,” she said, “when they’re taught in the classroom by their teacher.”

Secretary Marten drives implementation

Marten, who has a background as a literacy specialist, is executing this plan to improve early literacy after being confirmed to her role earlier this year. She was superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District from 2013 to 2021 before serving as deputy education secretary under President Joe Biden in the U.S. Department of Education.

Marten said she was inspired to specialize in literacy because of her brother, Charley. He’s in his 60s but never developed mentally over the age of 5.

“One of the things Charley is excellent at is he can spell any word in the English language,” she said. “But when it comes to math, no number concept, even, like one plus one, like even counting three pennies he can’t count.”

Marten said growing up with Charley motivated her to learn how to help students learn to read, starting with spelling. While Charley can spell words, that doesn’t mean he can read and comprehend them.

“I studied and researched the developmental aspects of learning to spell,” she said. “Decode and encode: making meaning. When you’re teaching children how to encode — that is spelling — decode is reading.”

Marten describes teaching students through a foundation of the science of reading, which focuses on teaching learners to sound out words and understand what they mean. State lawmakers passed legislation in 2022 prioritizing teaching of the science of reading to Delaware schools. Schools have until the 2027-2028 academic year to align all their instruction with the science of reading techniques.

Addressing unequal learning outcomes

The state Education Department and the University of Delaware have also teamed up to support more equitable literacy outcomes across the state. Among the priorities are creating a statewide database of kindergarten-to third grade early literacy assessment data, identifying factors influencing unequal early literacy outcomes and using the data to address inequalities in student outcomes.

Elizabeth Farley-Ripple, director of the Partnership for Public Education at the University of Delaware, said the university has an agreement with schools and districts to share data to help answer questions that are important to the state. The findings will be shared with state officials, but not the actual dataset. She said she hopes the data can shed light on early literacy outcomes.

“We know that not all students are learning to read, and this is different by racial and linguistic and special education subgroups,” Farley-Ripple said.

She added that gathering the data is critical because there’s a blind spot when it comes to identifying trends.

“I actually don’t think we have a lot of good information about the practices that are happening in schools and districts,” Farley-Ripple said.

Nonprofit groups like Reading Assist can help on the back end to catch those students who aren’t getting it in the classroom. Reading Assist provides high-impact tutoring services for kindergarteners to third graders. CEO Caroline O’Neal said that while coaches can’t tutor Delaware students out of a literacy crisis, they can help improve student learning for those who are lagging behind.

“There are many students who are struggling to read, and so we want to make sure we’re providing those direct student services to those students who are behind,” she said.

Editor’s Note: The story has been edited to clarify comments by Professor Farley-Ripple that findings from the data being collected will be shared with the state.