Authored by: DRC

Reading is top of mind when it comes to closing gaps in student achievement and the Virginia Literacy Act calls this out specifically, stating that (source):

●      “Every family will have access to online resources to support literacy development at home, and will be able to participate in the development of their child’s student reading plan”, and

●      “Every teacher of students in kindergarten to grade 3: Uses evidence-based literacy curriculum for the entire literacy block assesses student learning using approved literacy screeners routinely throughout the year.”

It comes as no surprise to members of VATESOL that English Learners (ELs) have unique needs when it comes to reading instruction, nor does it surprise EL teachers that most of the reading instruction EL students experience takes place in the general education classroom, with dedicated teachers who may not have a background in Second Language Acquisition. Given that 9.6% of K-12 students in Virginia are ELs, it stands to reason that all teachers need to be informed on what works best for their EL students when it comes to reading instruction. They also need to have the data necessary to make informed instructional decisions. One way to do this is to utilize the LAS Links Progress Monitoring and Student Report.

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