Why?
Reading achievement has been a long-term priority in Florida. State legislation has focused on educator knowledge and skill and district implementation of evidence-based reading practices to improve student reading outcomes, particularly for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) ascertained a need for support in reviewing and identifying evidence-based practices and resources for use in classroom reading instruction and intervention. Collaborative support and coordination with FDOE will establish processes, tools, and guidance needed for the Department to support educator knowledge and skill and implementation of evidence-based reading practices throughout the state.
What?
Over the past five years, the Region 7 Comprehensive Center (R7CC) has supported FDOE’s implementation of policies by developing and utilizing processes, procedures, and tools to review and identify evidence-based reading practices, programs, and resources for use in Florida’s educator pathways and school districts’ literacy instruction and intervention. This collaborative support included:
- Forming stakeholder teams, processes, protocols, tools, and team schedules to co-facilitate the revision of Florida’s 2011 reading endorsement competencies to address evidence-based practices appropriate for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.
- Developing review criteria, processes, and tools for evaluating the alignment of Florida reading endorsement matrix submissions of districts and educator pathways to the newly revised (2022) reading endorsement competencies.
- Developing and using a rubric for evaluating the quality of research studies that identify evidence levels of reading practices and programs.
- Distributing information and resources supporting students with dyslexia.
- Coordinating the collection and analyses of Florida’s District Comprehensive Evidence-Based Reading Plan (CERP) Self-Reflection Tool data regarding districts’ literacy priorities (literacy leadership; literacy coaching; standards, curriculum, instruction, and intervention; assessment; and professional learning).
R7CC currently supports FDOE with established annual continuous improvement activities, such as data collection and analyses that inform the status of district implementations.
Impact?
The co-facilitation and collaboration between R7CC and FDOE established processes and tools for sustainable change in Florida’s literacy infrastructure, such as the following:
- Revised Florida reading endorsement competencies (2022) for the alignment of educator pathway offerings to evidence-based practices that improve reading development and achievement, particularly for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.
- A collection of research- and evidence-based resources and text readings used in FDOE-approved reading endorsement certification programs.
- Annual FDOE evaluation of district supports for implementing evidence-based reading practices that inform legislative reporting and targeted continuous improvement needs across the state.