Oregon had a reading crisis before COVID: over HALF of our 3rd graders weren’t reading at grade level. Over 66% of our economically disadvantaged, 70% of American Indian/Alaska Native, 71% of Latinx, 73% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander and 74% of Black 3rd graders weren’t reading at grade level.

Studies show that without intervention, students who struggle with reading rarely catch up. A first grader with poor reading skills has a 90% chance of continuing to be a poor reader.

Distance learning during COVID has only made the crisis worse, especially for Black, Indigenous and other students of color. 

This is especially unacceptable because we have access to research that shows what we need to do - and we’re not doing it. 

Science proves that almost any child can learn to read, given the right type of instruction. Unfortunately, Oregon students are unlikely to receive this instruction because most of Oregon’s colleges and universities do not offer our teachers literacy training that’s grounded in how the brain works when it comes to reading. 

There is a better way: districts and states that have trained their teachers in a clear, explicit instruction program called Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) have seen dramatic student improvement. In Bethlehem, PA, after only three years, they’ve gone from 56% to 84% of their students reading at grade level. Mississippi, which trained over 15,000 teachers in LETRS, was the only state in the country whose 4th grade reading scores improved - in contrast to Oregon’s scores which have been flat and below the national average. 

Recognizing the need to immediately address their district’s literacy crisis, Portland Public Schools has begun training their teachers in LETRS, a commitment that will transform PPS students’ opportunities for becoming strong readers. Every Oregon student deserves the same.

To make this happen, we need YOUR help. 

To improve the lives of tens of thousands of Oregon children, we need to offer our teachers LETRS training statewide - and we need to ensure that future teachers receive LETRS or equivalent training in their teacher preparation programs.  

Oregon’s most struggling schools span our urban, rural and coastal communities and include students of all races and economic backgrounds. By focusing on these schools first, we will immediately reach our most struggling students.

Here's how YOU can help move Oregon in the right direction. By signing this petition, you’re calling on:

1) Governor Kate Brown and Oregon legislators to use COVID relief or other funds to offer LETRS training to all K-5 teachers and reading specialists in our most struggling schools*. By focusing first on these schools, we will immediately reach the most vulnerable students.

2) The TSPC (Teacher Standards and Practices Commission) to require all Oregon Educator Preparation Providers to include scientifically-based reading instruction in their required courses for grades K-12.

The cost of training teachers at our lowest performing schools is approximately $20 million. The economic cost of not training teachers is billions of dollars in later interventions, lower high school graduation rates, higher incarceration rates, and fewer taxpayers earning a living wage. The human cost of Oregon children never attaining foundational literacy is incalculable. 

There’s no reason we can’t do better for our kids. It just takes political will and individual commitment.

TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS!

Want to learn more? Visit Oregon Kids Read.

*TSI: Targeted Support & Improvement Schools; CSI: Comprehensive Support & Improvement Schools. These schools have been identified as the most struggling schools in Oregon.

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