In January, 10 months after embarking on the project, my reporting partner Mandy McLaren and I published our full series, “Lost in a World of Words.” It explored flawed reading instruction in Massachusetts and the harm it causes families. Among the facts we revealed: more than half of Massachusetts third graders don’t meet the state’s proficiency benchmark for reading. Almost half the state’s school districts used reading curriculums last year that experts and the state itself deem “low quality.” The state’s wealthiest school districts are more likely to use low-quality curricula and often have larger reading achievement gaps than less affluent districts. And nearly 80% of teenagers who fall short of the state’s bar for 10th Grade English-Language Arts proficiency are from low-income families.
This was tough reporting and writing, but it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my nearly 15- year career. After all, as parents repeatedly told us, what’s the point of school if you can’t read?
We’ve already seen some impact: Gov. Maura Healey announced a five-year plan to improve reading instruction, starting with a $30 million budget proposed for next year to boost teacher training. And parents in some school districts we spotlighted are pushing with renewed vigor for changes to reading instruction, prompting officials to signal they’re taking these complaints more seriously now.
However, discerning the key elements of low-quality literacy instruction was much more complicated than I had expected. Here’s what I learned — along with some resources that you might find helpful in your work. But first: Deep breaths. There’s no need to feel intimidated or overwhelmed.