MCPSA Testimony Supporting the Right to Read Act | H.698/S.338

MCPSA’s Executive Director, Tim Nicolette, submitted written testimony in support of the Right to Read Act, outlining the importance of evidence-based literacy instruction and equitable reading opportunities for all Massachusetts students. Read the full testimony:

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Tim Nicolette, Executive Director
Massachusetts Charter Public School Association
43 Broad Street, Suite C401
Hudson, MA 01749

RE: EDUCATION COMMITTEE TESTIMONY – H.698/S.338

Chair Lewis, Chair Gordon, and Honorable Members of the Committee:

I am writing to you today on behalf of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association (MCPSA) to express our support for H.698/S.338, An Act to promote high-quality early literacy instruction and improve student outcomes.

MCPSA is a membership organization representing charter public schools all across the Commonwealth. The 67 charter public schools in Massachusetts serve 46,000 students – 76% of whom identify as children of color, 69% of whom are children with high needs, and 57% of whom come from low-income households. As an organization, we are committed to ensuring all Massachusetts children and families have equitable access to a high quality education, which includes ensuring that every student becomes a proficient reader. 

Massachusetts has always been a national leader in public education. Today in the Commonwealth, however, only 4 out of every 10 third graders are proficient in reading, with reading scores steadily declining since 2017. Massachusetts also has the second largest achievement gap, with less than 1 in 3 Black and Latino fourth graders performing on grade level in reading. Learning how to read requires a complex skillset and does not come naturally to the majority of students. In fact, research shows that sixty percent of students will learn to read with significant support, and 35% will require intensive intervention to learn how to read. So, while 5% of students need only minimal instruction in phonics and phonemic awareness, the majority of students need substantial instruction in phonics-based skills to gain fluency, strengthen comprehension, and grow vocabulary to learn how to read.

Fortunately, there is a proven solution: evidence-based, high-quality literacy instruction. Sequential, systematic, explicit instruction that addresses the five essential components of reading instruction–phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency– results in 95% of students learning to read proficiently. That’s why passing this legislation is crucial to improving student outcomes for all. While individual teachers can make a difference in their own classrooms, and individual schools can make a difference in their own communities, this moment demands a broader solution – one that ensures all children, in all public schools, across Massachusetts have an opportunity to build the skills to read. These bills provide critical leadership and support from the state that will better position all schools to embrace practices with proven impact. These bills ensure investments in literacy curricula, teacher training and professional development through free and accessible online training manuals, screenings for dyslexia and language-based learning differences, and new requirements for teacher preparation programs, aligned to evidence-based early literacy instruction.

As an Association that represents charter public schools across the Commonwealth, we are deeply aware of the importance of building equitable opportunities for all students.  We know that the ability to read is the number one indicator of a student’s future success. Adopting this legislation will ensure that the curriculum frameworks for all elementary literacy programs will be aligned with evidence-based literacy instruction and that teachers will receive the training and support they need to teach their students the way that they best learn.

MCPSA and our member schools urge the Legislature to pass the Right to Read Act, as it represents a landmark opportunity to shape the future of education in our state, to nurture our students, and to invest in the future of Massachusetts. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you,

Tim Nicolette
Executive Director