Opposing the Administration

1
Opposing the Administrations Position regarding
reading instruction

• Cheryl Temple

2
Research Methods

• NRP Findings are not
• generalizable
• reliable
• able to meet the criteria for sound
  meta-analysis
• only based on 38 studies
• dependent variables are inconsistent

3
Criteria

• Federally funded report that is to provide
  recommendations about educational policy should
• be free of political influence
• be subject to rigorous peer review
• be adequately funded
• be given enough time to adequately conduct the
  research
• include mostly teachers on the committee
• NRP does not meet these criteria

4
Instruction

• One size does not fit all
• Should not always be explicit no room for
  students to figure things out for themselves
• Balanced approach needed to teach reading
• Explicit
• Systematic
• Mindful
• Contextualized

5
Accountability

• If teachers have to use a proven program than
  it will be easy to blame the program for failure
• Accountability without autonomy is no
  accountability at all p. 241
• Dont feel accountable for results when someone
  tells you how you must do something

Not my fault! They made me do it!
6
No Evidence

• There is NO EVIDENCE that
• American reading achievement has declined
• 40 percent of 4th graders cant read
  independently
• ½ of adults are functionally illiterate
• Most teachers are unprepared to teach reading
• Proven programs reliably raise reading
  achievement
• Scripted curricula provide a route to effective
  instruction

7
Philosophy

• Strength of American education has been local
  control
• Not a homogeneous society
• Encourages diversity based on local needs
• Professionals take responsibility for effective
  literacy instruction
• Push for a national reading curriculum shifts
  control from local taxpayers and teachers to
  bureaucrats in federal offices