(PARIS, KY) – Kentucky State Sen. Stephen West and Rep. James Tipton joined Interim Commissioner of Education Robin Fields Kinney and incoming Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher at Bourbon Central Elementary School on June 3 to discuss literacy instruction across the Commonwealth and unveil a new statewide reading research center.
“A child’s ability to read is a critical predictor of both educational and lifelong success. Students must have every opportunity to gain and strengthen this skill, and teachers must be equipped and empowered in the teaching of reading to best support their students,” said Kinney.
“Funding provided by the General Assembly, and the work of the education committees led by Senator West and Representative Tipton, supports efforts for Kentucky’s students and educators to strengthen literacy teaching and learning,” she said.
Kinney highlighted a few ways that the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is aiding local school districts with literacy initiatives. The Summer Boost Reading and Mathematics Program – a partnership between KDE, the Summer Food Service Program and the Children’s Reading Foundation – is providing about 1,000 books to 29 districts to be distributed at their summer feeding sites to help encourage families to read during the summer.
This year’s Summer Boost participants are the recipients of a generous donation of books by Age of Learning Inc. The creators of ABCmouse, Age of Learning Inc., donated 40,000 books to the summer program to support the educational initiatives and literacy development of Kentucky’s students.
Another Summer Boost resource is the Read Aloud Series. KDE has provided several videos on its website featuring guest readers, including Kentucky authors, high school graduates and KDE staff. Links to resources can be found on the KDE Summer Support website.
After the press conference, Fletcher and Tipton read books to students participating in the Summer Boost program.
“Kentucky is raising the bar in literacy and mathematics education,” said Kinney.
Read to Succeed
Senate Bill 9 (2022), also known as the Read to Succeed Act, specified KDE's role in assisting local school districts with reading instruction, support and interventions; as well as requiring KDE to collaborate with designated agencies on reading programming, materials and activities.
Tipton, chair of the Kentucky House Education Committee, co-sponsored the Read to Succeed Act with West. Tipton spoke to the importance of providing support for students and families across the state to accelerate progress toward higher reading skills.
“The goal of the Read to Succeed Act is to support evidence-based early literacy instruction throughout the Commonwealth by investing in teachers to increase student success in reading,” he said. “The Kentucky General Assembly responded and appropriated $22 million in funding to support the implementation of the act’s comprehensive efforts. This was a call for the education community to work together and raise the bar for literacy education in Kentucky.”
To support this goal, KDE created a partnership called the Kentucky Reading Academies, which brings the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional learning opportunities to educators across the commonwealth.
Through LETRS, teachers gain essential knowledge to master the fundamentals of literacy instruction required to transform student learning and create a more vibrant experience for each and every young reader.
“As I have said before, early literacy is the foundation for life. Kentucky students must be able to read at the highest possible grade level by the end of 3rd grade,” said Tipton. “Students deserve access to our very best, and that includes evidence-based reading instruction from highly trained teachers and those most qualified to deliver interventions.”
Statewide Reading Research Center
Senate Bill 156 (2023), sponsored by West, called on KDE to use a competitive bid process to find the next statewide reading research center. A new center operator was to be named by July 1.
West, chair of the Kentucky Senate Education Committee, said the University of Louisville will serve as the site for the center for the next five years.
“The center will be a welcome addition to our state’s efforts to focus on evidence-based practices and improving statewide reading proficiency levels,” he said. "Ultimately the goal is to make sure every child in Kentucky knows how to read by 3rd grade."
“I began my career as a 7th-grade teacher, where I found a passion for teaching young people — specifically, teaching students to read," said Amy Lingo, statewide reading research center director at the University of Louisville. "It is a privilege for me to have the opportunity to support our educators and students alike by examining effective strategies and advancing our understanding of literacy education in Kentucky."
Kinney shared that KDE looks forward to partnering with the center to determine annual goals and a comprehensive research agenda, evaluating early reading models, instructional resources and evidence-based practices needed to accelerate student performance toward proficiency in reading.
“Together, we can build and achieve our shared goals of preparing Kentucky’s students with the skills and knowledge to be successful,” said Kinney. “Whatever their futures hold, we will equip our educators as they create more vibrant learning and innovation in the classroom.”
