New data and analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) identifies New Jersey as “weak” on policies that prepare and support teachers to implement and sustain the science of reading. 

The new NCTQ report, State of the States: Five Policy Actions to Strengthen Implementation of the Science of Reading, highlights five key policy actions states should take to strengthen teachers’ reading instruction and examines the extent to which states focus on them. The five policy actions are: 

1. Setting specific, detailed reading standards for teacher prep programs. 

2. Reviewing teacher prep programs to ensure they teach the science of reading. 

3. Adopting a strong elementary reading licensure test. 

4. Requiring districts to select a high-quality reading curriculum. 

5. Providing professional learning for teachers and ongoing support to sustain the implementation of the science of reading. 

New Jersey received its rating of “weak” because it lacks strong policies in two of the five key policy actions to strengthen reading instruction: Setting specific, detailed reading standards for teacher prep programs, and requiring districts to select a high-quality reading curriculum. 

According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 33% of 4th grade students in New Jersey cannot read at a basic level. That number rises sharply for Hispanic students (46% cannot read at a basic level), Black students (50%), and students from low-income communities (53%). This dismal data has nothing to do with the students and everything to do with inequities in access to effective literacy instruction. 

Effective reading instruction can dramatically improve student reading outcomes, but only when state leaders implement a literacy strategy that prioritizes teacher effectiveness. 

Actions New Jersey can take 

Lawmakers in New Jersey can support teachers by requiring school districts to use a high-quality reading curriculum. At a minimum, they should provide guidance to districts by creating a list of recommended curricula aligned to the science of reading. Currently, New Jersey does neither. The state should also provide guidance to aid in the selection of instructional materials to support English Learners and struggling readers, such as students with dyslexia. The state should also collect information on which curricula districts are currently using and leverage it to provide targeted support to districts that are transitioning to instructional materials aligned to the science of reading. 

Additionally, the state can strengthen teachers’ preparation in reading instruction by requiring specific, detailed standards for teacher prep programs that go beyond simply listing the five core components of the science of reading. They should also require teacher prep programs to include training on how to teach English Learners and struggling readers, and then review programs’ alignment to the implementation of the new standards. 

“Helping all children learn to read is possible when you have teachers who’ve been prepared and supported in the science of reading,” said Dr. Heather Peske, NCTQ President. “Much like an orchestra needs each section

of instruments to come together to successfully create music, New Jersey needs to implement multiple teacher-focused reading policies that work together to improve student outcomes.” 

Across the nation, NCTQ found that: 

● Nineteen states are taking very little action—if any—in the five policy areas. 

○ Three states are categorized as unacceptable, meaning they have few or no policies in place in most of the five policy areas. 

■ Maine, Montana, and South Dakota 

○ Sixteen states are categorized as weak, meaning they have only a few policies in place in some of the five policy areas, and nothing in the other areas. 

■ Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and 

Wyoming. 

● Twenty states have implemented some policies across the five actions, earning themselves a moderate rating. 

○ Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wisconsin. 

In addition to the report, NCTQ produced an individual state profile for New Jersey that provides a snapshot of the reading policy landscape with state-specific recommendations and a State Reading Policy Action Guide that identifies concrete steps states can take to strengthen reading instruction and examples of states that are doing it well.