♪ ♪ >> HELLO AND WELCOME TO "EDUCATION MATTERS" WHERE WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT VARIOUS TOPICS IN THE WORLD OF EDUCATION AND BREAK DOWN HOW IT MATTERS TO YOU.

I'M YOUR HOST, KELSEY STARKS AND THIS MONTH WE FOCUS ON THE SCIENCE OF LITERACY.

TODAY'S STUDENTS ARE LEARNING DIFFERENTLY THAN PAST GENERATIONS.

READING CURRICULUM IS SHIFTING TO A SCIENCE-BASED METHOD.

AND CURSIVE WRITING IS BEING REINTRODUCED IN MANY KENTUCKY CLASSROOMS.

THE READ TO SUCCEED ACT WAS FIRST IMPLEMENTED IN KENTUCKY THREE YEARS AGO.

THE LEGISLATION WAS INTRODUCED TO COMBAT FAILING TEST SCORES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH.

WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW IT IS WORKING NOW, THREE YEARS LATER, AND HOW A NEW KENTUCKY READING RESEARCH CENTER IS MAKING AN IMPACT WE WILL ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT THE REINTRODUCTION OF CURSIVE WRITING.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRED TO LEARN CURSIVE WRITING AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CURSIVE HANDWRITING AND READING.

I WANT TO FIRST INTRODUCE OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS WHO WILL HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND ALL OF THESE CHANGES.

CHRISTIE BIGGERSTAFF IS THE DIRECTOR OF EARLY LITERACY IN THE OFFICE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

Dr. TODD WHITNEY IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE AND CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AT THE READING RESEARCH CENTER.

BRITTANY JONES IS A STATE LITERACY COACHING SPECIALIST IN THE OFFICE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING AT THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

AND Dr. NANCY HULAN IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY CLINIC AND PROFESSOR AT WKU'S SCHOOL OF TEACHER EDUCATION.

WELCOME.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE WITH US.

SO, LET'S START WITH WHAT IS THE SCIENCE OF READING.

Dr. HULAN, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS NEW METHOD FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT BEFORE?

>> I'M HAPPY TO AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.

THE SCIENCE OF READING IS NOT A NEW THING.

IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN AROUND FOR 25 YEARS.

IN 2000, THE NATIONAL READING PANEL WAS WRITTEN AND RELEASED, AND IT INTRODUCED THE BIG FIVE OF READING IS WHAT WE CALL IT.

SO WE HAVE TO NEMMIC AWARENESS.

THE TEACHERS IN THE CROWD WILL KNOW.

THE ABILITY TO MANIPULATE SOUNDS AND WORDS.

PHONICS WHICH IS THE ABILITY TO MATCH SOUNDS WITH LETTERS.

VOCABULARY, KNOWLEDGE OF WORDS FLUENCY, THE SPEED AND ACCURACY AND COMPREHENSION, WHICH IS OF COURSE UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE NEED AND ORAL LANGUAGE AS WELL AND WHAT WE HARE.

SO-- WHAT WE HEAR.

ALL OF THOSE ARE ENCOMPASSED IN THE SCIENCE OF READING AND IN OUR INSTRUCTION WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCORPORATING THAT FOR ALL OF OUR LEARNERS.

EXPLIGHT IT AND SYSTEM-- IN AN EXPLICIT AND SYSTEMATIC WAY.

>> A RELATIVELY NEW APPROACH THAN HOW IT WAS TAUGHT IN THE PAST.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE PAST AND HOW THIS IS DIFFERENT?

>> WELL, THE SCIENCE OF READING, LIKE NANCY SAID, IS VERY SYSTEMATIC.

IT'S VERY LAID OUT IN A WAY IN WHICH THERE IS A SPECIFIC WAY TO TEACH KIDS HOW TO READ.

WE NOW KNOW, BECAUSE OF THAT RESEARCH, HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS TO READ.

SO WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO TEACH AND HOW TO TEACH AND WHEN TO TEACH.

SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN-- I WOULD EXPLAIN IT THIS WAY, TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

IN A BALANCED LITERACY CLASSROOM, IT WAS VERY-- THE THOUGHT PROCESS WAS, IF WE HAVE A VERY PRINT RICH ENVIRONMENT, IF WE READ A LOT.

IF WE HAVE THE KIDS READ A LOT, IF WE GIVE THEM CUES AND THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT A PICTURE AND GUESS, KIND OF WHAT A WORD IS, THEN THEY WILL LOVE READING AND THEY WILL BE A BETTER REARED-- WILL BE A BETTER READER.

IF YOU WERE IN A KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM AND YOU HAVE A BOOK OPEN AND IT SAYS, THE BABY IS... AND THEY COME TO A WORD THAT THEY DON'T KNOW.

IN A BALANCED LITERACY APPROACH, A TEACHER WOULD SAY LET'S LOOK AT THE PICTURES.

LET'S SEE WHAT THE BABY IS DOING.

THEY MIGHT GUESS.

THE BABY HAS THE EYES CLOSED SO THEY'RE PROBABLY SLEEPING.

BUT WHAT IF THAT WORD WAS NAPPING OR RESTING OR DREAMING?

THEN WITHOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, ABILITY TO DECODE WORDS, THAT PHONEMIC AWARENESS, THE NONNICS THAT YOU NEED-- THE PHONICS THAT THEY NEED, THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO SOUND OUT THAT WORD IN A BALANCED LITERACY APPROACH.

THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY WE USED TO TEACH READING VERSUS A STRUCTURED LITERACY APPROACH, WHICH IS TEACHING THOSE FIVE PILLARS.

>> AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WORKING WITH TEACHERS IN THIS CAPACITY, WHAT HAS BEEN THEIR REACTION?

OR WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES OF LEARNING, BRITTANY?

>> WORKING WITH TEACHERS, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING AT A PARTNER SCHOOL WHERE 70% OF OUR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE LETTERS TRAINING SO THAT HAS JUST REALLY CONFIRMED A LOT OF THEIR INNER BELIEFS ON HOW STUDENTS LEARN TO READ, LIKE THE RESEARCH HAS CONFIRMED THAT FOR THEM.

AND NOW WITH HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES, WE ARE GIVING THEM THE METHODS OF WHICH TO DO SO, AND SO WHEN YOU ARE LISTENING TO TEACHERS TALK, THEY'RE MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN I'M WORKING ON FLUNCY BY TEACHING THEM HOW-- FLUENCY BY TEACHING THEM HOW TO DEKODAK RECEIPTLY AND AUTOMATICALLY SO TEACHERS ARE NOW-- BEFORE IT WAS WE ARE GOING TO DABBLE WITH READING OVER HERE WITH A SHARED READING EXPERIENCE AND WE ARE GOING TO DO A SMALL GROUP WITH PREDICTABLE THE TEXT.

NOW IT'S STREAMLINE AND GIVING THEM A PATH TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO READ.

>> YOU WORK SPECIFICALLY WITH TEACHERS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE RESEARCH BEHIND THIS.

>> YES, THE WAY I EXPLAINED IT TO THEM IS OUR GOAL IS TO FIND THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY PRACTICES THAT WILL GIVE STUDENTS SUCCESS.

WE KNOW A LOT OF THINGS MAY WORK.

BUT WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WORK BEST FOR ALL STUDENTS?

SO GOING BACK TO WHAT WE CALL TYPICAL LITERACY OR THE BALANCE LITERACY APPROACH, IT'S THE NOTION THAT WE CAN LEARN TO READ NATURALLY, LIKE WE CAN IN LANGUAGE.

RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

READING IS REALLY A DIFFICULT PROCESS AND I THINK IT IS AMAZING THAT OUR BRAINS CAN ACTUALLY DO THIS.

WE CAN PUT A SYMBOL AND PUT A SOUND WITH THAT SYMBOL AND SAY WHEN IT'S COMBINED WITH ANOTHER SYMBOL, IT MAKES ANOTHER SOUND AND WE HAVE RULES AND EXCEPTIONS.

SO TEACHING THEM EXPLICITLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ALL LEARNERS.

AGAIN, THERE IS PROBABLY MAYBE LIKE 10 OR MAYBE FIVE TO 10% OF LEARNERS THAT CAN PROBABLY PREED HIGH-- THAT CAN PROBABLY READ PRETTY QUICKLY BUT REST NEED THAT EXPLICIT AND SYSTEMATIC INSTRUCTION.

>> PICK IT UP.

AND AS FAR AS THIS READ TO SUCCEED ACT THAT WAS PASSED.

I KNOW CHRISTIE YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION.

HOW THAT ACTUALLY GETS IMPLEMENTED IN SCHOOLS.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROCESS SO FAR?

>> WELL, THAT IS A VERY MULTILAYERED BILL, SO WE TALK ABOUT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FIRST AND FOREMOST.

SO WE TALK ABOUT LETTERS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR EDUCATORS NEED THAT INFORMATION ON HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS TO READ IN ORDER TO TEACH THEIR STUDENTS TO DO SO.

SO WE HAVE FOCUSED A LOT OF EFFORTS ON LETTERS AND GETTING OUR TEACHERS TRAINED.

WE ARE-- THIS IS OUR FOURTH COHORT OF LETTERS NOW IN THE STATE OF KENTUCKY AND OVER 7,000 ELEMENTARY EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS HAVE JOIRN HAVE JOINED IN THE EFFORT.

THAT WAS FIRST AND FOREMOST.

THEN WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT THE UNIVERSAL SCREENER AND DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS SO TEACHERS WOULD GIVE THAT TO THEIR STUDENTS TO SEE, IS THERE A FLAG HERE?

SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT THIS STUDENT?

THAT'S KIND OF THE UNIVERSAL SCREENER DOES.

AND IF THERE IS A FLAG, MAYBE THERE IS A GAP IN LEARNING SOMEWHERE, THEN THAT DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT COMES THROUGH AND REALLY TAGS IN THAT SPECIFIC SKILL THAT STUDENT NEEDS HELP WITH OR INTERVENTION WITH.

AND THEN ONCE YOU HAVE THAT, YOU HAVE A READING IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

SO THE READING IMPROVEMENT PLAN, IN THE READ TO SUCCEED ACT, REALLY HELPS OUR EDUCATORS TO HONE IN ON THE SPECIFIC SKILLS, THE SPECIFIC GAPS, WHAT THEIR STUDENTS NEED AND THEN PLANS OUT WITH A MULTITUDE OF PROGRESS MONITORING, WITH SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS THAT WILL HELP THEM TO GET THEM CAUGHT UP.

WE KNOW THAT FIRST IN THE DIVISION OF EARLY LITERACY, WE ALWAYS SAY THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON PREVENTION VERSUS INTERVENTION.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD, RICH INSTRUCTION HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND THAT WILL PREVENT THE NEED FOR INTERVENTION.

BUT THEN IF WE DO HAVE TO INTERVENE, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS THAT GET UP TO THIRD GRADE IN THE INTERVENTION AND HAVE A VERY LARGE GAP, THAT CAN TAKE UP TO 90 MINUTES TO THREE HOURS A DAY TO REALLY CLOSE THAT GAP.

OUR TEACHERS DO NOT HAVE THAT ABILITY OR THAT TIME TO DO SO.

SO WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON GOOD QUALITY INSTRUCTION LIKE Dr. TODD WAS SAYING BECAUSE IF WE HAVE THE BEST PRACTICES IN PLACE, IF WE ARE GIVING THEM THE BEST INSTRUCTION IN THE FIRST PLACE, THEN THAT NEED FOR INTERVENTION, A LOT OF TIMES, DOESN'T EVEN HAPPEN.

>> AND THAT EARLY COMPONENT, STARTING REALLY EARLY, IS MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

BUT TEACHERS WANT-- WE ARE IN EDUCATION BECAUSE WE HAVE A HEART FOR KIDS, FIRST AND FOREMOST.

TEACHERS WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND SOMETIMES THEY DIDN'T KNOW-- THE RESEARCH HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT THAT MOVEMENT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN KENTUCKY UNTIL RECENTLY.

SO WE WANT TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR KIDS AND NOW THAT WE ARE GIVING THEM THAT KNOWLEDGE, NOW THAT THEY ARE KNOWING THE BEST PRACTICES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NOT HAD A LOT OF TUSSLE WITH, I DON'T WANT TO DO IT THIS WAY.

WE WANT TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR KIDS SO THE SCIENCE OF READING THAT HAS KIND OF SHIFTED KENTUCKY AND WE ARE STARTING THAT MOVEMENT TO TEACHING WITH THE SCIENCE OF READING AND BEST PRACTICES, HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY GOING WELL.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A SHIFT IN PRACTICE THAT TAKES SOME TIME.

THAT TAKES SOME MOMENTUM.

BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD A BACKLASH FROM ANYBODY.

WE ALL WANT TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR KIDS IN THE COMMONWEALTH.

>> EDUCATING TEACHERS ABOUT THAT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST.

I KNOW ONE OF THE EARLIEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ADOPT THIS METHOD WAS IN HANCOCK COUNTY AND KET'S LAURA ROGERS TAKES US INTO A CLASSROOM FOR A FIRSTHAND LOOK AT HOW IT'S WORKING.

>> THIS IS BEST PRACTICE FOR KIDS THIS IS HOW THEY'RE GOING TO LEARN TO READ.

>> THAT PRACTICE IS ORTON GILLINGHAM AND THE SCIENCE OF READING IN THE FOURTH YEAR AT HANCOCK COUNTY SCHOOLS.

>> IT HAS GIVEN TEACHERS SOME TANGIBLE CONCEPTS.

>> THE DISTRICT TURNED THIS METHOD TO RAISE LOW READING SCORES THEY SAW DURING THE PANDEMIC.

>> THE NUMBERS KEPT DROPPING.

>> AND THAT WASN'T ACCEPTABLE.

>> THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

YOU CAN'T LET KIDS KEEP GOING FROM ONE GRADE LEVEL TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL NOT BEING ABLE TO READ.

>> WE KNEW WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING TO CATCH THOSE KIDS UP.

>> NOT ONLY HAVE KIDS CAUGHT UP, THEY'RE NOW EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS.

>> NOW WE'VE GOTTEN SO METHOD CAL ABOUT HOW WEECH-- METHODICAL AND IT'S SO SEQUENTIAL.

YOU DON'T SEE HOLES.

EVERYBODY IS GETTING WHAT THEY NEED.

>> POLYPAIGE, THE MOTHER OF FOUR CHILDREN AGREES.

>> DECADES OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH IMPLEMENTED INTO THE CLASSROOM.

>> AS A NURSE AND GRADUATE STUDENT, SHE IS ENCOURAGED BY THE RESEARCH CALLING IT A BLANKET LANGUAGE THAT WORKS FOR ALL STUDENTS.

>> THE ABILITY TO APPLY ORTON GILLINGHAM TO MY STUDENT WHO DOES NOT EXPERIENCE THE DYSLEXIA CHALLENGES AND MY STUDENT WHO DOES EXPERIENCE THE DYSLEXIA CHALLENGES AND THE STANDARD LANGUAGE IN OUR HOME ALLOWS US TO ENJOY READING MORE AGE.

>> PAIGE TOOK PART IN AN ORTON GILLINGHAM READING CHALLENGE AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

>> SAME DAY I CAME HOME AND PULLED OUT WORDS FROM LAST YEAR FOR MY FIRST GRADER.

PULLED THEM OUT AND IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THE MECHANICS IN HOW THEY TAUGHT PARENTS HOW TO ASSIST IN SCHOOL LEARNING AT HOME.

AND HE GOT IT INSTANTLY.

IT'S BEEN ABLE TO GIVE THEM THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO BE GOOD SPELLERS AND GOOD WRITERS.

>> WHEN TEST SCORES INDICATED GAINS IN LITERACY BUT CHALLENGES WITH VOCABULARY, EDUCATORS IMPLEMENTED MORPHOLOGY.

>> WHERE YOU ARE BREAKING APART DIFFERENT WORDS INTO PREFIXES, SUFFICIENT IXES AND ROOT ROADS.

>> THEY HAVE ACCESS TO A LOT MORE VOCABULARY WORDS, DEEPER COMPREHENSION AND UNDERSTANDING OF TEXT.

>> HAVING THAT SCIENCE OF READING BACKGROUND AND HAVING THAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH KDE, WE HAVE REALLY ALL SHARED THE SAME VOCABULARY, WE ALL TALK ABOUT READING IN THE SAME WAYS.

>> WE ALL HAVE A CERTAIN SEQUENCE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING.

WE ALL USE THE SAME ROUTINES.

>> FIRST GRADE TEACHER BETTY JANE MITCHELL, PREVIOUSLY ONLY TAUGHT MATH, SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES.

>> I WAS SCARED OF TEACHING READING.

>> THEN SHE WAS TRAINED IN BOTH ORTON GILLINGHAM AND LETTERS.

LANGUAGE ESSENTIALS FOR TEACHERS OF READING AND SPELLING.

>> IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I FELT LIKE I COULD ACTUALLY TEACH A KID TO READ AND I COULD SUCCESSFULLY DO IT.

>> HEATHER BOLD SAYS HER TRAINING GAVE THE SAME CONFIDENCE.

>> MY EYES JUST GLEAMED.

LIKE I SOAKED EVERYTHING IN LIKE A SPONGE.

I WANTED TO GRAB A KID AND TEACH THEM HOW TO READ.

>> SHE TEACHES READING AND MATH AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL SPECIALIZING THIS YEAR IN READING INTERVENTION.

>> I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW BENEFICIAL THIS HAS BEEN TO MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS, WHERE YES, THEY KNOW THEY STRUGGLE.

BUT THEY KNOW THEY'RE GETTING THE HELP THEY NEED.

>> TEACHERS GET THE HELP THEY NEED, TOO, WITH A SYSTEM FOR SUPPORT AND CONTINUED LEARNING.

>> WE KEEP GROWING THE SUSTAINABILITY, THE LEADERSHIP THAT IS GOING TO KEEP HELPING OUR TEACHERS.

>> ACTUALLY ASKED THAT IN MY INTERVIEW AND I WAS VERY HONEST AND TOLD THEM, I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF READING BUT WOULD LOVE TO LEARN.

AND THEY DEFINITELY DID THAT FOR ME.

>> HANNA MADDOX BELIEVES THE SUCCESS LIES IN THE MULTISENSORY APPROACH.

>> THEY'RE NOT JUST HEARING IT.

THEY'RE NOT JUST SAYING IT.

THEY'RE NOT JUST WRITING IT.

IT'S LIKE A MIXTURE OF EVERYTHING IN ONE.

>> WITH MORE THAN 30 YEARS IN EDUCATION, SHOE WISHES IT HAD COME SOONER.

>> WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS TRAINING MANY YEARS AGO.

I WISH WE WOULD HAVE BECAUSE IT'S THAT LIFE CHANGING.

>> FOR KET, I'M LAURA ROGERS.

>> WOW, THAT IS INCREDIBLE TESTIMONY FROM TEACHERS ABOUT HOW THEY ARE LEARNING AND THEN THEREFORE, TEACHING.

THEY MENTION IN A COUPLE AND YOU ALL MENTIONED TOO, THE LETTERS TRAINING.

AND NOW SOME 6,000 TEACHERS HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THIS, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> WE HAVE HAD 6,000 IN OUR FIRST THREE COHORTS AND WE JUST CLOSED COHORT 4 SO WE ARE ADDING ANOTHER THOUSAND.

SO OVER 7,000 EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS.

WE HAVE TWO COURSES, LETTERS FOR EDUCATORS AND A COURSE FOR ADMINISTRATORS, LETTERS FOR ADMINISTRATORS.

SO BOTH EDUCATORS, ADMINISTRATORS, INTERVENTIONISTS, YOU KNOW, THE DEPTH OF DIFFERENT SCHOOL LEADERS AND TEACHERS HAVE JOINED THIS EFFORT.

AND IT IS NOT-- IT'S A HEAVY LIFT.

IT'S NOT AN EASY COURSE.

FOR EDUCATORS IT'S TWO YEARS, EIGHT UNITS.

THEY DO FOUR UNITS OF LEARNING A YEAR.

NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE THE PLATFORM, WHICH IS VERY MUCH SET UP LIKE A COLLEGE COURSE.

THEN THEY HAVE WHAT WE CALL LIVE VIRTUAL WEBINARS THAT THEY TAKE AFTER EACH UNIT.

THERE IS ASSESSMENTS THAT GO ALONG WITH EACH UNIT, A PRETEST AND POST-TEST SO IT IS A HEAVY LIFT ON AN ALREADY FULL PLATE FOR EDUCATORS IN KENTUCKY.

>> SURE, ABSOLUTE LI.

AND Dr. HULAN AND Dr. WHITNEY, YOU BOTH HAVE GONE THROUGH THE LETTERS TRAINING.

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE.

>> I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE.

I'M VERY FORTUNATE.

WE AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL, DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE SCIENCE OF READING IMPLEMENTATION.

AND SO EVERYTHING WE DO, WE DO OUT OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS WHO REALLY WANT US TO FIND THE MEANS TO DO THAT.

SO I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A DEAN WHO FOUND THE FUNDING TO PAY FOR ME TO GO THROUGH AND ACTUALLY MYSELF AND TWO OF MY COLLEAGUES.

WE ALL WENT THROUGH LETTERS TRAINING.

SHE PAID FOR THE FIRST YEAR AND KDE WAS VERY GENEROUS AND PAID FOR US TO GO THROUGH THE SECOND YEAR OF THE LETTERS TRAINING.

SO I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, VERY USEFUL FOR TEACHERS.

I WILL SAY, ALSO, THAT I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO STUDY LINGUISTIC IN COLLEGE WHEN I WAS AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY.

AND A LOT OF WHAT LETTERS IS, IS APPLIED LINGUISTICS.

SO LINGUISTICS FOR TEACHERS.

AND SO LETTERS IS-- IT HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL FOR A LOT OF TEACHERS.

I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT IF WE COULD HONE THAT APPLIED LINGUISTICS KNOWLEDGE BUT PUT IT EARLIER IN A TEACHER'S CAREER IN THEIR TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM.

THAT'S GOING TO COST MONEY.

THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE RESOURCES.

BUT I THINK THAT WAY WE WOULD GET TEACHERS EARLIER TO KNOW THAT FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE.

>> AND Dr. WHITNEY, WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND SO FAR WITH RESEARCH WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHERS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS TRAINING VERSUS THOSE WHO MAYBE HAVE NOT?

>> SO WE ARE BEGINNING WITH RESEARCH ON THE LETTERS I THINK CHRISTIE CAN SPEAK A LITTLE MORE TO THAT.

BUT IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I BELIEVE LETTERS WAS REALLY ONE OF THE BEST PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES I HAVE HAD IN MY CAREER.

THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION THAT IT'S A PROGRAM.

PEOPLE WILL TALK ABOUT THE LETTERS PROGRAM OR CURRICULUM.

IT'S NOT.

IT TEACHES YOU HOW TO TEACH READING.

SO IT'S WHAT WE CALLED PEDAGOGY OR PRACTICE.

SO IT STARTS WITH EXPLAINING THE RATIONALE ON WHY WE SHOULD TEACH IT WITH THE BRAIN RESEARCH BUT THEN IT DIGS INTO THOSE SPECIFIC TEACHING PRACTICES.

SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT CURRICULUM OR PROGRAM I'M USING.

I CAN IMPLEMENT THE PRACTICES WITHIN IT.

SO IT REALLY COMBINES WITH WHAT THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS TALKING ABOUT WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES.

THESE ARE THE PRACTICES THAT WE ARE GOING TO USE WHILE WE ARE USING THESE HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES.

SO AGAIN, I THINK WE WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT THIS IS JUST ONE SMALL PIECE AND IT'S A START BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD START AND AS THESE TEACHERS BEGIN TO GET IN THIS PROGRAM AND BEGIN TO TALK WITH THEIR OTHER TEACHERS, I THINK IT WILL BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.

>> AND THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

AND NOW THE QUESTION IS, IS IT WORKING, RIGHT?

AND SO NOW THREE YEARS LATER, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT READING SCORES AND WANTING TO SEE THAT JUMP IMMEDIATELY.

AND SOME RECENT SCORES HAVE-- A RECENT REPORT FROM THE PRICHARD COMMITTEE SHOWED A 1% INCREASE IN THIRD GRADE STUDENTS SCORING PROFICIENT OR ABOVE IN READING, WHICH IS NOT WHAT THEY HAD HOPED TO SEE AFTER THIS.

AND A 3% DECLINE IN EIGHTH GRADE READING PROFICIENCY.

SO HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?

A DROP IN READING SCORES AFTER SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS INTRODUCED?

>> WELL, I WILL START-- WE WOULD AGREE WITH THAT THAT NONE OF US WANT TO BE HERE.

WE WANT TO BE OVER HERE.

SO...

BUT THAT TAKES TIME.

AND IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE WILL TELL YOU CHANGE TAKES TIME.

SO YOU ARE BARGING FULL STEAM AHEAD ON THIS HUGE BOAT GOING THIS WAY.

AND YOU ARE GOING HAVE TO TURN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 180 SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO GET OUR TEACHERS TRAINED.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO YOU KNOW, APPLY HQIRs AND IMPLEMENT EYE QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.

I WISH IT WOULD HAPPEN YESTERDAY MYSELF.

BUT WE KNOW, WE DO HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT RESULTS FROM OUR RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE DONE THAT IS SAYING THIS IS WORKING.

SO EVEN THOUGH THE READING SCORES AT THE STATE LEVEL HAVE NOT JUMPED SIGNIFICANTLY, I DO FEEL, TO MY BONES, THAT THEY WILL.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR THIRD PARTY EVALUATOR-- AND WE HAVE NOT EVEN RELEASED IT AT THIS POINT, BUT THEY HAVE FOUND WHEN THEY LOOK AT OUR LETTERS IMPLEMENTATION, BRITTANY IS A STATE LITERACY COACH AND THEY LOOKED AT OUR COACHING MODEL STATEWIDE AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY HAVE FOUND THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT THAT MAKES MY HEART VERY HAPPY IS THAT OUR FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS THAT ARE EXPOSED TO TWO YEARS OF TRAINED LETTERS TEACHERS CONSECUTIVELY, OUTPERFORM THEIR PEERS THAT DO NOT HAVE TRAIN LETTERS TEACHERS CONSECUTIVELY.

AND FURTHERMORE, SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS THAT FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE SPECIFICALLY THAT HAVE HAD TWO YEARS OF LETTERS TRAINED TEACHERS OUTPERFORM THEIR PEERS SIGNIFICANTLY.

SO WE KNOW THAT THE TRAINING WORKS, WE KNOW THAT THE SCIENCE OF READING, HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES ARE GOING TO GET US THERE.

WE JUST NEED THE TIME IT TAKES TO CHANGE MINDS, TO DO THE WHOLE MIND SHIFT, TO DO AN ABOUT CHANGE WITH OUR HQIRs TO ALLOW OUR COACHING MOD TOLL WORK.

WE JUST NEED THAT TIME.

>> AND I KNOW Dr. WHITNEY, THAT'S PART WHAT HAVE YOU ARE DOING AT THE KENTUCKY READING RESEARCH CENTER, IS GIVING THESE REPORTS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ABOUT WHAT IS WORKING OR WHAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE.

SO WHAT IS SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT YOU HAVE FOUND ABOUT THOSE TEST SCORES?

>> SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE INITIALLY IN THE SPRING, WE WERE GOING INTO CLASSROOMS.

BUT ALSO WE WERE TALKING TO THE TEACHERS AND TO SEE WHAT THEY WOULD NEED.

THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE HAVE SEEN FOR THE TEACHER SURVEYING, WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEACHING READING EFFECTIVELY, WAS THE HINDERANCE, THE ONE WOULD BE TIME.

SO WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR OF THAT ASPECT.

SO HOW CAN WE HELP THOSE TEACHERS TEACH EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY HAVE.

BECAUSE REALLY, THERE IS A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME IN SCHOOL.

WE HAVE A LOT TO COVER.

>> A LOT TO DO.

>> THAT IS ONE OF THEIR CONCERNS.

THE SECOND ONE THAT IS NOT FAR BEHIND IS BEHAVIOR.

SO AND THAT'S MISBEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM.

WE ARE EVEN GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT A LITTLE BIT, EVEN THOUGH MAINLY WE ARE LOOKING AT LITERACY BUT THAT DOES AFFECT TEACHING.

SO THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE TEACHERS THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT TOWARD THIS YEAR COMING UP.

>> WELL, REPRESENTATIVE BOGANOWSKI WAS ONE LEGISLATOR AND SHE SAID DON'T EXPECT IMMEDIATE CHANGES IN TEST SCORES.

WELL OUR CHRISTIE DUTTON SAT DOWN WITH HER AGAIN RECENTLY AND NOW SHE SAYS SHE HAS SOME NEW CONCERNS.

>> REPRESENTATIVE BOGANOWSKI.

YOU WERE THE SPONSOR OF THE READ TO SUCCEED BILL WHICH SUPPORTS THE SCIENCE OF READING.

>> RIGHT.

>> TELL ME WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO AGAIN THIS BILL OUT TO OUR STATE?

>> WELL, AS I STARTED RESEARCHING HOW READING WAS TAUGHT IN KENTUCKY, IT BECAME GRAVELY CONCERNING THAT WE WERE USING A METHODOLOGY THAT WASN'T SUPPORTED IN THE CURRENT RESEARCH.

AND SO WITH THE READ TO SUCCEED BILL, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO ME PERSONALLY IS THAT I DID THE LETTERS TRAINING, WHICH IS A TWO-YEAR INTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM.

AND THAT WAS PART OF THE FUNDING OF READ TO SUCCEED.

SO GIVING TEACHERS THE TRAINING TO EXPERTLY TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO READ IS JUST GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY ESSENTIAL STEP TO IMPROVING THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.

>> BECAUSE A NEW WAY OF TEACHING, IS THE TEACHERS HAVE TO BE TRAINED FIRST.

>> EXACTLY.

>> THAT WAS PART OF THE BILL.

SO A LOT OF PEOPLE NOW THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN INCREASE IN READING SCORES FOR CHILDREN IN KENTUCKY NOW IF WE HAVE CHANGED IT FOR THEM TO LEARN TO READ BETTER.

BUT WE ARE NOT SEEING THAT.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY?

>> WELL, SO WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH READ TO SUCCEED IS ON FOUNDATIONAL BASIC READING.

AND WHAT WE ARE MEASURING IN THE KSA END OF YEAR TEST IS NONE OF THAT.

SO WE ARE MEASURING HIGHER LEVEL COMPREHENSION AND VOCABULARY CONCERNS.

SO I BELIEVE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A MEASURE SPECIFIC TO THE BASIC READING.

NOW WE DO KNOW IT IN OUR BUILDINGS AND IN OUR DISTRICTS, BUT IT'S NOT THE MEASURE THAT HAPPENS DURING OUR ACCOUNTABILITY TESTING.

SOS STANDARDS-- THOSE STANDARDS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THOSE TESTS.

SO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

SO IN ORDER TO LOOK AT THE TEST SCORES, TO DECIDE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF READ TO SUCCEED, I'M CONCERNED WE WILL NEVER BE AT A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT LEVEL FOR TWO REASONS.

NUMBER 1: BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE STANDARDIZED TEST.

SO A STANDARDIZED TEST IS DESIGNED TO DIFFERENTIATE STUDENTS.

IT'S TO DIFFERENTIATE OUR OUR DISH DISTINGUISHED STUDENTS FROM APPRENTICE AND NOVICE STUDENTS AND TO MOVE A CHILD INTO ANOTHER CATEGORY IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS JUST ANSWERING MORE QUESTIONS CORRECTLY.

IT ALSO IS CONTINGENT ON WHAT QUESTIONS ARE ASKED OF THEM.

AND SO MY MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'VE GOT THE MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INVESTED, VERY DESERVINGLY SO INTO INSTRUCTION IN READING, TO ONLY LOOK AT THE TEST SCORES AS THE ANSWER TO IF IT IS WORKING MAY BE PROBLEMATIC.

>> SO WHAT IS THE SOLUTION IF THAT IS A HUGE INVESTMENT, YOU KNOW AND PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW IF THAT INVESTMENT IS WORKING.

HOW DO YOU-- HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE THAT?

>> I THINK YOU NEED A MEASURE THAT IS DIRECT TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

SO THE MEASURE MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, IN MY CLASSROOM, I MEASURE HOW MANY WORDS A STUDENT CAN READ.

I'VE GOT A VERY DIRECT MEASURE ON WHAT I'M DOING SO WE COULD INCLUDE IN OUR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS, MEASURES OF FOUNDATIONAL READING SKILLS.

ANOTHER KIND OF PARTIAL SOLUTION IS THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS BEEN WORKING FOR SEVERAL YEARS ON REIMAGINING OUR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM.

AND ONE OF THE ASPECTS IS AN ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENT.

AND SO RATHER THAN EVERY THIRD GRADER BEING GIVEN THE SAME QUESTIONS, THE QUESTIONS CHANGE.

IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT WHO IS STRUGGLING, YOU WILL BACK UP TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE.

IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT WHO IS EXCELLING, IT PUSHES UP FURTHER AND CAN MEASURE ACTUALLY WHERE THEY ARE.

AND SO BY HAVING AN ADAPTABLE SYSTEM, YOU CAN TARGET IN TO WHAT SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE A CHILD MIGHT NEED SUPPORT AS OPPOSED TO GIVING EVERYONE THE SAME TEST AND SAYING THEY'RE EITHER PROFICIENT OR NOT PROFICIENT.

>> WELL, AN ADAPTIVE TEST, HOW LIKELY IS THAT TO HAPPEN?

IS THAT GOING TO BE A HARD THING TO DO?

>> I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE HARD.

IT WILL NEED THE WILL OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE OUR STATUTE AND THERE WILL BE A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT.

AND I DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REDESIGN OUR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON NATIONALLY THAT ARE GOING TO IMPACT OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR AND SO THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF THE MONEY WILL BE APPROPRIATED TO DO IT.

>> WELL, REPRESENTATIVE TINA BOGANOWSKI, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND EXPERTISE.

>> YOU ARE WELCOME.

>> AND SHE SAID, LIKE MANY OF YOU ALL, THAT IT WILL TAKE TIME TO SEE SOME OF THOSE RESULTS AND BRITTANY, I KNOW YOU WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE K-3.

>> YES... >> I GUESS GRADES AND THAT'S WHERE THE CHANGE IS REALLY HAPPENING.

SO IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME BEFORE THEY ARE DOING THESE READING TESTS.

>> IT WILL BECAUSE LIKE CHRISTIE SAID, WHEN A CHILD REACHES THE THIRD GRADE AND THEY HAVE BEEN SCREENED AND DIAGNOSED AND WE A READING IMPROVEMENT PLAN, IT CAN TAKE UP TO THREE HOURS A DAY TO REMEDIATE AND FILL IN THE HOLES THAT THAT CHILD IS PRESENTING.

AND SO WITH BEING A STATE LITERACY COACHING SPECIALIST, OUR FOCUS IS BUILDING THE STRONG FOUNDATION K-3 OWE WE ARE PLAYING THE LONG GAME AND IT IS GOING TO TAKE TWO TO THREE TO FIVE YEARS BEFORE WE START TO SEE THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR IN FIFTH GRADE AND AS THOSE STUDENTS MOVE ON TO MIDDLE SCHOOL IN OUR ASSESSED AND EIGHTH GRADE AND THAT'S HARD BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING REALLY, REALLY HARD.

TEACHES ARE WORKING INCR ED-- ARE WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD.

AND THEY WANT TO SEE THAT THE STUDENTS ARE BENEFITING FROM IT.

WE HAVE TO KEEP SAYING WE ARE BUILDING CAPACITY.

WE ARE BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY, AND WE WILL HAVE THE DATA TO SHOW THAT WE ARE BEING EFFECTIVE IN OUR PRACTICES.

IT'S JUST GOING TO TAKE US SOME TIME.

>> AND Dr. HULAN, YOU MENTIONED HOW FAMILY AND PARENTS ARE JUST SUCH A KEY PART OF THIS AND WHAT CAN PARENTS TAKE AWAY FROM ALL OF THIS?

>> WELL, AND THAT'S A GREAT POINT, THAT PARENTS ARE SO IMPORTANT AND FAMILIES ALL AROUND.

AND THERE WAS RECENTLY RESEARCH THAT CAME OUT SAYING THAT OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, JUST IN A 20-YEAR SPAN, THERE HAS BEEN A 40% DROP OF PEOPLE WHO READ FOR PLEASURE.

THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE READING TO THEIR KIDS.

AND THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE JUST MODELING FOR THEIR KIDS THAT READING IS SOMETHING THAT YOU DO IN OR PASTIME, WHICH, IF KIDS DON'T SEE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO, TO DO FOR FUN AND PLEASURE, THEY WON'T KNOW IT'S AN OPTION FOR THEM NECESSARILY AND ALSO THEY WON'T PICK UP ON AS MANY VOCABULARY WORDS.

IF YOU ARE READING TO THEM, THEY WILL HEAR THE LANGUAGE SKILLS.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT IF WE ARE-- WE ALSO KNOW THAT FICTION, READING FICTION HELPS TO US BUILD EMPATHY AND THERE IS A LOT OF RESEARCH OUT ABOUT THAT.

AND SO DECLINES IN EMPATHY ARE ALSO PROBLEMATIC FOR SOCIETY.

SO I WOULD JUST SAY PARENTS PLEASE READ TO YOUR CHILDREN AND MODEL THAT BEHAVIOR AS WELL.

>> IT SEEMS SO SIMPLE.

BUT IT MAKES SUCH A BIG IMPACT.

AND WE WERE JUST ALSO TALKING THERE ABOUT KENTUCKY'S LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT, JCPS JUST RELEASED A REPORT SAYING THEIR NUMBER OF LIBRARY BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN CHECKED OUT THIS YEAR HAS SKYROCKETED.

AND THEY ATTRIBUTE A LOT OF THAT TO THE CELL PHONE BAN.

AND SO IT'S JUST IMPORTANT FOR KIDS TO BE READING, AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL MAKE AN IMPACT AS WELL, AND Dr. WHITNEY, I WONDER FROM ALL OF YOUR CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS, TOO, HOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOUR MESSAGE TO PARENTS BE ABOUT HOW THAT IMPACTS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM?

>> MY MESSAGE TO EVERYONE WOULD BE IT'S NOT JUST ON THE TEACHERS.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TEACHING READING.

WE, I SAY WE AS A FORMER TEACHER, BUT WE NEED THE HELP OF PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS.

WE NEED THE HELP OF POLICYMAKERS AS WE JUST HEARD.

WE NEED THE COMMUNITY BEHIND US.

SO IT'S A GROUP EFFORT NOT JUST FOR THE TEACHERS.

>> AND I KNOW YOU ALL INVOLVE THE PARENTS AS WELL IN SOME OF THOSE IEP PLANS AND HOW STUDENTS WHO NEED EXTRA INSTRUCTION OR INTERVENTION, HOW CAN PARENTS GET INVOLVED IN THAT?

AND ON A SCHOOL LEVEL?

>> AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, WHEN STUDENTS HAVE BEEN SCREENED AND DIAGNOSED AND THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC NEED WHETHER IT'S PHONEMIC AWARENESS OR PHONICS AND FLUENCY FOR AN INTERVENTION, THE SCHOOL HAS A TEAM TO DEVELOP A READING IMPROVEMENT PLAN, BUT THE PARENT, THE CAREGIVER IS PART OF THAT DECISION MAKING TEAM.

AND PART OF THAT IS PROVIDING FAMILIES WITH A READ AT HOME PLAN.

AND SO YOU ARE RIGHT, LIKE READ TO YOUR CHILDREN.

BUT THEN ALSO WE HAVE TO ENCOURAGE OUR KIDS TO READ.

BUT THE WAY THAT YOU BEST DEVELOP THE LIFE LONG LOVE OF READING THAT WE ALL WANT STUDENTS TO HAVE, IS THROUGH TEACHING THEM THE CODE AND HOW TO READ AND SO THAT CAN TAKE PLACE IN K-3 CLASSROOMS AS WE ARE BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION BUT IT CAN ALSO TAKE PLACE AT HOME WITH PARENTS REACHING OUT, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE A CHILD WHO HAS A READING IMPROVEMENT PLAN, BUT REACHING OUT, WHAT SKILL ARE YOU TEACHING THIS WEEK, HOW CAN I BUILD FLUENCY AT HOME THROUGH, YOU KNOW, READ AGO LOUD, 20-- READING ALOUD, 20 MINUTES A DAY.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS OUT THERE THESE DAYS WITH TECHNOLOGY, TOO.

I TOY WE TALKED ABOUT A CELL PHONE BAN BUT TECHNOLOGY DOES HAVE OPTIONS FOR US AS WELL TO ENCOURAGE THE LOVE OF LEARNING.

>> READ AT HOME PLAN ON OUR KDE WEBSITE, EARLY LITERACY WEBSITE, DOES GIVE PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS TIPS AND TRICKS TO HELP THEM TEACH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT SKILLS AT HOME.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY KIND OF RESOURCES.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO BUY ANYTHING.

IT'S ALL VERY SIMPLE THINGS.

AND LIKE WE'VE ALL SAID, READING.

KIDS UNDERSTAND, CAN COMPREHEND WORDS WHEN THEY HEAR THEM A LOT HIGHER THAN THEY CAN WHEN THEY ARE READING THEM.

SO EVEN IF YOU ARE READING ALOUD AND YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE VOCABULARY WORDS THAT THEY'RE COMING TO, THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE EVER HEARD THAT WORD BEFORE.

BUT EXPLAINING THAT WORD AND TALKING ABOUT THAT WORD, THEY CAN COMPREHEND THAT AT A VERY EARLY AGE COMPARED TO WHEN THEY'RE JUST READING IT BY THEMSELVES.

SO READ AND READ OFTEN.

>> I WILL ALSO ADD AT THE KENTUCKY READING RESEARCH CENTER WE DO OBSERVATIONS IN SCHOOLS BUT ANOTHER PART OF WHAT WE ARE DOING IS BUILDING A CLEAR IS HOUSE ON OUR WEBSITE.

PART OF THAT CLEARING HOUSE IS NOT ONLY DOING WHAT WE CALL SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEWS ON ALL DIFFERENT TOPICS WITHIN FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY WHICH WHAT IS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT NOW, ADOLESCENT LITERACY, FAMILY LITERACY AND ADULT LITERACY.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TAKE THOSE LITERATURE REVIEWS AND MAKE THEM SPECIFIC TO OUR DIFFERENT GROUPS.

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A LITERATURE PHONEMIC AWARENESS?

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR A PARENT OR A CAREGIVER, A TEACHER OR EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM?

SO TAKING THOSE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND PHONEMIC AWARENESS.

THERE IS BLENDING AND SEGMENTING WHICH ARE EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING TO PHONEMIC AWARENESS.

HOW CAN WE TEACH THAT TO PARENTS?

SO THEY CAN WORK WITH THEIR CHILDREN OR THEY CAN TALK TO THEIR TEACHER ABOUT IT AND ADVOCATE FOR THEIR SON OR DAUGHTER.

SO WE ARE STARTING TO BUILD THOSE THINGS BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT IS GOING TO TAKE EVERYONE BECAUSE OUR TEST SCORES ARE LOW.

WE ARE IN A BIT OF A CRISIS BUT I THINK WE ARE COMING OUT OF IT AND I THINK WITH THAT, WE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.

>> I WAS JUST GOING TO ALSO ADD THAT AT READ AT SHOAM-- THE READ AT HOME PLAN, I'VE USED IT AND SHARED IT WITH MY STUDENTS IN THE TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS.

BUT THEY HAVE SOME OF THAT WHERE THEY ARE TELLING PARENTS WELL THIS IS BLENDING AND THIS IS SEGMENTING.

SO IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR PARENTS TO START FOR SURE.

>> WE ARE LINKING EVERYBODY UP TO THE RESOURCES ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.

YOU CAN CHECK THAT OUT AT ket.org/EDUCATION MATTERS.

ANOTHER CHANGE TO THE CURRICULUM THIS YEAR IS CURSIVE WRITING.

KENTUCKY IS ONE OF 24 STATES THAT HAVE NOW LEGISLATED CURSIVE WRITING INTO THE CURRICULUM.

SENATOR LINDSAY TITCHER IN WAS THE LEAD SPONSOR OF SENATE BILL 167 THAT REQUIRES KENTUCKY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO LEARN CURSIVE WRITING AND IT GOES INTO EFFECT THIS SCHOOL YEAR.

BACK TO CHRISTIE DUTTON WHO SAT DOWN WITH SENATOR TICHENOR WHO EXPLAINS.

>> JOINING US IS SENATOR LINDSAY TICHENOR AND SHE SPONSORED A BILL FOR CURSIVE WRITING TO BE TAUGHT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

WHAT IS THIS-- WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU?

>> WE WERE DOING A TOUR OF THE HISTORY MUSEUM AND WINT BACK AND LOOKED AT SOME OF THE ARCHIVES AND SAW THE KENTUCKY CONSTITUTION, THE ORIGINAL VERSION LAID OUT ON THE TABLE, YOU KNOW, JUST A BEAUTIFUL DOCUMENT.

AND THERE WERE SOME OTHER PEOPLE ON THE TOUR WITH ME AND A LITTLE HIGH SCHOOLER, PROBABLY 15.

16 YEARS OLD.

I SAID YOU PROBABLY CAN'T EVEN READ THAT.

HE SAID I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO SIGN MY NAME.

AND I THOUGHT OH MY GOSH.

HAVE WE FALLEN SO FAR AWAY FROM THAT BASIC SKILL THAT KIDS AREN'T EVEN LEARNING HOW TO SIGN THEIR NAME.

THAT BROUGHT ME BACK THE NEXT MORNING TO, WE WERE IN SESSION AT THE TIME AND I CALLED THE BILL DRAFTER AND I SAID WE NEED TO GET CURSE I AM BACK.

HERE IS HOW WE NEED TO DO IT AND THANKFULLY IT WAS GRABBED UP IN THE SESSION, KIND OF AT THE LAST MINUTE AND WAS ABLE TO GET PASSED.

I JUST THINK CURSIVE IS SUCH A FOUNDATIONAL SKILL AND AS I STARTED TO DO MORE RESEARCH, I WAS ABLE TO DISCOVER HOW BEN FISH CURSE-- BENEFICIAL IS.

IT HELPS WITH COMPREHENSION, HELPS KIDS LEARN HOW TO READ, HELPS THEM LEARN HOW TO SPELL.

HELPS WITH FINE MOTOR SKILLS AND HELPS BUILD NEUROPATHWAYS IN THE BRAIN IN ORDER TO HELP THEM MEMORIZE CONTENT.

AND IT FASCINATING HOW MUCH CURSIVE HELPS AND IT'S JUST THAT CONTINUOUS MOTION OF CONTINUITY THAT IS STRENGTHENING THE BRAIN AND THOSE NEURAL PATHWAYS.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY KIDS ARE TYPING AND USING COMPUTERS AND PHONES AND NOT PUTTING PEN TO A PAPER AS MUCH.

TALK ABOUT THE BENEFITS.

DEFINE MOTOR KILLS, THE FINE MOTOR SKILLS.

>> JUST LEARNING TO HOLD A PEN PENCIL AND WHAT THAT DOES FOR YOUR MUSCLES.

WHEN YOU TEACH A KID HOW TO TIE THEIR SHOE, RIGHT, ALL THOSE SKILLS AND MUSCLES, FINE MOTOR SKILLS OF BEING ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THAT TAKES A LOT OF ATTENTION.

YOU ARE MAKING YOUR BRAIN CONNECT WITH THOSE MUSCLES IN YOUR HAND TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE MOTIONS AND IT STRENGTHENS YOUR BRAIN AND IT BUILDS THAT PATHWAY.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT A TYPING, AND THERE HAS BEEN A STUD OWE THIS IN 2020, THERE WAS A REALLY INTERESTING STUDY.

IT LOOKED AT THE BRAIN AND COMPARED, BY IMAGING, IT COMPARED WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE BRAIN WHEN THEY'RE TYPING AND WHAT IS GOING ON WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY PEN ON PAPER WRITING IN CURSIVE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO SEE SUCH A HUGE BENEFIT WITH THAT CURSIVE WRITING IN BUILDING THE PATHWAYS THAT HELP KIDS TO MEMORIZE AND COMPREHEND INFORMATION.

AND SO THERE IS A LOT OF STUDIES OUT THERE ABOUT CURSIVE WRITING.

AND WHEN YOU PULL ALL THAT TOGETHER, IT'S NOT JUST TO BENEFIT FOR A KID TO BE ABLE TO SIGN THEIR NAME.

OF COURSE THAT'S JUST A SKILL I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS.

BUT IT REALLY DOES LAY A GREAT FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING IN GENERAL.

>> IT MAKES ME THINK THAT EVEN ADULTS SHOULD BE WRITING CURSIVE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE AS WELL.

SHOULD BE PUTTING PEN TO PAPER.

WHY DID CURSIVE WRITING GO AWAY?

HOW DID IT GO AWAY IN SCHOOLS?

>> WELL, I THINK IT WAS 2010, COMMON CORE CAME DOWN FROM THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND IT GOT TAKEN OUT IN KENTUCKY STANDARDS WE KEPT SOME LEVEL OF CURSIVE IN RECOGNITION OF LETTERS BUT IT WAS NOT REINFORCED.

WHAT WE PUT BACK INTO OUR STANDARDS IS A REQUIREMENT OF PROFICIENCY BEFORE THEY GRADUATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

BY FIFTH GRADE THEY NEED TO BE PROFICIENT IN CURSIVE WRITING.

I THINK JUST THE ONSET OF TECHNOLOGY AND UTILIZING COMPUTERS MORE FREQUENTLY IF THE CLASSROOMS AND FOR DIFFERENT CURRICULUMS, I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY WHY THEY JUST STARTED TO MOVE AWAY FROM IT AND IT WAS INTERESTING WHEN I FILED THE BILL, I WAS JUST TALKING TO SOME OF MY DISTRICT LEADERS IN EDUCATION AND A COUPLE OF THEM DID SAY SOME THINGS LIKE IT'S ARCHAIC, IT'S ANTIQUATED.

WE DON'T NEED IT FOYE ANY-- WE DIDN'T NEED IT ANYMORE.

I ARGUED IT STRENGTHENS THE BRAIN AND BUILDS A FOUNDATION FOR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO LEARN WELL.

I'M HOPEFUL WE WILL SEE IMPROVEMENTS IN LITERACY AS THIS GETS IMPLEMENTED.

>> AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THE BIG GOAL, RIGHT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> SO HOW WILL WE KNOW IF IT IS IMPROVING READING SKILLS?

>> WELL, I THINK WE ARE GOING TO SEE IT IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AS KIDS GET THAT FOUNDATIONAL SKILL.

OBVIOUSLY THOSE EARLY YEARS OF LEARNING, KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE, I THINK, ONCE THAT IS IMPLEMENTED, WE ARE GOING TO START SEEING SOME DOTS BEING CONNECTED AND IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, WE WILL SEE SOME OF OUR TEST SCORES GO UP HOPE HOPEFULLY.

>> THAT WILL BE NICE TO SEE.

SENATOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND EXPERTISE ON THIS.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO, THE SENATOR MADE A GOOD POINT THERE EXPLAINING THAT CURSIVE WRITING NEVER REALLY WENT AWAY.

ISN'T THAT RIGHT?

>> WE'VE HAD CURSIVE WRITING IN THE STANDARDS, IN THE KENTUCKY STANDARDS SINCE 2019.

>> BUT THERE WAS A PERIOD FROM 2010 TO 2019 WHEN IT WAS NOT IN THE STANDARDS, BUT MOST SCHOOLS STILL TAUGHT CURSE OF WRITING, CORRECT?

>> BUT IN A LOT OF DISTRICTS, ESPECIALLY THE LAST THREE YEARS,AND IT IS VERY COMMON TO GO INTO A CLASSROOM AND SEE THEM PRACTICING CURSIVE HANDWRITING, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE READING AND THE WRITING.

SO WRITING ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE READING OR WRITING TO ANSWER A QUESTION ABOUT THEIR READING.

>> AND THERE IS SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN LITERACY AND HANDWRITING.

RIGHT?

>> THERE IS A RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN READING AND WRITING.

SO IT IS IMPORTANT.

WHETHER IT BE MANUSCRIPT OR CURSIVE, TO TEACH IT TOGETHER.

>> SO IT IS INTERESTING, TOO, THE TYPE OF CURSIVE THAT STUDENTS ARE LEARNING NOW IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN MAYBE YOU ARE I HAD LEARNED.

THERE ARE LOCAL DISTRICTS THAT DETERMINE THEIR OWN CURRICULUM WHEN IT COMES TO CURSIVE WRITING.

SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS, THOUGH, WILL BE LEARNING SOMETHING NEW CALLED THE NEW AMERICAN CURSIVE.

THIS IS A METHOD DEVELOPED BY HANDWRITING SPECIALISTS FROM RIGHT HERE IN LOUISVILLE.

AND I HAD THE CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH IRIS HATFIELD AND SHE EXPLAINED HOW CURSIVE CAN HELP STUDENTS WITH A LOT MORE THAN JUST WRITING SKILLS.

IRIS HATFIELD IS A HANDWRITING SPECIALIST FOR MORE THAN 55 YEARS AND CREATOR OF THE NEW AMERICAN CURSIVE, WHICH IS TAUGHT-- WHICH IS BEING TAUGHT IN KENTUCKY AND ACROSS AT LEAST 24 OTHER STATES IN THE COUNTRY.

SO THIS IS YOUR PASSION, HANDWRITING.

>> IT IS.

>> AND YOU ARE A SPECIALIST WHO IS CREATED THIS PROGRAM.

BUT IN THIS DIGITAL AGE, WHY DO YOU THINK THIS SKILL IS SO IMPORTANT STILL FOR STUDENTS RIGHT NOW?

>> YES, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY IT'S STILL IMPORTANT FOR OUR YOUNG STUDENTS TO LEARN TO WRITE IN CURSIVE.

WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO READ DOCUMENTS, NAM FAMILY INFORMATION.

THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.

BUT CURSIVE IS FASTER THAN THE STOP AND START OF PRINTING.

SO THEY CAN GET THEIR THOUGHTS DOWN QUICKER THAN JUST WRITING, IMPRINTING IT OUT.

ALSO IT STIMULATES THE BRAIN.

AS THEY ARE LEARNING THE DIFFERENT LETTERS, THE SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION THAT IS COMING OUT NOW IS SO EXCITING, HOW MUCH IT LIGHTS UP THE BRAIN AS THEY ARE WRITING, AS OPPOSED TO TAPPING ON A KEYBOARD.

AND THERE IS ALL KINDS OF RESEARCH OUT THERE AND I'VE GOT SOME OF THE NEWER STUDIES ON THE WEBSITE, NEW AMERICAN CURSIVE.COM.

YOU CAN GO THERE.

IT IS A METHOD THAT, WHEN THEY LEARN CURSIVE, THEY ARE ALSO LEARNING OTHER THINGS.

THEY'RE LEARNING TO FOCUS.

IT GETS THEM OFF OF THE SCREEN.

THEY CAN LEARN TO FOCUS, TO WRITE, TO PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL TO GET SOME BENEFITS FROM LEARNING THE LETTERS.

IT HELPS WITH READING.

IT HELPS WITH SPELLING.

THE WORDS ARE IN ONE UNIT AS OPPOSED TO THE STOP AND START OF PRINTING.

SO THEY BUILD THAT MUSCLE MEMORY AND THAT MAKES IT FASTER FOR THEM.

IT'S GOOD FOR THEIR HAND-EYE COORDINATION.

THE PHYSICAL PART THE ABILITY TO USE THEIR HAND, USE THEIR BRAIN.

IT TAKES A LOT FOR US TO WRITE.

THERE IS A LOT OF BRAIN POWER GOING ON.

YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT THE LETTER IS AND THEN THE PRESSURE, THE SPACING, THE RHYTHM, THE SIZE.

AND SO THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT MAKE IT VALUABLE FOR OUR YOUNG STUDENTS THAT IS MORE THAN JUST LEARNING CURSIVE.

WE DEVELOPED THE NEW AMERICAN CURSIVE PENMANSHIP PROGRAM TO BE SIMPLE, EASY.

WE TOOK OUT ALL OF THE EXTRA STROKES, MADE IT MORE LEGIBLE, MADE IT EASIER TO LEARN AND TO TEACH.

>> THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM HOW PARENTS MAY HAVE LEARNED THEMSELVES.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN THE NEW AMERICAN CURSIVE METHOD THAT STUDENTS ARE LEARNING NOW?

>> WE HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THE CAPITAL F, 71% OF THE ADULT CURSIVE WRITERS PRINTED THEIR CAPITAL F BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO DO IT THE OLD WAY, WHICH, IF THEY LEARN IT THE NEW AMERICAN CURSIVE STYLE, THEY CAN ADD IT TO IT IF THEY WANT, BUT THAT WAS OUR WAY OF WRITING BUT IT'S NOT EXPEDIENT FOR OUR CHILDREN NOW, WHICH GET SO MUCH INFORMATION, THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE WRITTEN WORD QUICKLY.

AND SO OUR PROGRAM DOES THAT AND ELIMINATES A LOT OF THE LITTLE CURLS AND EXTRA LOOPS.

AND IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR THEM.

BUT THE NUMBER ONE THING, IT'S LEGIBLE AND THAT'S WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE ARE COMMUNICATING TO OTHERS.

>> YEAH, AND WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE SCIENCE THAT WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT HOW STUDENTS BRAIN CONNECT AND HOW THEY PROCESS AND CONNECT INFORMATION AND WE TALK ABOUT HOW THE LETTERS CONNECT IN CURSIVE AND IT MAKES THOSE BRAIN CONNECTIONS AND THAT'S WHAT SOME OF THIS RESEARCH HAS FOUND.

>> EXACTLY.

THEY TEST DIFFERENT CLASSES, ONE WITH CURSIVE THAT LEARNED CURSIVE AND THE OTHER AND HOW MUCH BETTER THEY TEST, NOT JUST ON HANDWRITING, BUT SPELLING AND READING.

AND WE NEED OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO READ BETTER AND THIS DOES HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.

>> WELL, AS WE SAID, A LOT OF THESE DISTRICTS ARE HAVING TO FIGURE OUT THEIR OWN METHOD FOR TEACHING CURSIVE WRITING AND THAT IS WHERE THOSE STATE LITERACY COACHES COME IN.

BRITTANY IS BRIDGING THAT GAP, CORRECT, BETWEEN THE WRITING AND THE READING AND ALL THE RESOURCES THAT ARE OUT THERE.

>> YES, SO ALL SCHOOLS HAVE HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCE THAT THEY IMPLEMENT.

AND IT'S VERY TYPICAL THAT MANUSCRIPT LETTER FORMATION LIVES IN THOSE EARLY FOUNDATIONAL PRIMARY GRADES, BUT CURSIVE IS TYPICALLY NOT FOUND IN AN HQIR IN SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE SO IT'S UP TO SCHOOLS TO FOLLOW THEIR DISTRICT GUIDANCE ON THE MATERIALS, THE SCOPE AND SEQUENCE THAT THEY FOLLOW AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO MEASURE THAT LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY IN FIFTH GRADE.

>> AND WE'VE SAID A COUPLE OF TIMES, THAT HQIR, AND EXPLAIN THAT IS THE HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES.

>> THAT'S KIND OF THE BRIDGE BETWEEN PRACTICE AND THEN THE KNOWLEDGE, SO THEY LEARN THE SCIENCE OF READING IN LETTERS, BUT THEN IT'S LIKE NOW WHAT DO I DO WITH THAT.

SO THE READ TO SUCCEED ACT, WE HAVE TO HAVE A HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL, IT SAYS WE HAVE TO HAVE A HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCE K-3 IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS SO DISTRICTS HAVE ADOPTED THOSE AND THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING THOSE NOW AND WE ARE SEEING, ESPECIALLY IN THE SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE COACHES, THAT THE COACHES REALLY HELP BRIDGE THAT PRACTICE.

BUT THE HQIR, 80% OR MORE OF THAT HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES IS ALIGNED TO KENTUCKY STANDARDS.

SO WE KNOW THAT WE ARE TEACHING THE STANDARDS.

BUT IT ALSO GIVES STUDENTS THE ACCESS TO GRADE LEVEL TEXT.

SO OUR TEACHERS ARE NOT CURRICULUM EXPERTS.

I, AS AN EDUCATOR WAS NOT TRAINED ON HOW TO DEVELOP CURRICULUM.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE EXPECTED OUR TEACHERS TO BE CURRICULUM EXPERTS AND DEVELOP THEIR OWN CURRICULUM.

SO OUR TEACHERS BEFORE HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES WERE HAVING TO PIECE MEAL ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT RESOURCES TOGETHER IN ORDER TO TEACH READING AND THAT HQIR NOW HAS ALL OF THE GRADE LEVEL TEXT THAT THEY NEED, ASSESSMENTS THAT THEY NEED, AND IT GIVES THEM ACCESS.

IT GIVES ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ACCESS TO ALL THAT THEY NEED IN TERMS OF BEST PRACTICES, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF READING AND NOW GRADE LEVEL TEXT AND TEACHING THE STANDARDS.

SO IT KIND OF PIECES ALL OF THAT TOGETHER AND BRIDGES ALL OF THAT TOGETHER.

>> NOW THAT'S PART WHAT HAVE THE KENTUCKY READING RESEARCH CENTER DOES AS WELL IS GETTING ALL OF THOSE RESOURCES TOGETHER FOR TEACHERS WHO NEED THEM.

>> YES, BECAUSE AS CHRISTIE WAS SAYING, THE HQIRs ARE THE WHAT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW THAT RESEARCH SUPPORTS AND THE LETTERS TRAINING AND THE PRACTICES ARE THE HOW.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO EFFECTIVELY TEACH?

PART OF THE READING RESEARCH CENTER IS GOING TO LOOK AT THE LITERATURE BEHIND THAT BUT IT'S GOING TO BE ALSO THE HOW.

SO WITH PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS, WITH TEACHERS, WE ARE GOING TO SHOW YOU THE HOW AS WELL AND THEN WE ARE ALSO GOING TO GO INTO SCHOOLS AND WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THERE ARE SOME SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HIGHER READING OUTCOMES THAN OTHERS.

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THOSE SCHOOLS THAT WE CAN THEN TAKE AND SAY HEY, MAYBE YOU CAN PRACTICE THIS.

MAYBE YOU CAN DO THIS.

MAYBE IT'S MORE EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION.

MAYBE THEY'RE GIVING MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO RESPOND.

THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.

IF WE CAN-- WE CALL VARIABLES BUT THOSE SPECIFIC PRACTICES, IF WE CAN IDENTIFY THOSE, THEN WE CAN, IN TURN, INTRODUCE THOSE TO THOSE SCHOOLS THAT MAY NOT HAVE THOSE HIGHER ACADEMIC OUTCOMES.

SO IT CAN IMPROVE.

>> AND Dr. HULAN, WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHING THE TEACHERS, AS WE MENTIONED SOME OF THESE TEACHERS MAY NEVER HAVE LEARNED CURSIVE WRITING AND LIKELY NEVER LEARNED READING THE WAY THAT THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO TEACH IT NOW.

SO HOW DOES THAT COME INTO YOUR INSTRUCTION WHEN YOU ARE TEACHING TEACHERS THESE NEW METHODS?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

WE ARE VERY INTENTIONAL AT WESTERN KENTUCKY UMPT AND I THINK-- UNIVERSITY AND I THINK THE MAJORITY OF OUR COLLEGES IN THE STATE TO ENSURE THEY'RE GETTING ACCESS TO THE BIG FIVE OF READING.

THEY'RE LEARN CAN,000 ASSESS ALL OF THOSE USING MEASURES THATTING THAT ARE RELIABLE AND INSTRUCT BASED ON THOSE ASSESSMENT MEASURES AND THEN ALSO OUR STUDENTS HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES IN SCHOOLS.

SO THEY GET TO KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE IN A SCHOOL OF A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES.

AND WORK WITH TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM AND GET FEEDBACK FROM THEM.

WE OBSERVE THEM.

THEY TEACH SMALL GROUP LESSONS.

WHOLE GROUP LESSONS.

ONE ON ONE.

SO WE ARE PROVIDING THEM WITH A RICH AWRY OF EXPERIENCES BASED ON THE SCIENCE OF READING IN OUR COURSE WORK.

AND ARE SEEING SOME GREAT RESULTS.

>> WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE STILL AHEAD WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATING TEACHERS, EDUCATING STUDENTS?

>> I MEAN I THINK IT'S JUST POURING INTO EDUCATORS AND GIVING THEM THE RESOURCES AND TOOLS THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL, IN ORDER TO MAKE OUR STUDENTS THEN SUCCESSFUL AND THEN ALLOWING THEM THE TIME TO IMPLEMENT ALL OF THIS NEW WAY OF TEACHING READING, TO IMPLEMENT THEIR NEW HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES, TO IMPLEMENT NEW READING IMPROVEMENT PLANS, JUST GIVING THEM THE TIME, BUT POURING INTO OUR EDUCATORS BECAUSE THEY DESERVE THAT.

THEY DESERVE THAT TRAINING, THEY DESERVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED.

THE HQIRs THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND HELP THEM GIVE THEIR VERY BEST TO THE KIDS SITTING IN THEIR CLASSROOM.

>> AND AS WE MENTIONED IT CAN'T ALL BE ON THE TEACHERS.

>> IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE PERSISTENT.

I THINK THIS IS-- KENTUCKY HAS MADE A BIG CHANGE, BUT WE ARE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THAT BIG CHANGE.

SO BEING PERSISTENT WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING SO WE CAN SEE THAT, SO YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THAT MAYBE WE DO NOT HAVE THE OUTCOMES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE RIGHT NOW BUT IF WE ARE PERSISTENT WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING, WE ARE GOING SEE THEM IN THE FUTURE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

WE APPRECIATE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS EDITION OF "EDUCATION MATTERS" FOCUSED ON THE SCIENCE OF LITERACY.

I HOPE YOU HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING NEW THIS EVENING AND TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE THE TOPICS WE'VE DISCUSSED WE LINKED THIS PROGRAM AND RESOURCES AT ket.org/EDUCATIONMATTERS.

FROM ALL OF US HERE AT KET, HAVE A GREAT NIGHT.

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