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State board hears literacy-policy update as outside review finds uneven implementation across districts
Summary
MSDE staff and partners presented findings from a statewide literacy implementation review showing pockets of strong K–3 practice but uneven access to coaching, data capacity and supports for multilingual learners; board staff said version 4 of the proposed literacy policy will be shared for detailed committee review in October.
Maryland’s State Board of Education on Thursday received an update on the department’s proposed K–3 literacy policy and a statewide implementation review that identified both bright spots and gaps in practice.
The Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity (MIIL), a partnership with the University of Maryland and Morgan State University, reported that teams visited about 10% of the state’s elementary schools and evaluated district literacy plans against a rubric built on evidence-based practices. The reviewers said high-quality instructional materials, job-embedded coaching and aligned professional development were common features of stronger districts, while inconsistent training, limited MTSS capacity and gaps in supports for multilingual learners and students with disabilities were recurring barriers.
“High-quality instructional materials and coaching are among the factors we observed for effective implementation,” one MIIL presenter said. The presentation also flagged “flipped MTSS pyramids” in some schools — situations where too many students require targeted intervention because Tier 1 instruction is not producing mastery.
Members of the public had urged caution and broad engagement during earlier public comments. Trish Brennan Gack told the board that technology use in classrooms can undermine deep reading, arguing that “the habits students form when interacting with digital devices can destroy their brains’ capacity for deep reflective reading.” Nikki Woodward of the Maryland State Education Association praised iterative improvements to the draft literacy policy but asked the department to consider delaying full implementation until the 2028–29 school year to ensure adequate training and data systems are in place.
State Superintendent Dr. Wright framed the policy as focused on early intervention, progress monitoring and stronger supports for educators. She said staff will present a revised “version 4” of the policy for Education Policy Committee review and urged members to focus on concrete supports for teachers and clear timelines that align with districts’ existing reporting windows.
The board agreed to continue work in committee; staff said they will return with a revised draft that clarifies parent-notification procedures, data timelines and the state’s approach to educator supports and training.
