New York Board of Regents approves ‘science of reading’ regulations

New York is joining about 40 other states to enact “science of reading” regulations for public schools.

The Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s department of education, voted this month on an amendment to regulations that provide guidance on reading instruction for students in pre-K through third grade.

The amendment details core aspects to reading instruction like phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading fluency.

“It is debatable that there is something called ‘the science of reading.’ What’s not debatable is that there is a science of learning and development,” Chancellor Lester Young said in a recent Regents meeting. “We’re building an approach of what we know that’s been documented over 50 years of education research.”

Districts will have until September 1, 2025 to verify that their reading curriculum and instruction align with state ed’s updated best practices.

The move furthers a “Back to Basics” reading plan that Governor Kathy Hochul announced earlier this year.

When the 2024 state budget passed in April, it added a new section to education law that requires the state education commissioner to provide scientifically backed best practices for literacy education.

However, Regent Roger Catania pointed out that if cohesive reading instruction begins before grade school, then early childhood education needs to be universally available for families.

“There are some students who don’t participate in our early learning programs, and so I guess I wanted to make that connection … the importance of making pre-K truly universal,” Catania said. “If all of our students are not participating universally in pre-K at a high level, then this will not happen for them.”

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