6 Principles to Advance Equity in State Literacy Policy

Abstract

Literacy is the key to success in school, to accessing high-quality career opportunities, and to ensuring that all citizens are informed, engaged, and able to contribute to decision-making processes. Unfortunately, too many students are denied the right to read and become literate individuals, and the majority of the nation's students are below grade level in reading--students from underserved backgrounds disproportionately so. Implementation efforts related to reading instruction have increased over the past several years, but more must be done to advance policies and practices that ensure that students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities are afforded the same opportunities and resources as their peers to become skillful, engaged readers. In this resource, EdTrust outlines principles to guide advocates as they work to ensure that all students have equitable literacy opportunities. These six principles provide a framework to guide the strategic priorities of advocacy efforts and are accompanied by initial policy recommendations.