Why Evidence-Based Instruction?
The literacy crisis is urgent. There’s a solution.
One-third of Illinois students read below a ‘basic’ level. When students miss out on foundational, evidence-based literacy instruction early in their education, the consequences can last a lifetime.
To improve reading outcomes, we need to improve classroom reading instruction. Despite the heroic efforts of educators across the state to support our children’s literacy, systemic failures throughout the education field have deprived teachers of knowledge, professional training, and tools that would enable them to deliver evidence-based literacy instruction and meet the needs of all students in our classrooms.
67%
of IL 4th grade students tested below 'proficient' on the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress.
6/10
Illinois students have poor reading skills in the 2019 Illinois Assessment of Readiness.
60%
of all prison inmates are illiterate, according to the Literacy Project Foundation.
With the right instruction and support, almost every child – regardless of zip code, race, ethnicity, neurodiversity, home-language, or income – can learn to read.
Literacy is critical to social, economic, and health justice, which makes improving literacy outcomes a top public policy priority.
In 2023, Illinois joined the thirty-six other states that have passed legislation to help improve literacy outcomes and support the delivery of evidence-based reading instruction. Our "Literacy and Justice for All" bill required the state to develop a literacy plan that will guide school districts' decision making. That plan centers evidence-based literacy in every page.