♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO AN IMPORTANT KET FORUM FOCUSED ON EARLY LITERACY.

I'M YOUR HOST KELSEY STARKS.

TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION COULDN'T BE MORE TIMELY AS STUDENTS RETURN TO SCHOOL THIS MONTH ACROSS KENTUCKY, MANY WILL BE LEARNING TO READ IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

LEGISLATION PASSED LAST YEAR REQUIRING SCHOOLS TO LEAN INTO A COMPREHENSIVE READING PROGRAM BASED ON WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE SCIENCE OF READING.

IT COMES AFTER A STEADY DECLINE IN READING LEVELS OVER THE LAST DECADE.

NOW SHOWING THAT MORE THAN HALF OF KENTUCKY STUDENTS ARE NOT PROFICIENT READERS.

THAT MATTERS A LOT.

STUDIES SHOW ABOUT ONE IN SIX CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT READING PROFICIENTLY BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE DON'T GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

THAT'S A GREAT FOUR TIMES GREATER THAN THOSE FOR PROFICIENT READERS.

FURTHERMORE, TWO-THIRDS OF STUDENTS WHO CANNOT READ BY THE END OF 40 GRADE END UP IN JAIL OR ON WELFARE.

IT IS A COMMUNITY WIDE ISSUE AND WE HAVE INVITED A STUDIO AUDIENCE TO BE PART OF THE PANEL DISCUSSION.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

KENTUCKY HAS RECENTLY JOINED 18 OTHER STATES IN OVERHAUL ITS LITERACY CURRICULUM, ADOPTING A PHONICS BASED APPROACH TO READING.

WE'VE GATHERED A PANEL OF EXPERTS TO DISCUSS THIS NEW APPROACH.

WHY THE PIVOT, HOW IT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED AND, OF COURSE, THE IMPACT.

WE WELCOME TO OUR STUDIO SENATOR STEVEN WEATHER OF PARIS, CHAIR OF KENTUCKY'S SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE, REPRESENTATIVE JAMES TIPTON FROM TAYLORSVILLE, CHAIR OF THE HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE.

BOTH LEGISLATORS ARE SPONSORED OF SENATE BILL 9, THE READ TO SUCCEED ACT WHICH WILL BE THE FOCUS OF TONIGHT'S PROGRAM.

MICKI RAY IS THE CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER OF TEACHING AND LEARNING LINDSAY BROOKS, FIRST GRADE TEACHER AT CHANCEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, SHE HAS TAUGHT FIRST AND SECOND GRADES FOR 15 YEARS.

HER SCHOOL WAS A PILOT PROGRAM IN JCPS FOR SKILLS-BASED LITERACY, CHRISTIE BIGGERSTAFF IS THE DIRECTOR OF EARLY LITERACY FOR THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WHERE SHE OVERSEES THE IMPLEMENTEDDATION OF THE READ TO SUCCEED ACT AT SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND PHIL HOWELL IS ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOLS AT THE DePAUL SCHOOL SOME LOUISVILLE, A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES.

WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT READING IS A BIOLOGICALLY SECONDARY SKILL, MEANING IT NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT.

OUR BRAINS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO INNATELY DECIPHER TEXAS THEY ARE DESIGNED TO-- TEXT AS THEY'RE DESIGNED TO DECIPHER LANGUAGE.

UP TO THIRD GRADE, MOST CHILDREN ARE LEARNING TO READ, SOMETHING MOST FAMILIES TAKE FOR GRANTED.

BUT FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE IN THOSE EARLY YEARS, IT CAN HAVE A PROTOWND IMPACT-- A PROFOUND IMPACT ON THEIR EDUCATIONAL AND LIFE LONG SUCCESS.

CHRISTIE DUTTON INTRODUCES US TO THE JONES FAMILY FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY AND THEIR DAUGHTER MYLA.

>> MYLA IS IN THIRD GREAT, EIGHT YEARS OLD MAKING GREAT STRIDES ACADEMICALLY LEARNING TO READ AND THRIVING IN SCHOOL.

THAT WAS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THINGS WERE A LOT HARDER.

DESCRIBE SOME OF THE CLUES THAT YOU GOT THOSE FIRST CLUES SHE MIGHT HAVE THIS LEARNING DIFFERENCES.

>> SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE WONDERED ABOUT IT EARLY AND SHE IS LEFT HANDED, WHETHER THAT REALLY MEANS ANYTHING OR NOT, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW.

BUT SOME OF THE TEACHERS THOUGHT MAYBE SHE WAS MIRRORING, SO SHE WOULD WRITE THINGS BACKWARDS BECAUSE SHE WAS MIRRORING WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

WE WERE WATCHING BUT WE WEREN'T KIND OF BEING ALL THAT AWARE TO WHETHER IT WAS DYSLEXIA OR NOT UNTIL REALLY UNTIL SHE WENT INTO FIRST GRADE, AND THERE, YOU KNOW, SHE CAME HOME AND HER ATTITUDE STARTED CHANGING.

SHE WAS NOT THRILLED TO GO TO SCHOOL ANYMORE.

SHE KNEW THAT SHE WASN'T PICKING UP ON EVERYTHING AS QUICKLY AS SOME OF THE OTHER STUDENTS.

>> AND SO WHEN SHE WAS IF THE FIRST GRADE, SHE BROUGHT HOME THIS BOOK THAT SHE MADE AND THAT WAS A BIT OF AN AHA MOMENT.

TELL US THAT STORY.

>> SHE HAD COME HOME FROM SCHOOL AND THEY MAKE A BOOK WHERE YOU WRITE, YOU KNOW, A SCRIPT AT THE BOTTOM AND THERE WAS A PICTURE.

AND SHE WAS VERY PROUD THAT SHE HAD DONE THAT.

AND SO SHE CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL AND SAID MOMMY, I WANT TO SHOW ENTHUSIASM BOOK THAT I MADE.

SO SHE GOT IT OUT AND THEN SHE WASN'T ABLE TO READ IT.

AND SHE WAS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE SHE HAD WRITTEN IT AND THEN COULDN'T READ THE BOOK AT ALL.

>> SO WHEN YOU REACHED OUT FOR THAT DIAGNOSIS, TELL US HOW THAT CAME ABOUT AND HOW THAT FELT.

>> I HON HONESTLY WAS NOT EXPECTING A DYSLEXIA DIAGNOSIS WHEN WE GOT HER TESTED.

THEY SAID SHE WAS SHING HEIROGLYPMS.

THERE WAS NO PHONETIC ACHE WEARNESS IN KNOWING WHAT SOUND THAT MAKES.

AND TO KNOW THAT YOUR KIDDO HAS BEEN SITTING IN A CLASS ROOM AND SEEING HIGH ROW GLYPHS AND UNDERSTANDING THAT HER PEERS ARE ABLE TO DO THUNKS TO DO THINGS T SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO DO, IT WAS OVERWHELMING AND SAD DID SO IN THE FIRST GRADE SHE MOVED FROM PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO THE DePAUL SCHOOL THAT SPECIALIZES IN STUDENTS THAT LEARN DIFFERENTLY.

WHAT KIND OF DIFFERENCE HAS THAT MADE FOR HER THAT YOU HAVE SEEN?

>> WITHIN A WEEK OF HER BEING HERE, SHE WAS BACK TO BEING HAPPY AND... >> WANTED TO GO TO SCHOOL.

>> WANTED TO GO TO SCHOOL.

CONFIDENCE.

SO CONFIDENT.

AND SHE HAS ALWAYS HAD A LOT OF CONFIDENCE.

AND THEN UNDERSTOOD THAT SHE MAY HAVE DYSLEXIA, BUT THAT DOESN'T DEFINE HER.

AND IF ANYTHING, IT'S HER SUPER POWER.

SHE HAS BEEN GIVEN A WONDERFUL GIFT OF BEING INCREDIBLY CREATIVE AND NO MATTER HOW QUICKLY YOU LEARN TO READ OR HOW FAST YOU CAN READ DOES NOT AT ALL HAVE ANY CORRELATION WITH YOUR INTELLIGENCE.

>> SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR THE SCHOOL HERE AT DePAUL AND THE DIFFERENCES IN THE WAY THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO TEACH DIFFERENTLY HERE TO MEET THE CHILDREN WHERE THEY ARE.

>> IT'S JUST BEEN LIKE HAVING OUR KID BACK.

AND HER-- SHE CAN READ.

I MEAN WHICH IS AMAZING.

>> SO OBVIOUSLY MYLA'S STORY IS ONE OF MANY BUT IT REALLY DOES ILLUSTRATE HOW DIFFERENT CHILDREN HAVE DIFFERENT LEARNING NEEDS.

AND I'LL START WITH YOU, PHIL, IS THAT YOU ARE ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THE DePAUL SCHOOL WHERE MYLA IS FROM AND I KNOW YOU CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE BEHIND THIS.

CAN YOU HELP EXPLAIN THE RESEARCH OF THE SCIENCE OF READING.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THAT PHRASE, THE SCIENCE OF READING, REFERS TO A ROBUST BODY OF DATA THAT WE HAVE NOW FROM DECADES OF REALLY GOOD RESEARCH FROM MULTIPLE FIELDS OF SCIENCE.

SO IT'S NOT JUST RESEARCH OF CLASSROOM PRACTICES, BUT BRAIN SCANS AND NEUROLOGY AND OTHER ASPECTS OF STUDY TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING WHEN A BRAIN LEARNS TO READ.

AND WHY DOES IT SEEM TO HAPPEN MORE EFFORTLESSLY FOR SOME AND WITH GREAT STRUGGLE FOR OTHERS.

AND IT HAS REALLY CLARIFIED FOR US WHAT READING REALLY IS IN THE BRAIN AND HAS CLARIFIED FOR US WHAT PRACTICES ARE BETTER AND WORK BETTER AND WHICH PRACTICES REALLY DON'T HELP SOMEONE LEARN TO READ.

SO IT'S CLARIFIED FOR US, FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WHAT ARE BEST PRACTICES.

AND THEN HAS REALLY HELPED US IN THE AREA OF READING DISABILITIES TO DETERMINE WHAT REALLY IS THE BREAKDOWN, WHAT IS THE ROAD BLOCK AND HOW DO WE GET PAST THAT.

>> IT'S REALLY ABOUT MAKING THOSE BRAIN CONNECTIONS.

AND NOW WE KNOW THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT, RIGHT?

>> YES.

WE'VE LEARNED SO MUCH MORE THAN WE ONCE DID, OF COURSE.

AND A LOT OF WAS WE THOUGHT WE KNEW TURNED OUT TO BE MYTH.

AND SO NOW WE KNOW, AND TEACHERS ARE FAMILIAR NOW WITH TERMS LIKE THAT WAS NOT IN OUR VOCABULARY A FEW DECADES AGO AND TO TEACH PHONICS OR DECODING THERE HAS TO BE THAT COMPONENT OF EDUCATION PHONIC EMNESS AWARENESS THAT DISSECTS WORDS INTO ORAL SOUNDS.

LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS YOU HAVE BEEN TEACHING THIS FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW AND YOUR SCHOOL WAS A PILOT PROGRAM FOR THIS SHIFT IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.

SO BEFORE YOU WERE TEACHING WHAT WAS CALLED A BALANCED LITERACY APPROACH.

EXPLAIN HOW YOU TEACH READING IN THESE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.

>> BF WE WOULD HAVE A READING BLOCK AND WE WOULD READ A FICTION STORY AND FOCUS ON IT MAYBE A WEEK AND IT WOULD BE A GRAPHIC ORGANIZER WITH THE STORY AND THEN MAYBE WE WOULD DO A CRAFT WITH IT BUT IT WAS VERY SURFACE LEVEL.

WE NEVER DUG DEEP.

NOW WE USE THE CURRICULUM, E.L. CURRICULUM TO BASE OUR INSTRUCTION AND WE GO VERY DEEP INTO THE TEXT.

IS WE GO INTO THE VOCABULARY OF IT.

AND OUR SMALL GROUP READING IN THE PAST WE WOULD HAVE A GUIDED READING CARD THAT WOULD GIVE US COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS AND A TEXT TO GO WITH IT AND MAYBE A ONE-MINUTE THICK ON PHONICS.

AND YOU WOULD HAVE A LEVELED READER TO GO WITH IT.

AND SO THE KIDS WOULD NOT HAVE TIME-- WOULD NOT HAVE THE ACCESS TO PRACTICE THAT SKILL.

AND SO NOW WHEN WE ARE DOING OUR READING, WE DO A SKILL.

SO WE WILL ASSESS KIDS ON THE SKILL AND OUR GROUPS ARE NO LONGER LEVEL.

THAT'S PROVEN THOSE HAVE NOT BEEN EFFECTIVE.

IN FACT, THEY WIDEN THE GAP FOR CHILDREN.

AND SO NOW I CAN PULL KIDS ON A SPECIFIC SKILL THAT THEY'RE LACKING.

SO MAYBE THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH A CERTAIN VAL TEAM.

WE HIT IT HARD AND THEN THEY CONTINUE ON.

AND THEN THE NEXT WEEK IT MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT GROUP THAT HAS A DIFFERENT STRUGGLE.

AND YOU CAN JUST SEE SO MUCH MORE GROWTH BECAUSE THE KID ARE GETTING SUCH INTENTIONAL INSTRUCTION, THEY'RE ABLE TO DECODE THE WORDS.

THEY HAVE STRATEGIES NOW INSTEAD OF JUST LOOK AT THE PICTURE AND WHAT DO YOU THINK MIGHT HAPPEN.

WHAT WOULD THAT WORD BE IF YOU LOOK AT THAT PICTURE.

AND NOW WE ARE NOT DOING THAT.

THEY'RE LEARNING THE SKILLS TO DECODE A WORD.

>> SO THE PROBLEM IS THOUGH THAT SOME BRAINS ARE GOING TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS NO MATTER WHAT AND THEN WE SAW LIKE WITH MYLA'S INSTANCE, SOME NEED THAT MORE EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION.

SO PHIL, EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS, HOW IT CAN EASILY LEAD TO STRUGGLES IN OTHER AREAS BEYOND THIS.

>> RIGHT, ONE THING I WOULD WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS WHO NEED EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION IN THE CODE OF LANGUAGE, WE ARE NOT TALKING JUST ABOUT STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA.

WE ARE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN, ABOUT 60% OF CHILDREN NEED SOME EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, IT'S NOT A NATURAL THUNK FOR THE BRAIN TO BE DOING.

FOR THOSE 40%, WHO LEARN TO READ WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT, THEY STILL BENEFIT FROM THAT CODE-BASED INSTRUCTION.

THEIR READING AND SPELLING SKILLS IMPROVE WITH THAT.

SO I WANT TO KIND OF CLARIFY THAT FOR EVERYONE.

BUT WHAT IT MEANS FOR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS THAT EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION AND DECODING, IF THEY DON'T GET THAT, READING IS A MYSTERY TO THEM.

THEY THINK IT'S A SORT OF MAGIC THAT OTHER KIDS CAN DO AND THEY CAN'T.

AND THEIR EXPERIENCE LEADS TO THEIR CONNECTION WITH READING; THEIR EMOTIONAL CONNECTION.

IF IT IS DIFFICULT AND THEY'RE NOT SUCCESSFUL, THEY DON'T ENJOY IT AND SO THEY AVOID IT AND THAT AVOIDANCE, OF COURSE, MEANS THEY'RE NOT PRACTICING TO GET BETTER.

WHILE THEIR PEERS WHO ARE GOOD READERS LOVE IT AND READ AS MUCH AS THEY CAN.

SO THEY'RE SETTING-- THEY'RE BEING SET UP BY THE SYSTEM TO AVOID SOMETHING THAT THEY DESPERATELY NEED AND TO NOT GET THE TYPE OF INSTRUCTION THEY NEED.

PARENTS, MEANWHILE, ARE BEING TOLD, SOME OF THE MYTHS WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THE RESEARCH, THINGS LIKE WELL, YOUR CHILD WILL CATCH ON A LITTLE BIT LATER.

AND THE RESEARCH IS VERY CLEAR THAT SIGNIFICANT DEFICITS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CURVE, THEY DON'T IMPROVE ON THEIR OWN.

THEY NEED AN INTERVENTION.

SO IT TURNS INTO A WAITING GAME.

AT WHAT POINT IS MY CHILD FAR ENOUGH BEHIND THAT THEY FINALLY WILL GET THE INSTRUCTION THEY NEED AND SOMETIMES THAT COMES AT TOO LATE AN AGE TO REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HOW NEUROPLASTIC THE BRAIN IS AT THAT YOUNG AGE.

IT'S EASIER TO DO INTERVENTION EARLY.

>> AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT STRUGGLE EARLY ON CAN LEAD TO CONFIDENCE AND OTHER AREAS OF SCHOOL AND IT CAN JUST BE DETRIMENTAL.

LET'S GO BACK HERE A FEW YEARS AND TALK ABOUT HOW THIS BECAME A PRIORITY IN FRANKFORT.

OBVIOUSLY, THE NUMBERS WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER ARE DRAMATIC.

YEAR LONG INVESTIGATION BY THE "COURIER JOURNAL" HIGHLIGHTED THOSE DISPARITIES.

DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES WHO HOW TO TEACH READING.

AND SOME OF THEM JUST SIMPLY WERE NOT WORKING.

SO THAT PROMPTED SOME DISTRICTS TO CHANGE TO THIS NEW APPROACH.

BUT IT WASN'T REQUIRED UNTIL NOW.

SO I'LL START WITH YOU, SENATOR WEST, TO EXPLAIN HOW THIS ALL CAME TO YOUR ATTENTION AND THEN WHAT PROMPTED DRAFTING THE READ TO SUCCEED ACT.

>> SURE.

SO I'M GOING TO PUT A PLUG IN HERE FOR SREB.

THE STATE OF KENTUCKY BELONGS TO A READING CONSORTIUM, THE SOUTHERN READING EDUCATIONAL BOARD.

WE GO TO CONFERENCES IN THE SUMMER AND CO-CHAIR TIPTON AND I WERE AT A CONFERENCE PROBABLY AROUND FIVE YEARS AGO.

THAT'S WHERE WE FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THE MISSISSIPPI MIRACLE, OR THE MISSISSIPPI APPROACH TO EARLY LITERACY.

AND WE TALKED AND THOUGHT, THIS IS EASY.

THIS OBVIOUSLY WE SHOULD BE DOING THIS AS A STATE.

THIS IS A DIRECTION WE NEED TO GO.

THEY WERE AT THE BOTTOM AND THEY IMMEDIATELY CATAPULTED TO 21 IN THE UNITED STATES AND SO NAIVELY, WE THOUGHT WITH WE GET BACK TO FRANKFORT, WE'RE GOING TO FILE A BILL AND THIS IS GOING TO BE EASY AND WE'LL GET IT THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE AND WE'LL LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

THAT IS NO THE WHAT HAPPENED.

THERE ARE POLITICS INVOLVED IN FRANKFORT SO IT TOOK US THREE OR FOUR YEARS OF HARD WORK, WORKING TOGETHER.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BIPARTISAN EFFORTS.

WE WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH KDE.

I WANT TO THANK MICKI RAY AND AMANDA ELLIS FOR WORKING CLOSELY WITH US AT KDE.

WE HAVE AN OVERIT-- OVERSIGHT IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, 60% OF OUR STATE BUDGET GOES TO EDUCATION AND WE LOOKED AT OUR NAPE SCORES WHEN CARE FIRST CAME OUT IN '93, WE HAD SEEN A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.

BUT THAT HAD PLATEAUED AND OUR SCORES WERE ON THE DECLINE.

AND WE KNEW SOMETHING HAD TO CHANGE, SOMETHING WAS NOT WORKING IN KENTUCKY.

AND SOMETHING WAS NOT WORKING IN OUR ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED AREAS, WEST END OF LOUISVILLE AND OTHER PLACES.

SO WE REALIZED THAT SOMETHING HAD TO CHANGE QUICKLY.

AND WE WORKED FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO GET SENATE BILL 9 ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.

>> REPRESENTATIVE TIPTON, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS LEGISLATION THABD WHY THESE PARTICULAR THINGS ENDED UP IN THE LEGISLATION.

>> SURE, THANK YOU, KELSEY FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.

THIS IS SUCH A CRITICAL ISSUE.

LIKE SENATOR WEST MENTIONED, WE RELIED HEAVILY ON SREB.

WE MODELED THIS LEGISLATION VERY HEAVILY AFTER WHAT WAS PASSED IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI IN 2013.

WE WORKED WITH MICKI AND THEM OVER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

AND ESSENTIALLY THERE ARE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THIS LEGISLATION.

THE FIRST PART IS WHAT I WILL REFER TO AS THE UNIVERSAL SCREENER.

WE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE THE CHILDREN ARE.

SO WE REQUIRE THE DISTRICTS USE-- AND WE USE THE TERM EVIDENCE-BASED.

WE THINK THAT'S KEY.

IT HAS TO BE EVIDENCE-BASED.

UNIVERSAL SCREENERS WERE TO BE SELECTED TO IDENTIFY THESE STUDENTS.

STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIALLY HAVING A PROBLEM.

THE NEXT PHASE IS A DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT.

AND NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE THE CORRECT TOOL.

THE TEACHERS HAVE TO BE TRAINED ON HOW TO USE THAT TOOL.

SO THAT'S PART OF THE LEGISLATION.

I THINK ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT OF THIS LEGISLATION IS WE RECOGNIZE THAT MOST OF OUR TEACHERS HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED IN THE SCIENCE OF READING.

SO IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THAT'S WHERE THE LETTERS PROGRAM CAME IN.

WE NOT ONLY PASSED THE LEGISLATION IN 2022, WE WERE ALSO SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING MONEY APPROPRIATED TO FUND THIS PROJECT BECAUSE HAVE YOU TO HAVE THE RESOURCE ARE AVAILABLE TO DO THAT.

SO WE ARE JUST FINISHING UP THE FIRST YEAR.

THE FIRST COHORT OF PEOPLE OF THE TEACHERS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE LETTERS TRAINING ABOUT 100.

RIGHT NOW THE DEPARTMENT IS IN THE PROCESS OF SIGNING UP THE SECOND COHORT.

AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S ABOUT 2300 TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THAT.

SO THAT IS VERY ENCOURAGING BUT WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE THAT WORK.

THE NEXT PHASE IS PART OF THE LEGISLATION IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A COACHING MODEL.

COACHES-- I MAY BE STEALING KDE'S THUNDER A LITTLE BIT BUT IT'S ALL PART OF THE BILL THAT COACHES WILL GO OUT AND HELP WITH THAT AND THEY SECTION THING IS THAT IT IS TIER ONE INSTRUCTION.

SO MANY TIMES WE WAIT UNTIL THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT THE SCIENCE OF READING IS DEVELOPING TIER 1 INSTRUCTION.

LATER WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TEACHER PREP AND THAT'S AN ESSENTIAL PART OF IT AS WELL.

THOSE ARE THE KEY COMPONENTS OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO HERE IS TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS THAT HAVE THE PROBLEM AND PROVIDE THIS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SO THE TEACHERS HAVE THIS AND CAN PROVIDE THIS TIER 1 INSTRUCTION IN FIVE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF READING.

>> IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD ABOUT THE TAKEAWAY ABOUT THE LEGISLATION AND THAT YOU ARE IMPLEMENTING IT?

>> I'M HAPPY TO SHARE.

AND I WANT TO START WITH THE READING IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

AND THE DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT IF THEY EXHIBIT CHARACTERISTICS OF BEING AT RISK NOT MEETING THE BENCHMARK, IT ALLOWS THE STUDENTS ACCESS TO A SPECIALIZED READING IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

AND IT IS DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT THEY HAVE MORE TIME AND MORE PRACTICE AROUND THE SPECIFIC SKILLS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THAT DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT SO IT'S NOT JUST A COOKIE CUTTER SORT OF APPROACH TO INSTRUCTION AND INTERVENTION.

IT IS TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO THE NEEDS OF THAT INDIVIDUAL STUDENT AND I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE THE IMPACT OF THAT PLAN GOING INTO 23 AND 24.

ANOTHER PART OF THAT PLAN IS THE CONNECTION TO FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SO WE KNOW THAT HAVE YOU TO BRING IN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT THAT STUDENT BOTH AT HOME AND AS THEY'RE ENGAGING IN THE CLASSROOM.

SO WHEN THE READING IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS DEVELOPED, THE PARENT IS A PART OF THAT AND THE SCHOOL NOW HAS ACCESS TO A READ AT HOME PLAN SO THAT PARENTS CAN ALSO PROVIDE EXTRA SUPPORT AT HOME IN A WAY THAT IS MANAGEABLE FOR THEM BUT ALSO NARROWED DOWN TO THE SPECIFIC SKILLS THAT THE STUDENT WOULD NEED TO PRACTICE IN ORDER TO REACH THE BENCHMARK.

>> WE MENTIONED THE LETTERS TRAINING WHICH IS LETRS, CHRISTIE, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN WAS THAT IS AND HOW TEACHERS ARE LEARNING THIS.

>> LANGUAGE ESSENTIALS FOR TEACHERS OF READING AND SPELLING.

AND THAT HAS BEEN A CATALYST FOR OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND AS REPRESENTATIVE TIPTON SAID, 1800 WENT THROUGH THE FIRST COHORT.

THEY'RE ABOUT TO START YEAR TWO OF THAT TRAINING.

AND THEN WE CURRENTLY HAVE REGISTRATION OPEN FOR COHORT 2 AND WE HAVE AROUND 2300 CURRENTLY SUNNED UP TO TAKE THAT.

BUT IT'S THE FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING.

IT'S HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS TO READ.

IT'S INFORMATION THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR AND HAVE BEEN DESPERATELY SEEKING FOR A LONG TIME AND I HEAR THAT FROM A LOT OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE LETRS COHORT SAYING THIS IS THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT I NEVER KNEW I NEED AND NOW THAT I HAVE IT, I'M EXCITED TO PUT IT INTO PLACE.

THE LETTERS INSTRUCTION GOES THROUGH THE COMPONENTS OF LITERACY, THE PHONICS, COMPREHENSION AND FLUENCY AND TEACHERS OUR TEACHERS HOW TO TEACH READING.

HOW THE BRAIN WORKS, YOU KNOW, AS HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE SCIENCE BEHIND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.

BECAUSE ONCE YOU KNOW THE HOW, YOU UNDERSTAND THE WHY AND THE WHAT REALLY BECOMES APPARENT.

SO THAT'S REALLY ESSENTIALLY WHAT THE LETTERS PROGRAM IS DOING FOR OUR TEACHERS.

IT'S TEACHING THEM HOW TO TEACH READING.

>> STATE REPRESENTATIVE TINA BOJANOWSKI IS ALSO INVOLVED AS A CO-SPONSOR OF THIS LEGISLATION.

AND SHE IS IN A UNIQUE POSITION AS A LEGISLATOR AND CURRENT TEACHER IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.

SHE IS GOING THROUGH THIS LETRS TRAINING PROGRAM RIGHT NOW SO WE DISCUSSED SOME OF HER TAKEAWAYS IN THE STUDIO INTERVIEW.

>> I THINK THAT THE MORE TEACHERS WE HAVE TRAINED IN THE LETRS PROGRAM AND THE MORE CHILDREN WHO GAIN THESE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS, THE STRONGER READERS THEY WILL BE AS THEY GO THROUGH THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH AND HIGHER GRADES.

>> AND IT IS SO IMPORTANT IN THOSE EARLY YEARS.

>> YES.

>> FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE AS AN EDUCATOR, IF THOSE STUDENTS AREN'T LEARNING IN THOSE EARLY YEARS, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT AND THEN WHAT ABOUT THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE DYSLEXIA OR OTHER PROBLEMS READING.

>> THEY SAY IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE MATTHEW EFFECT.

IF YOU GET THE READING AND ABOUT 60% OF THE KIDS LEARN TO READ NO MATTER WHAT WE PRESENT TO THEM.

THEY READ MORE.

AND WHEN YOU READ MORE, THEN YOU BECOME STRONGER READERS.

AND SO THE FURTHER BEHIND A STUDENT BECOMES, THE MORE FRUSTRATED, THE MORE THEY TUNE OUT AND THE HARDER IT IS TO GET THEM BACK ON TRACK AND THE MORE THEY MISS OUT IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THERE.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET THIS ON ALL ANGLES.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO TRAINING THE TEACHERS, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO PARENT EDUCATION.

DO THE TEACHER PREP PROGRAMS.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THE SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES.

IN ORDER TO IMPROVE LITERACY IN OUR STATE, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.

>> AND YOU SAY IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME.

>> YES.

ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PUTTING A LOT OF MONEY INTO THIS, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATED $10 MILLION A YEAR AND KDE APPROPRIATED SOME OF THEIR MONEY FROM THE COVID PANDEMIC, AND THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

AND I'M AFRAID THAT THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR IMMEDIATE RESULTS ON THE END OF YEAR TESTING IN THIRD GRADE.

WELL, IF WE REALLY HUNKER DOWN AND WORK EXPLICITLY ON THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS, BUT WE ARE MEASURING ONLY READING COMPREHENSION, WE ARE NOT GOING TO SEE THAT GROWTH FOR A WHILE.

SO MY CAVEAT IS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MEASURE WHAT WE ARE PUTTING OUR EMPHASIS ON AND THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS, THEY'RE IN OUR STANDARDS.

WE HAVE EXCELLENT STANDARDS.

BUT RIGHT NOW OUR END OF THE YEAR TESTS DON'T MEASURE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE NEXT SESSION, SOME CHANGES TO OUR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM TO MEASURE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS SO WE CAN KNOW, AS STUDENTS ARE PROGRESSING THROUGH THE EARLIER GRADES, HOW ARE THEY MOVING THROUGH THAT BASIC READING, TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SAY YES THIS CHILD CAN READ OR CAN'T READ AS OPPOSED TO ALL OF THE PIECES THAT GO INTO READING COMPREHENSION WHICH IS MUCH MORE COMPLEX THAN THE BASIC READING ASPECT.

>> SO LET'S START ADDRESSING THAT CONCERN.

HOW ARE THE RESULTS GOING TO BE MEASURED?

MICKI, I'LL START WITH YOU.

TELL US THE PLAN FOR MEASURING PROGRESS.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

SO WE ARE ABLE TO SEE FROM OUR LEXIA PARTNERS, WHO WE HAVE A STATEWIDE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE LETRS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND WE GET BOTH MONTHLY AND QUARTERLY REPORTS.

AND SO WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE BY THE PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING THINGS WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW THE EDUCATORS ARE PERFORMING ON THE PRETEST VERSUS THE POST TEST, IT'S A 30% INCREASE IN THEIR LEARNING FROM WHAT THEY WOULD SCORE ON THAT OPENING TEST BEFORE THE LEARNING TO AFTER THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE LEARNING OVER THE UNIT SO WE HAVE BEEN SO ENCOURAGED BY THAT ALONE BUT IN DIGS TO THAT, CHRISTIE HAD QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTED FROM OUR PHASE 1 PARTICIPANTS.

SO IN JANUARY OF 2022, WE SURVEYED, WE SENT OUT THE SURVEY TO THE 1800 PARTICIPANTS.

433 RESPONDED.

AND THE FEEDBACK WAS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE.

SO OVER 95% OF TEACHERS SAID THIS WAS ANY LEARNING FOR THEM.

THEY ALSO SHARED THAT IT WAS RELEVANT TO THE ROLE AND THAT IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WE HAVE ADMINISTRATORS.

WE HAVE INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES.

AND WE HAVE CLASSROOM TEACHERS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE LEARNING AS WELL.

AND THEN 93% SUGGESTED THAT WHAT THEY WERE LEARNING AS A PART OF LETRS WAS IMMEDIATELY IMPACTING THE STUDENTS AND THEIR CLASSROOMS AND SO THAT IS WHY WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE DOING.

WE WANT TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THE STUDENT OUTCOMES AND SO WE HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS OF MEASURING THAT.

AND THE LAST THING I'LL MENTION, WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY EVALUATION.

SO, OF COURSE, WE HAVE SELECTED LETTERS AND IT IS PROVEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER STATES.

BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF THE FUNDING AND THAT WAS WE ARE DOING IS WORKING FOR KENTUCKY TEACHERS, THAT IT IS GOING TO IMPACT STUDENT OUTCOMES IN KENTUCKY SPECIFICALLY.

SO WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS ALL THREE OF THOSE FOR BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA.

>> AND REPRESENTATIVE TIPTON, I'LL ASK YOU, ARE THERE SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PLAN GETS THE TIME THAT IT NEEDS AS REPRESENTATIVE TINA BOJANOWSKI POINTED OUT.

>> SURE.

I THINK SHE IS CORRECT.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO SEE IMMEDIATE RESULTS IN OUR TEST SCORES OF OUR STUDENTS.

I THINK CHAIR WEST AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

THIS IS A PROCESS.

IT TAKES TIME.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE MISSISSIPPI MODEL, THEY DID NOT SEE THEIR SCORES INCREASE OVERNIGHT.

IT TOOK SOME TIME.

IT TOOK SOME CONCERTED EFFORT AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS.

SO I KNOW THAT I AM SHARING THIS WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT THIS IS A PROCESS, THAT THE REWARDS WILL COME DOWN THE ROAD.

I'M CONFIDENT OF THAT.

BUT AND I AM PERSONALLY COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE THE FUNDING TO SEE THIS THROUGH.

>> SO WHILE THIS IS A NEW CONCEPT FOR SOME SCHOOLS, THERE ARE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN TEACHING THIS MODEL OF LITERACY FOR SOMETIME, ALLOWING US TO ALREADY SEE SOME OF THAT PROGRESS AND MEASURE IT.

ONE OF THOSE DISTRICTS IS IN HANCOCK COUNTY AND OUR LAURA ROGERS TAKE US THERE.

>> AWESOME.

THIS IS LETTER M BOYS AND GIRLS.

>> IT'S THE FOURTH DAY OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR AT NORTH HANCOCK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

>> IT HAS JUST MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE WITH KIDS AND HOW QUICKLY THEY LEARN.

>> AND THESE KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ARE LEARNING THEIR FIRST LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET.

>> IT GETS KIDS EXCITED BECAUSE IT INVOLVES SO MANY DIFFERENT MODALITIES, TO SEE THEIR MOUTH FORMATION IN THE MIRROR HAS MADE SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR SPEECH KIDS.

>> HANCOCK COUNTY SCHOOLS BEGAN IMPLEMENTING THE SCIENCE OF READING TWO YEARS AGO WITH THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW SUPERINTENDENT WHO HAD PERSONALLY SEEN ITS SUCCESS.

>> MY SON WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DYSLEXIA IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND ONCE HE RECEIVED THE GILLINGHAM APPROACH TO READING, HE FLOURISHED.

>> TRY MEANS... >> TRAINING TEACHERS IN A READING APPROACH BASED ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INTO HOW THE BRAIN PROCESSES WRITTEN LANGUAGE.

>> I'VE TAUGHT KINDERGARTEN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

I WOULD WORK WITH KIDS AND THEY WOULD BE STRUGGLING AND I KNEW THAT WAS THE MISSING PIECE THAT I HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

I TRIED DURING MY TRAINING.

>> SHE IS CERTIFIED EDUCATOR.

>> WE HAVE SEEN TREMENDOUS GROWTH OUT OF OUR STUDENTS.

THEY CATCH ON VERY EASILY BECAUSE IT'S HANDS ON, MULTISENSORY INSTRUCTION.

>> SHE BELIEVES MUCH OF THE SUCCESS OF THE SCIENCE OF READING APPROACH IS THE METHODOLOGY.

>> WE CAN'T UNDERESTIMATE THE SEQUENTIAL PART OF IT AND GOING IN AN ORDER THAT MAKES SENSE TO STUDENTS.

>> A.

>> YOU CAN'T HAP HAZARDLY TEACH READING.

IT'S A SEQUENCE AND HAVE YOU TO FOLLOW THE SEQUENCE.

>> A MAGIC... >> SHE PROVIDES SUPPORT TO OTHER TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT WHO HAVE EACH UNDERGONE 90 HOURS OF BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON TRAINING.

>> THEY HAVE SAID THIS IS SOME OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL WORK THEY HAVE DONE THEIR ENTIRE CAREERS BECAUSE THEY SEE THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES WITH THEIR STUDENTS.

>> THEY'RE SEEING, FEELING AND HEARING AND WHEN YOU COMBINE IT TOGETHER, IT MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER THAN ME STANDING IN FRONT OF THEM SAYING THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SAID OO.

>> THE SCHOOLS ARE WORKING TO CLOSE THE GAP AFTER A DECADE OF DISMAL READING SCORES ACROSS THE STATE AND LEARNING LOSS DURING THE PANDEMIC.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKE HANCOCK COUNTY ARE ACTIVELY LAYING A FOUNDATION FOR STUDENTS TO BUILD ON YEAR AFTER YEAR.

>> WITH ALL THE TEACHERS GETTING THE TRAINING, ALL THE TEACHERS ARE SPEAKING A COMMON LANGUAGE SO WHEN STUDENTS MOVE FROM GRADE TO GRADE, THEY'RE HEARING SIMILAR INFORMATION.

THEY'RE HEARING THE SAME VERBIAGE.

THEY'RE HEARING SAME TERMINOLOGY.

>> WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK?

>> I THINK YOU ARE SEEING THAT LIGHT BULB WHERE THE AHA GOES OFF AND KIDS ARE ABLE TO MAKE CONNECTIONS THAT MAYBE WE DIDN'T SEE IN THE PAST.

>> STUDENTS ARE LEADING THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND LEADING THESE APPROACHES TO LITERACY.

I LOVE SEEING THE ENGAGEMENT IN THE CLASSROOMS AND SEEING THE STUDENTS LIKE REALLY PICK UP ON ALL THESE SKILLS, MORE THAN I EVER HAVE.

>> YOU DO IT WITH YOUR FINGER.

>> THE SCIENCE OF READING INCLUDES PHONOLOGICAL AWARE FESS THAT PARENTS CAN BEGIN AT HOME BEFORE KINDERGARTEN, TEACHING CHILDREN RHYME AND ALLITERATION.

>> THIS IS THEIR CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND THE LETTERS AND THOSE SOUNDS BECAUSE FROM THERE, WE TAKE AND START TO READ THOSE SIMPLE CONS NAT VOWEL CONS NAT WORDS AND THEN THEY'RE MOVING TO MOVE AND THEN AS THEY MOVE UP THROUGH THE GRADE LEVELS, THINGS COME SO MUCH MORE NATURALLY IF THEY HAVE THE FOUNDATION OF LETTERS AND SOUNDS.

>> THAT YOUR MOUTH IS CLOSED.

YOUR LIPS ARE TOGETHER.

>> THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ALSO FOCUSED ON EARLY INTERVENTION AND SMALL GROUPS FOR STUDENTS THAT MAY BE STRUGGLING.

>> WE ARE GIVING INTERVENTIONS AT THE 30 PERCENTILE AND BELOW AND A LOT OF DISTRICTS ARE ONLY DO 10 PERCENTILE AND BELOW BUT WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE THE OTHER 20% MORE HELP.

>>YID INDICATORS SAY THE SCIENCE OF READING WITH HANDS ON MULTISENSORY INSTRUCTION IS A BETTER BAY TO TEACH CHILDREN TO READ.

>> IT'S THE BEST READING PROGRAM OUT THERE FOR ALL STUDENTS.

>> THIS TYPE OF SENTENCE IS WHAT?

>> I THINK WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE BENEFITS DOWN THE ROAD FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

>> CL SAYS... LP SAYS... >> SO YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND IT SEEMS LIKE A NO BRAINER, RIGHT?

BUT AS SENATOR WEST MENTIONED, THIS TOOK A LONG TIME FOR EVERYBODY TO GET ON BOARD.

AND CHRISTIE, YOU WORKED CORRECTLY I AM-- DIRECTLY IMPLEMENTING THIS WITH SCHOOLS.

ARE THERE DISTRICTS THAT ARE STILL PUSHING BACK WITH THIS?

AND WHY IT TAKES SO LONG TO GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE?

>> I ACTUALLY, WE HAVE SEEN QUITE THE OPPOSITE FROM OUR DISTRICTS.

THEY HAVE REALLY EMBRACED THE LEARNING.

AS I SAID EARLIER, THEY WANTED THIS.

THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE MISSING UNTIL IT WAS PRESENTED TO THEM.

AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO POINT OUR TEACHERS AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS WHO HAVE REACHED OUT AND ARE LEARNING THROUGH OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING ABOUT HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS TO READ AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO POINT THEM TO PLACES LIKE HANCOCK COUNTY THAT WE JUST SAW AND PLACED LIKE CORBIN INDEPENDENT WHERE THEY ACTUALLY THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EARLY LITERACY AND HER TEAM IMPLEMENTED STRUCTURED LITERACY AND HAD A HIGH QUALITY COMPREHENSIVE READING PROGRAM A YEAR OR TWO BEFORE THE ACT WAS CREATED.

SO WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO POINT DISTRICTS IN THOSE DIRECTIONS BECAUSE WE LIKE THOSE SUCCESS STORIES.

WE LIKE TO SEE EXAMPLES AS EDUCATORS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

HOW DID YOU IMPLEMENT THAT IN YOUR DISTRICT AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR DISTRICT.

WE HAVE A LOT OF EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS.

MY OWN HOME DISTRICT MONROE COUNTY, STARTED WITH THE LETTERS TRAINING LAST YEAR AND THEY REALIZED THROUGH THE LEARNING VERY QUICKLY, WE ARE MISSING PIECES.

MY INSTRUCTION THAT I'M GETTING WITH LETTERS DOES NOT ALIGN TO WHAT I'M DOING IN THE CLASSROOM.

SO THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE SOME SHIFTS IMMEDIATELY IN THEIR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.

AND THEY WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET SOME SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES IMPLEMENTED AND THEY SAW HUGE GAINS WITH STUDENTS IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

SO WE ARE SEEING THAT SUCCESS WITH THIS NEW LEARNING.

SO DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, EDUCATORS WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR STUDENTS.

THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.

ALL EDUCATORS HAVE THE HEART FOR STUDENTS.

WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS BEST.

SOMETIMES WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS BUT WHEN WE ARE POINTING IN THAT RIGHT DIRECTION, WE ABSOLUTELY WANT TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS IN KENTUCKY.

>> SENATOR WEST, I'LL ASK YOU BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED HOW LONG IT TOOK TO GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE AND WHAT IS THE TIMELINE NOW GETTING EVERYBODY THERE?

>> WELL, MICKI CAN SPEAK MORE TO THE CURRENT TIMELINE, BUT I JUST WANT TO GO BACK QUICKLY TO SOMETHING SHE STATED.

IN THE BILL LANGUAGE, WE COULD HAVE MANDATED THAT THIS BE CARRIED OUT ACROSS THE STATE IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE BILL.

WE CHOSE NOT TO DO THAT.

AND CO-CHAIR TIPTON AND MYSELF, OUR VIEW, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WERE THAT IT WOULD TAKE CARE OF ITSELF, AND SO THOSE DISTRICTS THAT WEREN'T ON BOARD, ONCE ALL THE DISTRICTS AROUND THOSE DISTRICTS STARTED IMPLEMENTING THIS AND THEY COULD SEE THE SUCCESS, WE KNEW THERE WOULD BE -- WE FELT THERE WOULD BE BUY-IN AND FRANKLY, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD TAKE LONGER THAN IT HAS.

SO IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING A LOT QUICKER THAN WE EXPECTED.

REPRESENTATIVE TINA BOJANOWSKI STATED IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME.

FROM THE BEGINNING WE EXPECTED TWO TO THREE YEARS.

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO SEE ANY REAL RESULTS FOR TO OR THREE YEARS, BUT ANYTHING AHEAD OF THAT IS EXTRA ICING ON THE CAKE.

AND GOING BACK TO OUR CONVERSATION, WE JUST GOT BACK FROM ANOTHER CONFERENCE, SRBE CONFERENCE AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

THERE IS MORE WORK TO DO IN THIS SPACE.

OUR NEXT PHASE 2 AND PHASE 3, WE ARE GOING TO BE TAKING A LOOK AT POSTSECONDARY AND THAT ROLE AND WHAT WE DO THERE.

AND THEN WE WILL BE LOOKING AT HIGHER GRADE LEVELS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE PUSH THIS ON INTO THE HIGHER GRADES OF ELEMENTARY.

BUT WE HAVE A GOOD TEAM THAT KDE ASSEMBLED AND WE ARE TICKLED TO DEATH THE PROGRESS.

>> SO THAT NEXT PART THAT YOU MENTIONED, TRAINING THE TEACHERS I KNOW MANY TEACHERS ARE BEING TRAINED RIGHT NOW, JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS JUST TRAINED 3,000 TEACHERS IN THAT LETTERS TRAINING OVER THE SUMMER.

WE WENT THERE AND VISITED THAT TRAINING.

HERE'S WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT.

>> THE TEACHERS ARE TAKING PART IN A K-8 ELA TRAINING DISTRICT WIDE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE READY FOR LITERACY GOING INTO NEXT YEAR AND THAT WE HAVE A TIER 1 OR COMMON CURRICULUM AS WE APPROACH 23-24.

ELA IS ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS MOST COMMONLY PEOPLE WOULD REFER TO THAT AS YOUR PHONIC IS, PHONIC AWARENESS AND FLUENCY.

>> WE ARE LOOKING AT TAKING THE CURRICULUM FROM BEING A MILE WIDE TO TAKING THE CURRICULUM AND MAKING IT A MILE DEEP SO ALL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO AUTHENTIC CURRICULUM.

STUDENTS STRUGGLE WITH IT, WE WANT THEM TO DO.

THEY CALL IT GRAPPLING.

WE CALL IT THE PRODUCTIVE STRUGGLE.

I THINK AS THEY DO THAT, IT IS GOING TO HELP STUDENTS TO DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THINGS WHERE THEY'RE NOT JUST AT A SURFACE LEVEL BUT EVALUATING THINGS.

>> BEFORE WE HAD OVER 150 DIFFERENT CURRICULA OR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WERE BEING USED.

WE NEVER HAD A COMMON LANGUAGE OR CONSISTENT EXPECTATIONS ACROSS ALL GREAT LEAFS.

SO FOR THE FIRST TIME WE ARE ABLE TO SPEAK A COMMON LANGUAGE WITH A COMMON FOCUS LITERACY, ADDRESS SOME OF THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILL GAPS WE HAVE SEEN FOR SO MANY YEARS BUT NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO BUILD MOMENTUM TO ADDRESS.

AND WILL YOU FIND TEACHERS HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME GET TO COLLABORATE ACROSS SCHOOLS, NOT JUST IN THEIR SCHOOL TEAMS SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING WHEN WE LOOK AT THE COUNCIL OF GREAT CITY SCHOOLS WHICH WE ARE A PART OF, WE ALSO NOTICE THAT MOST OF THEM ARE USING A TIER 1 OR CORE CURRICULUM.

SO WE ARE NOW MUCH MORE ON PACE WITH OTHER DISTRICTS OUR SIZE TO ADDRESS THOSE TIER 1 SUPPORTS WHICH MEANS ALL STUDENTS ARE GETTING A COMMON CORE CURRICULUM AT ELA.

>> WE ARE SUCH A HUGE DISTRICT AND WE ARE VERY TRANSIENT, TOO.

STUDENTS GO FROM ONE SCHOOL TO ANOTHER.

A CHILD MIGHT GO FROM MY SCHOOL TO JOSH'S SCHOOL.

AND STUDENT MIGHT GET LOST BUT NOW WITH THIS NEW CURRICULUM, IF A STUDENT GOES FROM MY SCHOOL OR JOSH'S SCHOOL OR ANY SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT, STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE COMMON LANGUAGE AND BE WILL ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THAT'S MONUMENT FOR OUR DISTRICT.

>> WE HAVE ENCOURAGES SUBS TO GET TRAINED.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER SUB DAY TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR KIDS AND ADDITIONAL VIRTUAL TRAINING FOR ANY NEW TEACHERS HIRED.

THE GOAL IS THAT EVERYONE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT LITERACY.

>> I FEEL LIKE I WAS TIP TOEING WHEN I CAME IN BUT TODAY I FEEL LIKE I PUT THE WHOLE BOOT IN THE WATER AND WE ARE READY TO GO FOR DAY ONE.

>> SO THAT SHOWS HOW CURRENT TEACHERS ARE LEARNING IN THIS NEW WAY.

BUT TO GO BACK TO WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER, TEACHING THOSE PRESERVICE TEACHERS.

Y WITH WELCOME Dr. DAVID WHALEY, DEAN OF THE EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION AT MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY.

MURRAY STATE JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED AN A RATING FROM THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TEACHER QUALITY WHEN IT COMES TO HOW TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTING THIS SCIENCE-BASED READING INSTRUCTION.

SO TELL US YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THIS SHIFT AND HOW ARE YOU ALL FOCUSING ON GETTING NEW TEACHERS PREPARED?

>> WELL, WE HAVE, AT MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY, WE HAVE ABOUT 850 PRESERVICE TEACHERS IN THE PIPELINE.

AND SO IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PRESERVICE TEACHERS, WHEN THEY GRADUATE, THEY BECOME TEACHERS THAT ARE WELL VERSED AND WELL EDUCATED IN THE SCIENCE OF READING AND SO WE HAVE, SINCE 2022, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A PROGRAM THAT HAS FOUR READING CLASSES, FOUR READING COURSES.

IN FACT, WE JUST FINISHED DEVELOPING OUR LAST ONE, WHICH IS A READING DIAGNOSTICS CLASS.

AND WE HAVE ADDED TO THOSE COURSES APPROXIMATELY 200 HOURS OF PRACTICAL PRACTICUM EXPERIENCES SO EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS GOING THROUGH OUR INTERDISCIPLINARY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM OR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION PROGRAM IS GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND 200 HOURS IN THE FIELD.

NOT JUST WITH ONE TEACHER BUT WITH MANY TEACHERS, AND IN THE PROCESS OF SPENDING TIME, THEY WILL SPEND TIME ONE ON ONE WITH STUDENTS WHERE THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIAGNOSE, WHERE THIS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP NEW CURRICULUM, TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW CURRICULUM, TO MONITOR IT AND TO MAKE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY.

BUT WE KNOW THAT TEACHER EDUCATION CANNOT OPERATE IN A VACUUM, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED AS A PARTNER WITH TEACHERS, WITH THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WITH OUR STATE LEGISLATORS, WITH MANY OTHERS.

AND SO WHAT WE DO ON A REGULAR BASIS, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR READING FACULTY, AS WELL AS OUR OTHER FACULTY ARE CURRENT IN TERMS OF PHONICS, FON EEMIC AWARENESS PHONEMIC AWARENESS.

WE HAVE TEACHER MEETINGS.

TWO OF OUR FACULTY RECENTLY CAME BACK AND SAID THEY HAD A MEETING WITH INSTRUCTIONAL SPUFERS AND THEY WANTED TO TWEAK THE PHONICS AND PHONEMIC AWARENESS COMPONENTS OF OUR PROGRAM AND THEY DID SO AND WE FEEL VERY SOLID AND VERY GOOD ABOUT THE TYPE OF READING EDUCATION, THE SCIENCE OF READING THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE GETTING.

WE FEEL VERY PROUD OF THAT.

WE THINK THAT-- MY FAVORITE TOPIC IS TO TALK ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES AND TO RECEIVE A LETTER GRADE OF A FROM THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TEACHER QUALITY SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE FACT THAT NOT ONLY HAVE OUR INTERDISCIPLINARY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ELEMENTARY EDUCATION TEACHERS ACCEPTED THIS, AND ADOPTED THIS, BUT WE HAVE EMBEDDED THE SCIENCE OF READING THROUGHOUT OUR PROGRAM, THROUGHOUT EVEN SOME OF THE HIGHER GRADES OF LEARNING THAT GO ON.

>> BUT MURRAY STATE IS AMONG JUST 23% OF PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE.

AND ONLY 4 IN KENTUCKY TO GET THIS A RATING ON A NATIONAL REPORT.

SO, IN FACT, OUR LARGEST UNIVERSITYIES DID NOT FAIR SO WELL ON THIS NATIONAL REVIEW.

SO I'LL ASK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE TIPTON, WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT ASHED WHAT IS THE PLAN TO GET THE PRESERVICE TEACHERS ON THE SAME PAGE?

>> I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION, KELSEY.

I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN REVIEWING THE REPORTS FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.

I WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE THAT MANY OF OUR PRESERVICE TEACHER PROGRAMS WERE NOT FAIRING WELL ON HOW THEY TEACH READING.

I RECENTLY ATTENDED A MEETING AND I THINK PART OF THE EFFORT IS, AND CHAIR WEST AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT, WE ARE GOING TO REACH OUT TO OUR TEACHER PREP PROGRAMS AND OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES NOT ONLY OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUT ALSO OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

AND WE WANT TO ENGAGE THEM IN THIS CONVERSATION.

WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE TO THEM THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT CHANGE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT WORDS IN THE HUMAN LANGUAGE.

WE ALL DO NOT REACT WELL TO CHANGE, BUT SOMETIMES CHANGE IS IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW, THEY SAY THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY, YOU CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND EXPECT THE DIFFERENT RESULTS.

THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE BEEN A LOT IN TEACHING READING.

I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS ENGAGE MANY AND-- IS ENGAGEMENT.

I HAVE HAD ONE MEETING.

I WENT TO A CONFERENCE AND I'M GOING TO FOLLOW UP AND I KNOW CHAIR WEST IS GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT AS WELL, JUST ENGAGING OUR TEACHER PREP PROGRAMS AND HOW CAN WE WORK WITH THEM TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS ISSUE.

>> SENATOR WEST, YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THAT?

>> I WASN'T TO CHIME IN REAL QUICKLY TO PIGGY BACK ON WHAT CO-CHAIR TIPTON SAID.

THIS IS ONE AREA THAT WE DID MANDATE IN THE BILL.

STARTING IN 2022, THE 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR POST SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS SHALL INCLUDE EVIDENCE-BASED READING INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMMING.

SO THAT IS AN AREA WE FELT WAS SO IMPORTANT AT THAT TIME WE DID MANDATE THAT AT THE POST SECONDARY LEVEL.

>> DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE UNIVERSITY, SOME OF THE OTHER UNIVERSITIES STAND ON THIS?

ARE THEY STARTING TO IMPLEMENT ANYTHING LIKE THIS THAT YOU ALL KNOW OF?

>> ONE OF THE COMMENTS OF THE NTQC SCORE WAS NOT ONLY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SCIENCE OF READING BUT THEY ALSO GAVE SCHOOLS A NEGATIVE RATING IF THEY WERE TEACHING COMPONENTS THAT WERE NEGATIVE.

WE REFERENCED EARLIER LINDSAY REFERENCED THE BALANCED LITERACY.

IN SOME SCHOOLS, THEY STILL TEACH BALANCED LITERACY.

THAT'S PART OF THE REASON SOME OF THE SCHOOLS GOT A NEGATIVE SCORE.

I THINK IT TAKES TIME.

WE HAD A SITUATION IN THE STATE-- WE HAD SEVERAL YEARS AGO COLLABORATIVE CENTER FOR LITERACY DEVELOPMENT WAS DEVELOPED HERE IN THE STATE.

AND THEY HAD BEEN FOCUSED ON BALANCED LITERACY.

IN THE 2023 SESSION, SENATOR WEST SENATE BILL 156, THEY WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE STATUTE, MICKI REFERRED EARLIER TO THE OUTSIDE ENTITY THAT IS GOING TO COME IN AND REVIEW OUR READING PROGRAM.

THAT IS THE OPTION THAT WE'VE GONE TO NOW.

SO WE HAVE TAKEN LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO DIRECT OUR STATE IN THE DIRECTION OF STRUCTURED LITERACY VERSUS BALANCED LITERACY AND NOW I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THAT ACROSS ALL OUR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

>> CHRISTIE, YOU ARE BUILDING THE STATEWIDE LITERACY COACHING MODEL.

SO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS AND DOES THAT INCLUDE BOTH CURRENT AND NEW TEACHERS?

>> WELL, WHAT WE HAVE IS A PHENOMENAL TEAM.

SO WE HAVE FIVE, WHAT WE ARE CALLING STATE REGIONAL LITERACY DIRECTORS AND WE HAVE HIRED 25 STATE LITERACY COACHING SPECIALISTS.

SO THIS IS OUR LITERACY COACHING MODEL TEAM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ARE CALLING THEM.

THEY ARE MOTIVATED, PASSIONATE, VERY SKILLED EDUCATORS THAT WE HAVE HIRED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE OF KENTUCKY TO HELP US IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.

SO THE FIRST YEAR WE ARE GOING TO SPEND THE ENTIRE YEAR POURING INTO OUR LITERACY DIRECTORS AND OUR COACHES AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE A SOLID FOUNDATION IN CONTENT KNOWLEDGE, IN WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS TO READ AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ALL OF THE COMPONENTS THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

SO WE ARE GOING TO SPEND THE ENTIRE YEAR TRAINING THEM, HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING BEFORE WE ACTUALLY PUT THEM INTO SCHOOLS OF HIGHEST NEED.

AND THAT HIGHEST NEED MEANS THAT OUR SCHOOLS IN KENTUCKY THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF NOVICE IN THIRD GRADE READING BECAUSE THAT THIRD GRADE PROFICIENCY, AS IT WAS SAID EARLIER, IS SIGNIFICANT, IT IS IMPORTANT.

WE WANT TO TARGET THOSE SCHOOLS FOR SUPPORT TO HELP THEM DO A NUMBER OF THINGS.

THESE LITERACY COACHES ARE GOING TO BE PHENOMENAL SUPPORTS FOR THOSE SCHOOLS.

THEY'RE GOING TO HELP THEM DETERMINE WHAT THEIR LITERACY STRUCTURE IS CURRENTLY.

THEN THEY'RE GOING TO HELP THEM BY LEADING INSTRUCTION, LEADING CHANGE, MODELING WHAT THAT INSTRUCTION LOOKS LIKE, HELPING THEM LOOK AT THEIR DATA SO THEY CAN REALLY TURN AROUND THAT INSTRUCTION INSIDE THAT SCHOOL AND LOWER THAT NOVICE RATE.

WE KNOW THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE RESPONSIBILITY.

BELIEVE US, WE FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY ON OUR SHOULDER.

BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO REALLY SUPPORT THESE SCHOOLS THAT NEED IT.

THAT CHANGE DOES TAKE TIME.

AND SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND SAY THIS IS THE WAY.

THIS IS WAS RESEARCH SAYS IS BEST PRACTICE.

LET ME SHOW YOU HOW.

>> I'LL GO TO YOU, LINDSAY BECAUSE YOU ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND HAVE SEEN BOTH SIDES OF THIS.

AND I KNOW TALKING WITH FELLOW TEACHERS, THIS IS A POINT OF DISCUSSION.

TALK ABOUT HOW THAT CHANGE-- YOU'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN AND THEN THE RESULTS YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE STUDENTS YOU HAVE TAUGHT?

>> YEAH, SO I WAS SUPER FORTUNATE TO HAVE AN AMAZING LITERACY COACH WORK SIDE BY SIDE WITH ME ON THIS WHOLE PROCESS.

WE STARTED FIVE YEARS AGO AND WE HAVE WORKED OUR WAY THROUGH THE TRENCHES, LEARNING AND IMPLEMENTING IT AND IT IS SUCH A HUGE THING TO HAVE PEOPLE IN SCHOOLS WHO WILL HELP YOU MAKE THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS AND KNOW, WHEN YOU DO YOUR ASSESSMENT, SO WE DO, YOU KNOW, SPELLING DECODING FLUENCY ASSESSMENT AND YOU GET THE DATA.

BUT NOW WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT?

WHAT INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE TO SEE THE CHANGES IN YOUR CHILDREN?

TO SEE THE CHANGES IN YOUR CHILDREN IMMEDIATELY, NOT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, NOT IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

IMMEDIATELY WHAT DO YOU DO?

SO TO HAVE AN INSTRUCTIONAL COACH TO HELP YOU WITH THE DATA AND KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT IS SO CRUCIAL FOR SCHOOLS.

SO THAT WOULD BE ONE THING THAT WOULD I SAY LIKE JUST TO HAVE LITERACY COACHES THAT ARE THERE TO HELP YOU LOOK AT THE DATA AND KNOW THE INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS TO MAKE TO SEE THE RESULTS THAT YOU WANT IN YOUR KIDS.

>> AND AS FAR AS THE ASSESSMENT, ARE THOSE WORKING FROM YOUR STANDPOINT SO FAR?

>> YEAH, SO WE DO MAP AND WE DO MAP THREE TIMES A YEAR TO GET A SCREENER ON THE KIDS AND THEN FOR MY SCHOOL, WE DO SPELLING, DECODING FLUENCY ASSESSMENT ON THE KIDS ABOUT FOUR TIMES A YEAR OR HOWEVER MUCH YOU WANT TO DO IT.

AND YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST, TEACHERS WOULD DO, FOR EXAMPLE, A DRA AND GET A LEVEL ON THE KID, BUT WOULD YOU JUST MOVE ON.

THAT WOULD BE THEIR LEVEL AND YOU WOULD PUT THEM IN A READING GROUP AND WOULD YOU MOVE ON.

NOW YOU LOOK AT THE DATA AND YOU ARE LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS EXACTRY WHAT THEY NEED TO WORK ON WITH THEIR DECODING SKILLS AND YOU ARE IMMEDIATELY PULLING A SMALL GROUP, FOCUSING ON THAT SPECIFIC SKILL AND YOU REALLY SEE THE BENEFIT OF YOUR INSTRUCTION AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO IMPROVE THEIR READING.

>> WELL, WE ARE QUICKLY RUNNING OUT OF TIME BUT I WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE FOR ONE FINAL THOUGHT BEFORE WE HAVE TO CLOSE.

SO Dr. WHALEY, I'LL START WITH YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.

THE ONE THING I WANTED TO SAY IS OUR TEACHERS, OUR FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY THIS TOPIC OF THE SCIENCE OF READING.

AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO OF OUR FACULTY MEMBERS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE LETTERS PROGRAM.

AND WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THAT.

AND FINALLY, EVERY STUDENT THAT GRADUATES, EITHER IN INTERDISCIPLINARY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION OR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IS REQUIRED TO TAKE AND PASS AN EXIT EXAM THAT TESTS THEM ON READING AND LITERACY.

THANK YOU.

>> AND LINDSAY, JUST ABOUT 30 SECONDS.

>> I JUST WANT TO SAY LIKE I LOVE MY JOB BUT THIS PAST YEAR DOING A SKILLS, I HAD A GIRL IN MY CLASS WHO CAME TO ME WHO COULD NOT SAY ANY LETTER SOUNDS AND SHE WAS READING WHEN SHE LEFT.

AND THE LOOK ON HER FACE AND THE CONFIDENCE THIS CHILD HAD IS SOMETHING I WILL NEVER FORGET.

AND IT IS JUST SUCH MOTIVATION TO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT PROGRESS.

>> AND REPRESENTATIVE TIPTON, FINAL THOUGHTS?

>> THIS IS SUCH CRUCIAL WORK BECAUSE WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THESE CHILDREN THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME.

AND THESE FOUNDATIONAL READING SKILLS, LITERACY SKILLS, BY THIRD GRADE, YOU MENTIONED THE STATISTICS ABOUT THE NEGATIVE OUTCOMES IF THEY'RE NOT READING PROFICIENTLY BY FOURTH GRADE.

WE HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN AND I APPLAUD ALL THE TEACHERS TAKING PART IN THE LETRS TRAINING AND PARTICIPATING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

>> SENATOR.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE.

I THINK CO-CHAIR TIPTON WOULD AGREE WITH ME THIS IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WE WILL PROBABLY CARRY IN OUR LEGISLATIVE CAREERS.

WHEN WE FIRST GOT INTO THIS, WE LOOKED AT THE MISSISSIPPI APPROACH, WE FOUND OUT THEY WERE BASING THEIR PRISON CONSTRUCTION MODEL ON FOURTH GRADE LEADING ATTAINMENT.

SO WE THINK IF WE CAN ADDRESS THIS EARLY, THIS WILL BE ROI FOR THE STATE OF KENTUCKY FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE AND ALL THE TEACHERS THAT ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THIS AND MAKE IT WORK.

>> WE ARE OUT OF TIME.

I APOLOGIZE.

BUT THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.

THIS IS, OF COURSE, AN EVER EVOLVING TOPIC.

I WASN'T TO THANK YOU ALL, OUR PANELISTS FOR HELPING TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON IT FOR US.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHT.

AND MOST OF ALL, THOUGH, WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING TO HELP SUPPORT ALL OF OUR KENTUCKY CHILDREN AND HELP THEM MEET THEIR POTENTIAL.

I WANT TO THANK OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS, OF COURSE, FOR BEING HERE AS WELL.

I KNOW YOU ARE DEDICATED TO IMPROVING EDUCATION ACROSS KENTUCKY.

BUT REALLY, WE ARE ALL STAKEHOLDERS WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, RIGHT?

EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION FALLS ON ALL OF US, SO WE ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO EDUCATE YOURSELVES ON THIS TOPIC, BECOME INVOLVED AND TO HELP YOU DO SO, WE HAVE COMPILED SOME RESOURCES RELATED TO EARLY LITERACY ON OUR WEBSITE.

YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THOSE AT ket.org/FAMILIES.

AND THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF TONIGHT'S FORUM.

FOCUSED ON EARLY LITERACY.

I'M YOUR HOST KELSEY STARKS.

HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

[ APPLAUSE ]