The purpose of the Five-Star Policy Recognition Program is to encourage states and provinces to adopt and implement policies that support effective literacy instruction for all children by honoring their rights to excellent literacy instruction. The program entails a two-stage, two-year process:
Stage 1: Promises Made
State or provincial IRA councils begin the process by completing nomination forms for their state or province. Based on the information provided in the forms, the Association will determine whether the state or province has promising policies in each of the five star areas.
Stage 2: Promises Kept
The state or provincial council will work with government officials and representatives of the International Reading Association to determine if the promising policies are being implemented.
Student Right #1
Students have the right to be taught reading by certified teachers who have taken two or more courses in the teaching of reading and/or who have demonstrated their proficiency in the teaching of reading. These certified teachers keep their skills up to date through effective professional development. The state or province requires reading courses for all teachers K-12 or requires that all K-12 teachers show proficiency in the teaching of reading. The state or province requires ongoing professional development for teachers.
Student Right #2
Students who struggle as readers have the right to receive additional help from qualified reading specialists. The state or province supports reading professionals/specialists, provides or supports intervention programs for struggling readers at all grade levels, and has state- or provincial-level staff positions specifically dedicated to the promotion of reading.
The commitment of the state or province is evident in attention to student reading achievement, for example, through support for second language learners, support for the development of home/school partnerships, state or provincial initiatives, analyses of multiple measures of reading performance, development of state or provincial standards, and the provision of support to local districts.
Student Right #3
Students have a right of access to a wide variety of books and other reading materials in classroom and school library media centers. Students have a right as well to access technology that will enhance their reading achievement. The state/province or nation provides ample support for building and maintaining good collections in classroom and school library media centers. The state or province provides access to technology to all students, including those in schools in low-income communities.
Student Right #4
Students have the right to be taught beginning reading through methods chosen on the basis of their needs as learners. The state or province encourages the use of multiple methods in beginning reading, with methods selected on the basis of students’ needs in learning to read, and does not mandate the use of one particular method.
Student Right #5
Students have the right to reading assessment with multiple methods that provide information about their strengths and needs as learners, involve them in making decisions about their own learning, and lead to clear implications for instruction. The state or province uses multiple measures of reading achievement and does not rely only on standardized tests or use single test scores to make promotion, placement, or graduation decisions.
For additional information, contact IRA’s Division of Research and Policy.
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2007 |
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