Maryland
State Information
The purpose of this document is to capture state-by-state information of policy and guidelines related to the science of reading / evidence-based reading instruction to be presented on The Reading League Compass, a website of reliable and reputable guidance and resources for targeted stakeholder groups.
Local control?
Yes
Has your state passed legislation and/or non-legislated rule changes related to the science of reading?
Yes,
The Ready to Read Act was passed in 2019 and requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to screen all incoming kindergartners three times a year to determine possible reading difficulties.
The Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR 13A.03.08) expands the requirement of the Ready to Read Act by requiring screening for first grade, second grade, and third grade students who may be at risk for reading difficulties. It also requires provisions for supplemental reading instruction for identified students; contains annual reporting requirements; and requires evaluation of the screening program.
Maryland Leads is a Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) grant initiative designed to support Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in utilizing federal funds to overcome the learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerate student learning to narrow opportunity and achievement gaps, and provide more targeted support for historically underserved students and their communities.
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future was passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2021 to transform public education in the state into a world-class education system. The Blueprint outlines strategies for ensuring that all Maryland students are college and career ready upon graduation. Initiatives related to the science of reading are required.
Does your state have an approved curriculum list?
No, however Maryland Leads grant recipients who have chosen to focus on the science of reading are required to select high-quality instructional materials from approved vendors.
In addition, all LEAs are required to complete a Blueprint Implementation Plan in accordance with state legislation that specifies how their instructional materials are selected and how those materials provide instruction in all critical areas of reading. LEAs are required to refer to EdReports as part of their selection process.
Was evidence-aligned reading instruction a consideration for the curriculum review?
No. All LEAs are required to refer to EdReports in their curricula selection as per the requirements of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation.
Please describe any other instructional-materials work related to the science of reading with links, where applicable
According to Code of Maryland regulation (COMAR 13A.03.08) students in grades K through 3 who are identified as “at risk” for reading difficulties, are required to receive evidence-based supplemental Instruction that is based on data and aligned with the specific areas of need. A list of vetted high quality, evidence based, supplemental reading programs aligned to the science of reading are provided for LEAs to consider.
Does your state mandate or provide guidance on early screening?
Yes, the Ready to Read Act, COMAR 13A.03.08, and the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future all require early screening of students in grades Kindergarten through third grade.
Please describe any other assessment work related to the science of reading with links, where applicable
COMAR 13A.03.08 establishes specific timeframes and procedures for progress monitoring of students who are identified as being “at risk” for reading difficulties.
LEAs are required to administer the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) to kindergarteners, unscreened first graders, those demonstrating difficulties in mastering grade-level reading, and students transferring into Maryland public schools in the first month of school. A portion of this assessment assesses language and literacy skills.
An assessment of early reading skills for grades K through 2 is currently under development. This assessment will measure student progress on state literacy standards.
Does your state have policy or guidance related to MTSS that incorporates information on the science of reading and/or evidence-based literacy practices?
A Tiered Instructional Approach to Support Achievement for All Students: Maryland’s Response to Intervention Framework was published in 2008 and is currently being revised.
Does your state have policy or guidance related to instruction and/or professional development
Yes. COMAR 13A.03.08 “Students at Risk for Reading Difficulties” obliges LEAs to provide professional learning for school staff. This professional development must focus on “age-appropriate, evidence-based, sequential, systematic, explicit, and cumulative instruction or intervention for student mastery of foundational reading skills, including phonological and phonemic awareness and processing, phonics, and vocabulary to support development of decoding, spelling, fluency, and reading comprehension skills to meet grade level curriculum.”
In addition, all LEAs are required to complete a Blueprint Implementation Plan in accordance with state legislation that specifies how the school system plans to have 100% of Pre-K-3 staff trained in instructional practices related to the Science of Reading within the next few years with subsequent years dedicated to maintaining that number and ensuring teachers new to the system or to the grade level receive training at their earliest opportunity.
Maryland Leads grant recipients who have chosen to focus on the Science of Reading are required to provide opportunities to all K-3 educators, special education teachers, principals, literacy specialists, and other relevant staff to participate in rigorous professional development aligned to the science of teaching reading.
Does your state have state-developed guidance documents or training courses related to the science of reading?
No, however Maryland Leads grant recipients who have chosen to focus on the Science of Reading, are provided with this guidance document which entails more information regarding professional development.
Please describe any grant work that names the science of reading and/or evidence-aligned instruction including links, where applicable
Maryland Leads is a Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) initiative and grant designed to support LocalEducation Agencies (LEAs) in utilizing federal funds to overcome the learning loss resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic. Grantees can choose to use their funding to support Science of Reading initiatives.
Has your state reviewed standards for alignment to the science of reading?
Not at this time
Does your state have guidance or resources for families related to the science of reading?
No. However, all LEAs are required to report data to the state related to the Ready to Read Act and the reading COMAR 13A.03.08, including interventions used and science of reading training provided to teachers. MSDE publishes a summary of this data on the MSDE website.
LEAs are also required to maintain a district-level informational website pertaining to their science of reading initiatives. The individual LEA websites are linked in this document.
Do you have policy or guidance regarding how to leverage evidence-based practices to support secondary students?
Not at this time
Does your state have state-developed guidance documents or training courses related to the science of reading and Multilingual learners?
Does your state have licensure or program approval criteria to ensure Educator Preparation Programs are aligned to the science of reading?
New regulations that thoroughly integrate the Science of Reading deep into the core of preparation and licensure requirements are expected to be released very soon.
Do you have a “contact us” website that we can share publicly on TRL Compass?
Please describe and link to any other work you would like to share that relates to the science of reading
MSDE launched a new model for professional development when it hosted its first Learning Lab in Early Literacy in Spring 2022. The learning lab was a two-day, full-day in-person event hosted at three different LEAs around the State so participants could choose the event that best aligned with their needs based on scheduling, proximity, or demographics. As a lab for learning, teams of literacy leaders from across the State could use Maryland schools and districts to observe instruction firsthand and gain insights into district systems and decision-making by meeting with teachers, leaders, and other key practitioners from the host district.
More information can be found at Memo Literacy Learning Labs
Interactive State Map
Use the interactive state map to find descriptions of state-level policy adoption, guidance, and practices related to the science of reading. State policy may include legislation incorporating training or practices related to the science of reading or state education agency guidance regarding policy, professional development, curricula, instruction, or assessment.
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The Reading League expresses gratitude to our collaborators and associates within the state education agencies for sharing their state-specific data. This data will undergo semi-annual updates, contingent upon the availability and resources of the respective state agencies. For any inquiries, clarifications, or updates, please reach out to compass@thereadingleague.org.
