Office of Teaching and Learning
Instructional Programs and Services
Educational Equity Policy
Multilingual Education Branch
Comprehensive Arts Education Branch
Advanced Academics and Gifted and Talented Education Branch
Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Branch
Mathematics Branch
Literacy Programs and Initiatives Branch
Science Branch
Social Studies Branch
The Literacy Programs and Initiatives Branch envisions an educational system supporting equity and excellence in preparing all students for college, career, and community success in the 21st century.
The Literacy Programs and Initiatives Branch will provide leadership, support, and meaningful engagement with parents, families, and communities, with a focus on equity and excellence.
It is the intent of the General Assembly, the Maryland State Board of Education, and the Maryland State Department of Education that student advancement be determined, in part, by proficiency in reading. Local school board policies should support reading instruction and intervention services to meet the needs of each student, while also ensuring that parents or guardians are kept informed of their student’s reading progress.
Rationale
Research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its 2011 report "Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation" emphasizes the critical importance of early reading proficiency. According to the report, children who do not read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school compared to proficient readers. The stakes are even higher for children living in poverty, who face a thirteen-fold higher risk of not graduating on time if they lack reading proficiency by third grade. These findings underscore the urgent need to ensure that all students develop strong reading skills early in their education to support their long-term academic success and high school graduation.
Contact:
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
State of Maryland Literacy Association (SOMLA)
National Center for Improving Literacy (NCIL)
International Literacy Association: Home (ILA)
National Writing Project | Home (NWP)
The Reading League
Maryland Equity COMAR
Maryland Equity Guidebook
Maryland's Approach to K-3 Literacy Instruction
Workgroup on Multilingual Learners in Public Schools: Structured Literacy and English Language Development: Guiding Question: How can Maryland align the science of reading and structured literacy with best English language development practices to improve reading outcomes for Multilingual learners?
MCAP English/Language Arts Assessment Resources
Maryland State Comprehensive Literacy Plan
Glossary for Maryland College and Career Ready ELA Standards