In recent years, the focus on literacy, particularly in elementary schools, has led to significant policy developments across the nation. Michigan, like many other states, enacted a comprehensive literacy policy with the Read by Grade Three law in 2016. However, this policy did not call for statewide adoption of particular English language arts, or ELA, curriculum resources, as has been done in some other states and school districts, especially in recent years.

According to a new report from MSU’s Education Policy Innovation Collaborative, or EPIC, which has been studying the implementation of the Read by Grade Three law since 2018, there is substantial variation in the use of curriculum resources from classroom to classroom across the state.

Michigan elementary teachers continue to use a wide range of 444 ELA curriculum resources. Compared to 2019-20, this represents a slight decrease from the 464 total resources used in that year. Teachers are also more likely than they were in 2019 and 2020 to use one core curriculum resource, but they have expanded their use of supplemental writing and phonics/spelling resources. This could reflect ongoing efforts to meet the varied needs of students and to address different aspects of ELA instruction effectively. However, the sheer number of different resources can lead to differences in the quality of literacy education students receive, depending on their classroom and teacher. So, while variability allows for a certain level of customization, it also raises questions about the equity of students’ access to high-quality literacy resources throughout the state.

“I appreciate that more of the most frequently used English Language Arts curricula in local school districts have received favorable ratings and that more teachers have received relevant professional development in early literacy than pre-pandemic,” said State Superintendent Michael F. Rice. “Clearly, though, there are still far too many districts with curricula that have not been rated favorably or rated at all.  There are still many early elementary educators who could benefit from deep professional development in the science of reading, like the more than 7,000 who have completed or are working to complete LETRS training, which teaches the skills needed to master the foundation and fundamentals of reading and writing instruction.

“We need to narrow the wide range of English Language Arts curricula to those core curricular resources that have demonstrated success in improving students’ literacy. The EPIC report reinforces that now is the time for the Michigan Legislature to pass K-12 literacy and dyslexia legislation that is vital to our students’ academic success and future. This legislation, once passed, would help to provide educators with the knowledge, training, and resources to teach students to read using research methods based on the science of reading.”

Since the 2019-20 school year, Michigan’s districts have made considerable changes to their ELA curriculum resources, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic’s onset saw approximately three-quarters of districts modifying their ELA curriculum resources to support remote learning. This highlights districts’ adaptability to respond quickly to maintain continuity in literacy instruction during school closures and disruptions. After the pandemic, the report notes a stabilization in curriculum changes, with less than one-fifth of districts reporting further modifications in the 2021-22 school year, signifying a shift to steadier implementation overall.

“While we want teachers to differentiate literacy instruction appropriately to meet students’ instructional needs, the number and variety of curriculum resources used suggests that children are getting vastly different instructional experiences from classroom to classroom across our state,” said Tanya Wright, one of the authors of the report and associate professor of literacy in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University.

The report also explores how commonly used core reading curriculum resources in Michigan are rated by evaluation organizations such as What Works Clearinghouse, Evidence for ESSA and EdReports that are publicly available to educators. The proportion of teachers using ELA core curriculum resources that EdReports rates as “Meets Expectations” increased significantly from 2019-20 to 2022-23. This was especially the case in districts serving higher proportions of historically underserved students, challenging common assumptions about curriculum quality in these districts.

However, more than two-thirds of teachers still use curriculum resources that are either unrated or do not meet expectations according to EdReports. Furthermore, a majority of the most commonly used curriculum resources do not have ratings from What Works Clearinghouse or Evidence for ESSA, indicating a lack of research on their effectiveness. This highlights a critical gap in our understanding of the materials many Michigan elementary teachers are using. Additionally, this underscores the importance of supporting educational leaders and teachers with the necessary data to understand more about the quality of the literacy curriculum resources they select and use.

Teachers reported a noticeable increase in professional development opportunities for implementing their ELA curriculum resources, especially in districts with higher proportions of historically underserved students. This suggests that efforts are being made to enhance teacher capacity to implement their school’s or district’s literacy curriculum. However, the disparity in support for rural educators compared to their urban and suburban counterparts points to an area needing attention to ensure equitable educational opportunities across all districts.