Dr. Meg Bates is an educational researcher and IGPA affiliate with a deep interest in transforming education so it works for all learners. Before coming to IWERC, Bates spent 11 years developing and researching educational innovations at UChicago STEM Education. Her most notable expertise was in teacher professional learning and educational technology, as she led development and research on the widely used Everyday Mathematics Virtual Learning Community.
She responds to a 2022 report indicating only one-third of Illinois’ fourth-grade students met or exceeded reading proficiency standards on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
How are socioeconomic and demographic disparities measured?
These disparities are generally measured with assessments. Our research shows children enter kindergarten with disparities in kindergarten readiness assessments, along the lines of income, race, and ethnicity. And, unfortunately, we see some of those disparities widen over kindergarten to third grade.
Historically, test score data has been used as the measure of achievement and of longitudinal growth over K-12 schooling. Illinois data have shown that lower income students, Black, and Latino students often perform below white and Asian students on those tests when they are given. In the past 20 to 40 years, test scores have collectively risen, but those gaps remain.
However, many scholars rightfully challenge whether test scores are the best way to measure children’s knowledge and abilities. Students have many strengths that are likely not captured by these assessments. I believe it’s important to understand disparities on these kinds of tests, but it’s equally important to interrogate whether the measures we have are good and equitable.
What does the Illinois State Board of Education literacy plan outline to support better outcomes?
I think the State Board of Education put together a sound Literacy Plan that side steps a lot of the contentious arguments. The plan outlines seven components of literacy instruction and gives very specific examples of evidence-based and not evidence-based instruction.
A lot of states have legislated the science of reading. There was a recent push in Illinois to do something similar, but historically, that’s not what Illinois does. Illinois tends not to mandate pedagogy or curricula, beyond telling educators to use evidence-based curriculum. The State Board of Education has landed in an area where they’re not legislating a specific way of teaching such as using a specific textbook, but they’re providing clear guidance forward to address literacy disparities.
What key findings have emerged that you believe should guide policy makers in addressing literacy challenges?
We know that third grade is the crux point for learning to read, and we really have to pour resources into kindergarten through third grade and early childhood education. It’s kind of a good problem to have in terms of teacher learning; early childhood teachers tend to be more comfortable with literacy instruction than with math and science instruction.
Teachers are learners, so when you help them teach and implement new practices, you’ll have a more outsized effect than simply putting some standards and textbooks in place.
That’s where outside groups that are very good at teacher learning can step in. For example, colleges of education across the state can support this kind of professional development.
What sort of long-term effects do you foresee if current literacy rates do not improve? Not just impacting individual students, but also the broader community and economy in Illinois.
I fear it’s a negative picture if we don’t improve literacy rates in Illinois – one with widening inequity. You know, there’s a truth in education that wealthy parents will always get the resources their children need. And those children will matriculate through to college at a higher rate than other children who don’t have access to the same opportunities and out of school experiences.
We know that when fewer people go to college, the economy is not as strong. States with a higher percentage of college attendees tend to have stronger economies, entrepreneurship, and job markets. In general, there will be disparities in access to what people call “good jobs,” – stable, high wage, and high-growth occupations. Any sort of disparity in early learning does not bode well for students who are on that side of it. Our team at IWERC aims to use research to help close these early disparities for an equal education for all.
