Tag: science of reading

AB 2222 is Dead; DDCA Continues to Fight for the Right to Read

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Assembly Education Chair, Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) did not schedule AB 2222 for comprehensive early literacy legislation to be heard by the Assembly Education Committee. The deadline for scheduling the hearing was 5 pm Thursday, April 11. This means our bill is dead without even the benefit of being heard in Committee.

It is very disappointing that it came down to two legislators (Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) and Assembly Education Chair Muratsuchi) who decided not to let our bill move forward for a vote in Assembly Education.

This is the EdSource article that was released today on AB 2222. Please take a moment to post a comment at the end of the EdSource article.

The decision came in the face of tremendous support for AB 2222, built in just over two months. AB 2222 had:

  • 69 supporting organizations 
  • 16 bi-partisan co-authors
  • More than 1,000 individual letters of support
  • 41 letters from school district leaders representing 25 school districts serving more than 300,000 students

The organization, Education Trust-West, took a support if amended position. The bill faced opposition from 4 organizations:  California Teachers Association, California Association for Bilingual Education,  Californians Together, and Loyola Marymount University Center for Equity for English Learners.

We knew from the introduction of AB 2222 that passing comprehensive early literacy legislation in a significant state deficit year was going to be a challenge.  DDCA is committed to continue pursuing this legislation next legislative session and beyond if necessary and hope you will join us!

Special thanks to Assemblymember Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) for authoring AB 2222 and for her fearless advocacy to improve literacy outcomes for all California kids.

We are grateful to the following 69 organizations and bill co-sponsors for their support for AB 2222:

Organization Letters of Support on Record:
Decoding Dyslexia CA (co-sponsor)
EdVoice (co-sponsor)
Families in Schools (co-sponsor)
21st Century Alliance
Alliance College-Ready Public Schools Foundation
Black Parallel School Board
Boon Philanthropy Inc.
Boys & Girls Club-Hollywood
California Catholic Conference
California State Parent Teacher Association
California Reading Coalition
California Education Justice Alliance
California Youth Services
Charles Armstrong School
Chico Unified School District
Children’s Defense Fund-California
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER)
Disability Rights California
Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund
Dyslexia Training Institute
Educators for  Excellence-Los Angeles
Equitable Ed Advocates
Equitable Literacy For All
Eye to Eye
Families in Action for Quality Education
Fourth District PTA
Fulcrum
Glean Education
GP II Foundation
Hawley Special Education Advocacy
Innovate Public Schools
KIPP Bay Area Public Schools
KIPP So-Cal Public Schools
International Dyslexia Association – Los Angeles
International Dyslexia Association – Northern California
International Dyslexia Association – SoCal TriCounties Branch
Learning Disabilities Association of California
Learning Rights Law Center
Lighthouse Community Public Schools
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Mt. Diablo Unified School District Community Advisory Committee for Special Education
NAACP California Hawaii State Conference
National Council On Teacher Quality
National Parents Union
North Bridge Academy
North Region SELPA Community Advisory Committee
Oakland Literacy Coalition
Our Voice: Communities for Quality Education
Palomar Council Parent Teacher Association
Peralta District Parent Teacher Association
Project Second Chance, Inc.
Reading for Berkeley
Right to Read Project
Sacramento Literacy Foundation
San Francisco/Second District PTA
San Francisco Unified School District Community Advisory Committee for Special Education
San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs
San Ramon Valley Unified School District SELPA
Santa Barbara Reading Coalition
Seaside Elementary School PTA
Smart Justice California
San Francisco Parent Coalition
The Dyslexia Project
The Oakland REACH
The Reading League California
Third District PTA
Thirty-Second District PTA
Thirty-Third District PTA
Walnut Grove PTA

 

 

New Legislation Aims to Close California’s Reading Gap

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Early literacy bill calls for an evidence-based approach to teaching children how to read that adheres to the science of reading.

It’s time California ensures that its children can read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.


On February 7, 2024, Assemblymember Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) introduced a comprehensive early literacy bill, Assembly Bill 2222 (AB 2222) to ensure an evidence-based approach to teaching all of California’s elementary school students how to read and address the deep inequities in reading achievement for California’s most vulnerable students. The bill has bipartisan support from 13 co-authors. Decoding Dyslexia CA is co-sponsoring this legislation with EdVoice and Families In Schools.

Reading is the gateway to knowledge and future opportunities for students. Unfortunately, California is facing a literacy crisis in part due to ineffective early literacy instruction. Currently, only 4 in 10 third grade students are at grade level in English language arts. Nearly 70% of 3rd-grade students from low-income communities are not meeting state standards for English Language Arts, and the vast majority of those falling behind are disproportionately Black and Latino children, English learners, and students with disabilities. It is critical that we address these deep inequities and are grateful to Assemblymember Rubio for introducing legislation that will set up both students and educators for success. We are proud to co-sponsor AB 2222 and will be calling on our membership and community to help advocate for its passage. 

AB 2222 focuses on three specific priorities with overarching accountability and transparency measures:

  1. Access to TK-8 literacy instructional materials that adhere to the science of reading;
  2. Professional development and training for current educators in evidence-based literacy instruction; and
  3. Improved accountability in teacher preparation programs related to new literacy teaching standards and support for professional development for teacher preparation faculty.

Adhering to the science of reading means following evidence from a large body of interdisciplinary research that guides effective classroom practices benefitting all students, including English learners and those at risk of or with dyslexia. Evidence-based practices include systematic and explicit instruction focused on phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, oral language development, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

CALL TO ACTION
To show support for AB 2222, we urge you to:

  1. Sign our petition to encourage your state legislators to support AB 2222
  2. Click here to learn more about the bill
  3. Signup for DDCA emails to stay up-to-date on the bill’s journey through CA’s legislature
  4. Explore CaliforniaKidsRead.org for more information, resources and latest news on the bill

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DDCA is pleased to team with  EdVoice Institute, California Reading Coalition, Families in Schools and 21st Century Alliance in the newly-formed California Early Literacy Coalition. 

This California Early Literacy Coalition helps to influence changes to state policy to ensure all California’s children achieve literacy before the end of elementary school.  Please read our Early Literacy Policy Brief for more information.

#CaliforniaKidsRead  #AB2222  #EarlyLiteracy  #EarlyLiteracyMatters  #ScienceOfReading

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