Literacy

Reading proficiently by the end of third grade is the most important indicator of future student success.

Yet New York State is facing a literacy crisis — despite research showing that children can learn to read with instruction aligned with the science of reading, many New York students do not have access to such instruction.

In turn, students across New York State, especially Black, Latinx, and Native American students and students from low-income backgrounds, are denied the right to read.

Our Equity-Centered Approach

We convene the New York Campaign for Early Literacy to ensure the use of instruction aligned with the science of reading is prioritized at the state and district levels. The Campaign is a statewide movement designed to harness the collective voices of individuals and civil rights, education, parent, and nonprofit organizations and advocate for improved student reading outcomes. 

Latest Resource

Report: A Call to Action: The State of Early Literacy in New York

Our April 2023 report highlights a disjointed early literacy landscape in New York. The report elevates non-evidence-based practices in teaching of reading, and shares recommendations on how state and local leaders can address New York’s poor reading outcomes by anchoring reading and literacy instruction in the science of reading.

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Featured Reports and Resources Over the Years

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Report: The State of Early Literacy in Monroe County

This report shows that districts responding to Monroe County’s early literacy crisis with a slow, but uneven shift toward alignment with the science of reading, an evidence-based approach to teaching reading. The report also shares examples of promising practices from school districts, local universities, and community-based organizations. 
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Statement: NYSED and the Board of Regents' Vision for Literacy

We are hopeful that new state guidance and resources regarding literacy instruction are helpful to districts. However, we worry that with no obligation for districts to follow this guidance, reading outcomes will not improve, particularly in historically underserved communities – rural and urban.

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Resource: Four Ways Parents & Caregivers Can Support Their Young Reader

When parents and caregivers know how to support their child’s reading, there is enormous potential. Yet too often, parents do not have access to the best tools and resources to support reading development, leaving them feeling unprepared to support their little learner’s needs. This resource outlines four ways that parents and caregivers can support their young reader.
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Statement: Gov. Hochul's Literacy Proposal

The Governor’s proposal will help to ensure that districts across the state are providing evidence-based literacy instruction to all students, while also helping provide educators with the training and resources to implement these changes in the classroom. While this proposal is a major step forward, much work remains to be done.

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Data Snapshot

In the 2024 NAEP test results,

%

of 4th graders scored Below Basic in reading, including 55% of Black students and 51% of Latinx students

*The Nation’s Report Card

In 2024,

%

of Black and Latinx students in grades 3-8 in NYS tested proficient on the statewide ELA assessments, as compared to 46% of all students.

*New York State Education Department

Featured Reports and Resources Over the Years

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Resource: Early Intervention Telehealth Recommendations

In fall 2021, Raising NY hosted a virtual convening on telehealth and shared their experiences and insights on the benefits of telehealth and how the State can improve telehealth as a service delivery model.

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Blog: Racist Disparities in Health Care

The disproportionate statistics associated with the birthing experiences of Black women compared to other races is stark. In this blog post, Chanel Jones describes her birth experience, and details how she had to advocate for herself. She sees her how her experience as a Black woman differs from that of other mothers.
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Blog: How Better Screening and More Information Can Help New Mothers

About one in seven mothers in New York State reported postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms after giving birth. Yet, in a group of about eight mothers who work with the Postpartum Resource Center of New York, almost none of them had heard of the diagnosis, despite having shown symptoms of the condition. This blog explores their experiences.
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Blog: Faced With Limited Resources, New Mothers Get By Finding Their Own Support

This blog highlights how new mothers, particularly in underserved communities, often face significant challenges accessing adequate support for themselves and their babies. In the absence of sufficient systemic resources, many rely on their own networks and creativity to find support, such as turning to family, friends, and community groups.

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More Resources

5 Things to Know About the Influx of Migrant Students in New York 

by | Oct 4, 2023 |

Migrant students may face and present unique challenges to education systems, and they add to the great diversity of our state and our history of resilience and opportunity. It is important to keep their strengths as well as their needs in mind as we welcome them into our communities and advocate for their educational needs so that they too can share in all that schools have to offer.  

New report reveals an early literacy crisis in Monroe County and outlines solutions to boost reading outcomes 

by | Jun 29, 2023 |

The report shows that districts responding to Monroe County’s early literacy crisis with a slow, but uneven shift toward alignment with the science of reading, an evidence-based approach to teaching reading. The report also shares examples of promising practices from school districts, local universities, and community-based organizations.  

Four Ways Parents & Caregivers Can Support Their Young Reader

by | May 16, 2023 |

When caregivers know how to support their child’s reading, there is enormous potential. Yet too often, parents do not have access to the best tools and resources to support reading development, leaving them feeling unprepared to support their little learner’s needs. Here are some resources to help.

Literacy: the key to empowerment

by | May 5, 2023 |

Frederick Douglass believed that education was the key to empowering Black people and helping them achieve true freedom and equality. In 2023, literacy in America is still important for many of the same reasons it was important to Douglass.

Congrats to our 2023-24 Equity Partnership Program grantees!

by | May 1, 2023 |

Each year, through our Equity Partnership Program, we provide technical assistance and grants to support advocacy capacity to community-based and parent-serving organizations. This year, we made changes to the program to deepen our impact on several key issues and are thrilled to announce eight organizations that will be taking on critical equity work that advances our policy priorities.