December 12th 2024.
Georgia State University has faced backlash for their use of a banned reading method, which has been deemed ineffective after a recent study. For the last three decades, the university has been implementing the Reading Recovery curriculum, a controversial approach that involves one-on-one instruction for struggling first-grade students. This method was widely used by school districts in Georgia and other states until the Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness published a study in 2023 that raised concerns about its effectiveness.
According to the study, Reading Recovery showed positive results in the short term, but its impact flipped once students reached third and fourth grade. In fact, over 30 international reading researchers had previously expressed their concerns about the method, stating that it was not successful for its targeted student population. As a result, 18 states banned the use of Reading Recovery, but Georgia was not one of them. Despite criticism and evidence of its harmful effects on students, Georgia State continued to offer training for teachers at their center. Records show that five states, including Georgia, paid the university almost $244,000 for this instruction between January 2023 and February 2024.
One parent, Missy Purcell, who witnessed the negative effects of Reading Recovery on her son Matthew, expressed her disappointment with the university's decision to continue using this method. She shared, "It actually makes me sad. Who's going to tell these parents that their school has chosen to train teachers in a method that not only does not work, but also hurts kids?" Purcell noticed that her son was guessing words based on pictures instead of sounding them out, which she believes was a result of the Reading Recovery instruction. To help her son overcome this, she had to turn to outside tutoring and a special school, which was a difficult and costly process.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Dooley, the Chair of GSU's Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, defended the school's stance on Reading Recovery, claiming that they believe in its effectiveness. Dooley, who was involved in creating the curriculum, stated, "It has been around for a long time and has a strong scientific background. We offer it when there is a demand for it, and there are still districts that request our training. We believe that it works." She also pointed out some flaws in the study, highlighting that 75% of the original participants dropped out, making it difficult to draw accurate conclusions.
In response to the pushback and criticism, the Georgia Department of Education introduced legislation to improve the quality of early reading instruction for students. In August 2024, House Bill 538 was passed, requiring all students from kindergarten to third grade in the state to be screened for reading proficiency. According to Amy Denty, the DOE's literacy director, this will allow for early intervention for students who are falling behind in reading. She stated, "The more quickly we can determine a child's deficit, the quicker we can intervene." The goal is to provide individualized reading improvement plans for these students within 30 days.
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