Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Literacy Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears PreK–12 literacy policy revisions; state narrows home‑language screening options and delays retention timeline
Summary
MSDE presented a consolidated PreK–12 comprehensive literacy policy, responding to stakeholder concerns by phasing in some implementation steps, clarifying screening limits for home languages (current approved screeners support English and Spanish only), and reopening an RFI to identify additional approved screeners.
MSDE presented a combined PreK–12 literacy policy at the June 23 board meeting, merging earlier early‑literacy and adolescent drafts into a single comprehensive document intended to create a coherent continuum of screening, evidence‑based instruction, and intervention.
Jill Snell, MSDE’s executive director of literacy, and Dr. Laura Aberg summarized revisions that respond to public and stakeholder feedback: the department will phase in some elements, provide more professional learning and guidance, and adjust timelines for promotion/retention components to give LEAs time to strengthen Tier‑1 instruction. The retention/promotion elements that had been slated for immediate effect were pushed back to 2028–29.
On screening of multilingual learners, MSDE acknowledged limitations: the three currently approved universal screeners used in Maryland are available in English and Spanish, while the state’s student population speaks more than 180 home languages. Because of that lack of screening instruments in many home languages, the department cannot mandate universal home‑language screening statewide, though it will encourage home‑language screening where tools exist and will request vendors to submit additional approved instruments through a reopened Request for Information.
MSDE also committed to guidance aligning screening protocols with IEP accommodations and COMAR provisions for special education; the department plans to release follow‑up guidance to show how IEP teams should incorporate screener results without over‑testing students. Staff said the draft now reduces universal secondary screening of incoming freshmen to a targeted process tied to prior‑year reading data rather than a blanket requirement for all students.
Board and audience comments focused on (1) how to ensure multilingual learners are properly identified and not misclassified, (2) whether screening protocols respect IEP accommodations and avoid excessive IEP meetings, and (3) how to phase implementation so that districts can safely adopt changes without disrupting classrooms.
What happens next: MSDE will publish the combined PreK–12 literacy policy for public comment, hold office hours to discuss technical details with board members and LEAs, and return to the board in August with summaries of the public comment and recommended adoption language.
Speakers and sources: Jill Snell and Dr. Laura Aberg (MSDE literacy staff) led the presentation; public commenters included district literacy specialists and advocates who urged more choices in approved screeners and more time for implementation. MSDE said it would release additional screener guidance and reopen the RFI for vendors.
