Transforming Early Literacy: The Impact of Texas Reading Academies

House Bill 3 (HB3), one of the most transformative bills passed by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019, unlocked millions of dollars in funding for public education in Texas to improve student outcomes and teacher pay.

One of its many components is training for all kindergarten through third grade teachers and principals through Reading Academies. This training comprises 12 modules aligned with the science of teaching reading, covering foundational subjects such as phonics, word recognition, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency and other crucial components of students' reading and writing abilities.

Because 90% of brain development occurs before age 5, establishing foundational skill sets early on is imperative, which is the focus of Reading Academies. Research indicates students who read at grade level by third grade are better prepared than other students to grasp more complex subjects such as math, putting them on track to meet future milestones. Given that less than half of Dallas County third graders read proficiently, understanding the science of literacy acquisition is crucial for improving student outcomes.

This year marks the 5th year of Texas Reading Academies, with over 132,000 educators having completed the training. While this is an amazing feat, we realize that "one and done" professional development trainings are not sufficient for lasting knowledge transfer. According to Darling-Hammond et al., effective PD provides teachers with adequate time to learn, practice, implement, and reflect upon new strategies that facilitate changes in their practice. It takes ongoing PD and job-embedded coaching to put the learning into practice. This is why Strong Readers wanted to celebrate the educators who have shown strong practices in implementing their learning into their teaching practices.

Strong Readers, an initiative of the Commit Partnership, aims to raise public awareness of the early literacy crisis in Dallas County while advocating for policy change. The program highlights the science of reading and its impact through a Bright Spot series, which celebrates educators and districts across the state that have successfully implemented science of teaching reading strategies resulting in significant growth in their classrooms.

To learn more about the impact of the science of reading and hear firsthand experiences from teachers and students in Garland ISD, Grand Prairie ISD and Dallas ISD, please see the videos below.