The Department of Education is cautioning states about its increased vigilance in monitoring the allocation of funds under a declining federal reading initiative. This comes after reports emerged that local grant recipients may not be adhering to the "scientifically based" principles or other requirements. Federal officials are requesting states that received awards under the Reading Excellence Act to submit performance reports by the end of the month, outlining the progress made in district and school-level reading improvement.
In a strongly-worded letter obtained by Education Week, Susan B. Neuman, the assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education, also warned that states suspected of neglecting the programmatic and fiscal requirements of the 1998 law, or failing to prevent local grant recipients from doing so, could be audited by the department. Furthermore, Ms. Neuman stated in an interview last week that states with inadequate implementation of the REA program may face delays in receiving some of the $900 million in new federal funding allocated for reading.
Currently, twenty-one states and the District of Columbia are continuing to implement the Reading Excellence program, with thirteen of those states in the first phase of a three-year grant period. Another eighteen states have phased out the program or are in the final year. However, federal officials have constantly voiced their frustration over local efforts that do not adhere to research-proven practices, as mandated by the law. Ms. Neuman has publicly criticized certain practices observed in REA classrooms, claiming they lack a scientific basis. In the interview, she also dismissed claims by state reading officials that many states’ REA initiatives are already well-matched with the new federal initiative, Reading First.
Federal education officials believe that the shortcomings of the Reading Excellence Act could impede the success of the new program. Representatives from participating states recently met with officials in Washington to receive guidance on aligning their current initiatives with the stricter requirements of Reading First, a component of the "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2001. Reading First aims to provide approximately $5 billion over the next six years to help states enhance reading achievement through instruction based on research. This instruction includes five components: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension.
Currently, 18 states have successfully secured Reading First grants after undergoing a rigorous review process. About a dozen applications are either being revised or await approval. Under Reading First, states and local districts will face a heightened burden of proof in demonstrating their compliance with the law and must provide evidence that their efforts are enhancing student achievement. In her letter dated October 9th, Ms. Neuman urged state officials to rectify their REA programs in order to establish a solid foundation for Reading First. The department has also revised its guidelines for implementing Reading Excellence initiatives, placing more emphasis on programs based on research. While some state officials claim to have already started aligning the two initiatives, others have raised concerns that the department is changing expectations midway through the REA program.
Mary Andis, coordinator of Indiana’s REA program, called I-READ, stated, "We attempted to conform our program to the old REA guidelines from 2001. I can fulfill the criteria I was originally expected to meet under the legislation," she added, "but any new guidelines may conflict with the state’s plan under REA."
Rose Shaw, a diligent observer who has overseen the implementation of REA in Colorado, expressed that the state’s initiative has effectively increased teachers’ awareness of the valuable insights provided by research in regard to efficient reading instruction. "REA has been at the forefront of this transformation," Shaw stated. "To anticipate widespread change would have been overly optimistic, but it is evident that local individuals are now better understanding the expectations." However, Shaw also noted that certain schools in Colorado have displayed resistance towards modifying their teaching methods for reading. "There is a deeply ingrained mindset about reading that these schools have embraced," she explained. "As a result, attempting to gradually dismantle this mindset poses significant challenges. Some schools remain steadfast in their decision not to adapt."
