Literacy Now

An unprecedented class action lawsuit filed on behalf of students in Detroit, MI, concerning their lack of access to equitable literacy instruction has been tossed by a U.S. District Court judge.

The decision leaves ILA—one of several organizations to cosponsor an amicus brief in support of the litigation, which essentially declared literacy a constitutional right—disappointed, but with a renewed sense of purpose for why we must continue our mission to ensure equitable access to literacy for all students.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, five students from the lowest-performing public schools in Detroit, alleged they have been denied access to literacy by being deprived of evidence-based instruction. They claimed that the school conditions to which they are subjected prevent literacy learning and therefore are in violation of their rights under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They alleged that these conditions are the result of decades of neglectful administration, inadequate support, and poor oversight on the part of state officials.

The ruling, filed on June 29, questioned whether it is the responsibility of states to provide a “minimally adequate education” that ensures a child attains literacy.

In the written opinion of Judge Stephen Murphy III, the answer was no, it is not.

ILA, however, strongly disagrees.

“The answer should, unquestionably, be yes,” argues Bernadette Dwyer, president of the ILA Board of Directors. “The right to read is a basic, inalienable human right. The ability to read enables an individual to function in society. It enriches the personal, social, cultural, and aesthetic dimensions of the individual.”

The court agreed with that part.

In his ruling, Murphy acknowledged that literacy is of “incalculable importance.”

“As plaintiffs point out, voting, participating meaningfully in civic life, and accessing justice require some measure of literacy….Simply finding one’s way through many aspects of ordinary life stands as an obstacle to one who cannot read,” Murphy wrote. “But those points do not necessarily make access to literacy a fundamental right.”

The judge pointed to a history of cases in which the U.S. Supreme Court has emphasized that the importance of a good or service “does not determine whether it must be regarded as fundamental.” Further, he stated that the plaintiffs failed to prove deliberate actions by the defendants—the governor of Michigan and several state education officials—that resulted in the current state of Detroit schools.

Dwyer stresses that, despite the ruling, “we must continue to work toward the goal of an equitable education for all. Issues of equity, equality of opportunity, quality of instruction, and social justice should permeate all that we do to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn to read.”

Douglas Fisher, immediate past president of the ILA Board of Directors, agrees.

“We stand with the schoolchildren of Detroit in expressing our profound disappointment in the court’s ruling,” he says. “There is no quality education without literacy. We know this, and we also know that much work remains when it comes to delivering on equitable education. This decision only reinforces the work that lies ahead for literacy educators and advocates.”

ILA had signed on to an amicus curiae brief in this case in 2017 to support the plaintiffs’ argument that literacy is a constitutional right, along with Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society in education, and the National Association for Multicultural Education.

The plaintiffs announced their plan to appeal on Monday, so this is unlikely to mark the end in Detroit—or the end of defining literacy as a constitutional right. In fact, a similar lawsuit was recently filed in California.

“Though disappointing, the ruling is hardly the end of this controversy,” says Dan Mangan, ILA’s director of Public Affairs, pointing out that literacy was a fundamental presence in the establishment of our country. “Although the founding fathers did not explicitly address education as a constitutional priority, they created a new republic by drafting documents whose content and stirring preambles were intended to inspire and guide generations to come.

“Of course, these treasures and the entire Anglo-American edifice of written law mean nothing to the illiterate,” he continues. “We look for the day to come when the skills that brought forth such eloquence in Thomas Jefferson and others are fully and finally recognized as the indispensable frame for our identity as a people, and as a necessary component of our guaranteed rights.”

Click here to read the full court decision.

Colleen Patrice Clark is the managing editor of Literacy Today, ILA’s member magazine.

Six months have passed since we published our 2018 What’s Hot in Literacy Report, and the results continue to shape our conversations and the resources we provide—from conference programming to Twitter chats, and from literacy briefs to Literacy Today.

This year’s report included survey responses from more than 2,000 literacy professionals in 91 countries and territories, ranking issues in literacy in terms of how much attention they are currently receiving and how much they should be receiving.

For the six-month mark, we asked literacy researchers and leaders to reflect on the results and tell us what stood out to them. Not surprisingly, many focused on equity in literacy education—which ranked as the second most important topic in the report. Responses also centered on early literacy, digital literacy, and professional development. Read on, and be sure to share your thoughts on social media by using the hashtag #ILAWhatsHot or by emailing us at whatshot@reading.org.

“I am very pleased to see the focus on equity in the What’s Hot report. We still have a long way to go to deliver on the promise of equity, and literacy educators are uniquely positioned to contribute in significant ways to equity efforts. To my thinking, equity must extend beyond cultural proficiency and include excellent literacy instruction such that all students realize their aspirations. After all, literacy opens the doors to all other content learning and is highly correlated with a quality life.” —Douglas Fisher, San Diego State University, ILA President of the Board

“The people have spoken: Early literacy is fundamental in our field, and I completely agree. Developing foundational skills such as phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension is paramount. Still, some students struggle with the basics and thus it is imperative that teachers possess effective and efficient strategies for differentiating instruction. Considering our dedication, resources, and over a century of research, it is shocking that we still struggle to reach all students. In order to adequately equip teachers, researchers should continue to focus on the development of various interventions that support diverse learners with the basics of reading. There is no silver bullet, so teachers need numerous (perhaps endless) options. We want all kids to experience success so that they are free to enjoy the aesthetics of reading and writing and effectively use literacy to navigate their worlds.” —Chase Young, Sam Houston State University 

“It isn’t surprising that early literacy captured the No. 1 most important spot for the second year in a row. Respondents realize the long-lasting impact that early literacy has on all subsequent learning, emotional development, workplace success, and earning potential. The No. 2 most important spot was the need for equity in literacy education. Couple these with the latest NAEP data and it becomes obvious that specific action needs to be taken to ensure equity in early literacy learning.

“A few things that could happen immediately to promote early learning equity include: identifying specific factors that are part of programs identified as effective; providing equal funding across states and districts to support early literacy programs that contain these factors; hiring well-trained veteran teachers and administrators with proven track records of success working in high-risk districts who believe all children have the potential to learn and should be provided with instructional opportunities and materials to do so; and engaging families and caregivers with information about how health, attendance, and home engagement affect and promote early literacy learning.

“I am concerned that more attention wasn’t placed on teacher preparation even though it was identified as important. I, of course, believe that without very strong teachers who are supported by their administrators, no instructional change can be possible. So I would like to see more teacher preparation programs uniting university professors and classroom teachers in partnerships where they design and coteach courses in school classrooms. This alliance will disrupt business as usual that often finds professors and teachers at odds about what instruction and learning constitutes. School and university partnerships that involve teachers, preservice teachers, and professors designing lessons and teaching collaboratively will result in new teachers having a more solid understanding of the importance of connecting with their students’ families and communities to understand how they learn, how to plan instruction, how to manage equitable environments, and how to use daily insights about each student to design his or her next day’s learning.” —Diane Lapp, San Diego State University, ILA Literacy Research Panel Chair

“In a globalized world, it’s important to look broadly at trends in literacy education that extend beyond national policies and boundaries. Looking for common connections across countries paves the way for shared priorities, new connections, and valuable global partnerships.

“I’m surprised that digital literacies was not identified as hotter and more important because of the importance digital interactivity plays in college and career readiness and in everyday life.  Gathering and content creation are a part of our everyday lives and literacy practices, yet they do not get as much attention in our classrooms as they should. In order for students to navigate the expanded learning environments that the internet makes possible, learners need more instruction and more experience in school—especially students who have limited access at home. Digital literacies instruction directly relates to equity issues nationally and globally.

“The section that outlined themes that emerged across topics was really valuable. The five topics—Equity, Community–Literacy Connections, Excellence in Literacy Education, Personalizing Literacy Instruction, and Building 21st-Century Skills—provide a call to action for instruction, research, and policy and can be jumping-off points for discussion at the classroom, school, and university level.”—Jill Castek, University of Arizona

“As always, I appreciate the What’s Hot in Literacy report as a way to test my own assumptions and understandings of what researchers, policymakers, and educators think are the most important issues facing literacy teaching and learning today. Without the report, it would be all-too-easy for me to falsely believe that my own research and teaching passions are shared equally across the field.

“This year’s report confirmed some of my hunches and challenged others. For example, I was pleased to see equity in literacy education and teacher preparation among the top five most important topics this year. However, I was surprised that neither was considered a hot topic, particularly given our tumultuous past year in the United States around issues of equity, diversity, and social justice. Similarly, I was not surprised to see digital literacy as a hot topic, but I was surprised that it did not rank higher in importance (i.e., ranked 13th). Given the focus on ‘fake news’ in 2017–2018 as well as social media’s role in politics, I would have expected digital literacy to be ranked as both hot and important.

“Personally, the three topics that I believe are most critical in 2018 are disciplinary literacy, professional learning, and administrators as literacy leaders. Each of these topics was rated as very or extremely important, but not equally hot. With the Common Core State Standards still in effect in most states, and with increased pressure to prepare students for competition in a global economy, advanced literacy skills are critically important. However, to promote disciplinary literacy, we need administrators to be prepared and supported in working as literacy leaders. ILA’s Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 clearly call for increased professional learning across all educator roles, with literacy leadership work being undertaken equally by teachers, specialists, coaches, and principals together.

“If we are to move forward effectively, we need to work smarter, as literacy leadership teams, to design and support ongoing literacy professional learning to address these many hot and important topics.” —Jacy Ippolito, Salem State University

“I like that the report is representative of a diversity of opinions from the vantage points of educators from different countries who work in various capacities to teach and support the literacy development of students of multiple ages.

“As the lead writer for Standard 4: Diversity and Equity in the ILA Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017, I am pleased with the recognition of the importance of equity in literacy instruction to address the achievement gap of students across all educational levels. I am hopeful that the No. 2 ranking in importance of this topic will lead to poignant discussions and strong advocacy efforts that result in greater priority given to instituting changes in educational policies and practices to improve student achievement and promote social justice." —Doris Walker-Dalhouse, Marquette University

“I was pleased to see the attention that both teacher preparation and professional development and learning have garnered in this year’s survey. Our teachers are our most important asset, and these are certainly topics that should be important and very hot. While resources are of course essential, if we want to create equitable contexts for literacy education, we need to consider (and continue to learn about) the types of sustainable preparation and professional learning opportunities that empower teachers to be agentive in helping all students get what they need academically, linguistically, culturally, and socially.

“I’m surprised to see digital literacy falling out of favor. With the proliferation of technological advances and understandings of multimodal representations of knowledge, it seems schools are overly focused on using devices and programs for the sake of using them. With these rapid changes and the shifts toward more globalized economies, digital literacy should certainly be important, if not essential, to our advances in literacy education. We have important work to do with how these digital tools are used critically and with purpose to facilitate students’ abilities to process and produce texts, and to achieve personal, economic, and social fulfillment.”  —Dana Robertson, University of Wyoming

“It is gratifying to read that early literacy is both hot and important. It is interesting that educators see its importance more so than researchers. Is it receiving enough investment? Do we have enough resources to explore it within the family where children develop?

“Family involvement is important in the development of literacy. To promote this topic, there is a need for resources. It is easier to conduct lab studies or even to introduce literacy programs to kindergartens and schools. It is more difficult to involve family members in literacy interventions in a consistent manner.

“Regarding teacher preparation, the gap between its perceived importance and how much the topic is considered hot is distressing. There is not enough connection between academia and the field. I am currently involved in efforts in various frameworks to make information accessible to those in the field, but there is much more to be done in this area.” —Dorit Aram, Tel Aviv University

“We seem to agree that equity is important but we don’t seem to reflect this importance sufficiently in our work (i.e., equity is not on the ‘what’s hot’ list). Teachers can use insights about equity ratings to inform how they intentionally address issues of equity in literacy classrooms. Researchers can use findings about importance concerning administrators needing more literacy training to guide emerging literacy scholars’ research emphases.” —Patriann Smith, Texas Tech University

“We know a great deal about the importance of developing young children’s oral language, vocabulary, and conceptual knowledge, as well as their ongoing benefits. However, to implement our knowledge in ways that will better ensure equity, we need to refocus our resources toward effective teacher preparation, professional learning and development, access to books and content, and other means of meeting students’ needs. The gap that exists between important and hot for these topics highlights the critical need to advocate for equitable funding across all our public schools.” —Melanie Kuhn, Purdue University

“It’s exciting to see equity issues ranked highly in both importance and what’s hot in 2018. Classroom teachers can use this information to bolster their advocacy and action toward equity and diversity in classrooms and push schoolwide initiatives promoting equity and diversity. Request funding for books with characters who have diverse backgrounds and experiences. Urge the purchase of books in native languages of EL students in your school and community. Push for professional development on having critical conversations about diversity through literacy. Teachers are on the front lines of making change in society. Keep advocating for equity!” —Autumn Dodge, University of Lynchburg

Colleen Patrice Clark is the managing editor of Literacy Today.

An abbreviated version of this article was first published in the July/August issue of Literacy Today, ILA’s member magazine.

Click here to download ILA’s 2018 What’s Hot in Literacy Report.

This is the first installment of a five-part series on cultivating gender-inclusive classrooms. It was written as a complement to “The Power to Include: A Starting Place for Creating Gender-Inclusive Literacy Classrooms,” an article that appears in the July/August issue of Literacy Today, ILA’s member magazine.  

Understanding the appropriate terms and their definitions is incredibly important in cultivating gender inclusivity in your classroom.

The terms sex and gender, although often used interchangeably, are defined differently. Sex refers to the biological and genetic makeup of a person’s body—a binary used to label someone a man or a woman. It is important to note here that this binary fails to create a space for people who are intersex, or those born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that is both or neither male nor female by definition.

Gender refers to the socially constructed rules and roles that exist to define what it means to be masculine or feminine. Over the past several decades, gender rules and roles have been challenged, largely in the name of equality and inclusion. For example, where women were once told that only men could be mechanics because it is a more “masculine” line of work, women are now being told they can do anything a man can do in the workforce. If we think more deeply about gender as a socially constructed concept that has changed over time, we can see how it is different than sex. Sex, on the other hand, has remained a constant binary of male or female (again, though, with the  exclusion of intersex individuals).

This leads us to the next term: gender identity. Gender identity is how an individual personally identifies in terms of their gender. Because sex and gender have gone hand in hand with binary thinking, people whose sex aligns with the female gender often identify as feminine, thus embodying traits that have been named as such. Likewise, people whose sex aligns with the male gender often identify as masculine, thus embodying traits that have been named as such. When someone aligns their sex with these gender norms, they are cisgender.

Western society is one of the few societies that only recognizes two genders, but when we think in terms of gender identity, we recognize that there is more diversity in gender, including transgender, genderqueer, and gender nonconforming. It is important to note a few things before reading forward. First, I recognize there are many more gender identities than these; however, for the scope of this blog, these three will be discussed in depth. Second, the definitions I use for each of these terms are general and meant to be a starting point for understanding. I encourage readers to seek out information about the other genders and to listen to how people identify themselves. Honor all identities, do not assume pronouns, and respect each individual’s choice. Gender identity is personal to each individual, and any definitions used here reflect my positionality (as a white, genderqueer scholar), research, and experiences.

The term transgender (or trans), is becoming more familiar, but is still not widely understood. Transgender is often used as an umbrella term to describe individuals who transgress gender norms, but more often, transgender is a term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were deemed at birth. It is not appropriate to ask a trans person to identify their sex. Genderqueer is used by individuals who identify as both male and female, sometimes only male or only female, and sometimes neither male nor female. Gender nonconforming individuals do not conform to gender norms. If we think of transgender as an umbrella term, both genderqueer and gender nonconforming could fit under this category, but not everyone who identifies as genderqueer, for example, also identifies as transgender.

The topic of sexual orientation is beyond the scope of this post, but it is important to know that discussing sexual orientation is distinct from discussing gender identity.

Stachowiak will participate in ILA’s Equity in Education Program at the ILA 2018 Conference in Austin, TX. Literacy and Our LGBTQ Students: Starting and Sustaining Schoolwide Transformation, a panel featuring a cross-sector of literacy leaders, inclusive educators, and activists, will take place on Saturday, July 21, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Austin Convention Center. The full recording will be archived on our Facebook page.

There are only three weeks left until the International Literacy Association 2018 Conference, which takes place July 20-23, in Austin, TX. Your flight is booked, your hotel room is reserved, and you’ve already begun to make room on your shelves for new titles from your favorite authors. Soon, you’ll be face-to-face with some of the biggest names in the field and thousands of educators who share your passion for literacy education.

This year’s conference features more than 300 sessions and events—that’s a lot to cover in just three days. Whether you’re an ILA conference first-timer or a seasoned veteran, we want to make sure you are prepared to take full advantage of this transformative experience.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you hit the ground running in Austin.

Before you arrive:

• Start planning your conference experience. Use the iPlanner, which allows you to search by topic, audience, speaker, and more, to create a list of sessions and activities that catch your interest. Be sure to register for any add-on events (e.g., Institute Day, Edcamp Literacy, or the CAEP Workshop) in advance. These require separate registration and frequently sell out. Want a more personalized learning experience? Read about the three conference tracks here.
• Download the conference app. Available now, the ILA 2018 mobile app isyour go-to resource while at conference. Use it to manage your personal agenda, find and connect with attendees, read session details, and access venue maps.
• Connect digitally. Follow ILA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to get the latest information and connect with other attendees using the hashtag #ILA18.
• Participate in the #ILAchat on July 12. Conference speakers Matt Kay, M. Colleen Cruz, and Tim’m West, along with ILA staff members, will provide a sneak peek at what to expect from ILA 2018.
• Pack wisely. Make sure to bring comfortable shoes and layers to accommodate for fluctuating temperatures in conference spaces.  
• Print important materials. Make travel less stressful by ensuring you have all your confirmation emails, tickets, maps, and contact numbers printed out or saved on your mobile device before you head to Austin.

Once you arrive on-site:

• Visit the Registration Area. Pick up your materials, including printed copies of this year’s program and a coupon booklet (if you're taking a shuttle bus, it will drop you off near Registration).
• Swing by ILA Central. From swag to information about membership and literacy projects, ILA Central is your one-stop shop for all things ILA. Show your ILA pride with all-new merchandise, including a collectible ILA 2018 Conference T-shirt. Don’t wait—they sell out fast.
• Find the "Ask Me" guides. Look for these friendly folks wearing bright yellow shirts—they’ll be prepared to answer all your conference-related questions.
• Grab a shuttle schedule. ILA provides complimentary shuttle service between official ILA 2018 Conference hotels and the Austin Convention Center. Schedules will be available in the app, on-site, and in the lobbies of hotels on the official scheduled route.
• See the sights. Find out about museums, historic sites, famous bookstores, and other literary landmarks to visit on your free time.

See you in Austin!

Alina O'Donnell is the communications strategist at ILA and the editor of Literacy Daily.

ILA was given the gold for its 2017 What’s Hot in Literacy Report at the Association Media & Publishing’s (AM&P) Annual EXCEL Awards. The EXCEL Awards are issued annually to recognize excellence and leadership in nonprofit association media, publishing and communications.

ILA’s What’s Hot in Literacy report provides a global snapshot of what literacy professionals deem the most critical topics to advancing literacy worldwide. It garnered AM&P’s top honor in the special digital report category in recognition of its top-tier writing, content, design and overall packaging.

“The What’s Hot in Literacy report tells a compelling and important story about what’s valuable to educators across the globe,” said ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post. “We’re proud of this report and thrilled to be included among the best and brightest in nonprofit media.”

This year, only 92 gold winners were selected from 841 entries. 

“We are privileged to recognize outstanding work in the association media and publishing industry this year. The EXCEL Awards showcase and spotlight first class association content that’s both innovative and enlightening in a rapidly changing world,” said AM&P Executive Director Michael Marchesano.

The award winners were announced and celebrated Monday at the 38th EXCEL Awards Gala in Washington, DC. Award winning entries will be featured in the August/September issue of Signature, AM&P’s bimonthly magazine. For more information, visit siia.net.

Alina O'Donnell is the communications strategist at ILA and the editor of Literacy Daily.