Welcome to the Issues and Advocacy Section!

Hot Topic: Advocates for Literacy Coalition succeeds in getting comprehensive literacy legislation included in the Senate Harkin/Enzi Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization.
Read More. Read a summary of the bill.

Hot Topic: On July 13, RRCNA held a policy briefing on Capitol Hill titled, “The Whole-School Benefits of Reading Recovery.” An important initiative in RRCNA’s strategic plan, the briefing highlighted the effectiveness of Reading Recovery and the impact of the training and professional development model on literacy throughout the school.
Read More.

Hot Topic: Council supports reintroduction of comprehensive literacy legislation, June 29, 2011

RRCNA is proud to join other education stakeholders in support of legislation that would strengthen literacy programs and support professional development.

The Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation (LEARN) Act was reintroduced on June 23 by Congressmen John Yarmuth (D-KY) and Jared Polis (D-CO). The bill would develop a national comprehensive literacy strategy and fund local literacy programs to ensure that students obtain the reading and writing skills necessary to succeed in school and life. The LEARN Act aims to expand literacy programs for students in Grades 4-12; support professional development; and refocus efforts to better instruct at-risk youth, students with disabilities, and English language learners. Read more.

Hot Topic: FY2011 Federal Appropriations Finalized – Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Funding Among Programs Unfunded
April 14, 2011

Six and a half months into the fiscal year, the President received from the Congress the FY2011 budget. After months of partisan wrangling and the passage of 7 continuing resolutions (CR), the House and Senate adopted a budget plan this week that cuts spending by $37.6 billion below FY2010. The majority of those cuts for the Department of Education (ED) came from small programs that direct funds to specific entities which are now considered earmarks. Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy, Reading is Fundamental, The National Writing Project and Teach for America, all de-funded in a recent CR, remained unfunded.

The bill preserves current-year funding for key formula-grant programs, including Title I grants to districts, financed at $14.5 billion, and special education state grants, funded at $11.5 billion.

The only winners in terms of education funding were the unauthorized but hugely popular with the Administration initiatives – Race to the Top, Investing in Innovation (i3) fund and Promise Neighborhoods.

Hot Topic: As the vast majority of states move forward with adopting Common Core State Standards, RRCNA has published a description of how Reading Recovery plays a vital role to ensure that first-graders who struggle with literacy learning can meet grade level standards and benefit from instruction at every subsequent grade level. Read more.

Reading Recovery and Common Core State Standards Executive Summary 

Reading Recovery and Common Core State Standards Report