PGCPS committee advances draft pre-K–3 literacy policy, asks for reporting and gap analysis

Prince George's County Public Schools’ Policy & Governance Committee recommended revising and advancing Policy 5-117, a pre-K–3 literacy policy aligned to Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) guidance, after a presentation from district academic leaders and extensive committee questions about training timelines, family notification and equity monitoring.

The committee, chaired by Dr. Felton Moss, voted to send the draft policy to the policy sponsor for revision approval. Robin Welsh, the board’s policy lead, introduced Chief of Academics Dr. Judith White and the district’s literacy leads, who outlined four MSDE components the draft follows: educator support and training in the science of reading; reading instruction, assessment and intervention; parent/guardian notification and a student reading improvement plan; and readiness-for-promotion criteria with narrowly defined good-cause promotions.

Why it matters: MSDE’s pre-K–3 literacy policy aims to ensure early identification and evidence-based instructional supports so students are prepared for grade-level reading by the end of third grade. For Prince George’s County, the board’s…