In 2013, Maryland’s fourth graders sat comfortably at the top of national rankings for reading. Ten years later, we fell dramatically below the national average. We were winning the race to the bottom with the fastest decline among all states.
Behind these statistics are tens of thousands of children who are moving through our schools without mastering the foundational literacy skills they need to succeed in school, in the workforce, and in civic life.
This is not a failure of effort by teachers, families, or schools. It represents a failure of support — and it is one Maryland has the power to fix. The legislature started to address this decline through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. But there is one more thing we need.
Under the leadership of State Superintendent Carey Wright, the Maryland State Department of Education is moving with urgency to bring literacy coaches into schools across the state. These coaches are not administrators or one-day workshop presenters. They are classroom-embedded experts whose job is to work alongside teachers — modeling lessons, observing instruction, and providing real-time feedback that helps translate the Science of Reading into daily classroom practice.
Professional development that teachers attend once and try to recall months later rarely changes instruction. Ongoing, job-embedded coaching does.
A coach who observes a lesson and debriefs with a teacher that same afternoon creates professional learning that sticks — and students who read.
Decades of research have shown how children learn to read. The Science of Reading provides clear evidence that students need systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Maryland has already taken important steps to teacher training and curriculum with this research.
But knowing the science is only part of the solution. Teachers need support to translate that knowledge into effective classroom practice every day.
In his recent State of the State address, Gov. Wes Moore spoke about the progress Maryland is making to improve literacy and the urgency of continuing that work. There is no magic formula for improving reading outcomes. We know what works. The question is whether we will invest in implementing it well. The Governor took the first step by including funding for statewide literacy coaches in his budget. Now it’s up to the legislature to move this across the finish line.
We are grateful to legislative leaders who have recognized the urgency of this issue and taken the first step toward addressing it. As budget negotiations continue, we hope to see this funding remain in the final budget so Maryland can build the infrastructure needed to help every child learn to read.
The evidence is clear. Under Dr. Wright’s leadership in Mississippi, the state adopted a comprehensive literacy strategy that included statewide literacy coaching grounded in the Science of Reading. Within a few years, Mississippi rose from near the bottom of national reading rankings to the top tier. We document this progress in our brief: Maryland’s Opportunity to Lead through Literacy Coaching.
Maryland has already begun piloting this approach in Prince George’s County. Early feedback from teachers reinforce what decades of research have shown: coaching helps teachers refine their practice and helps students learn to read. Learn more on our Making the Case webpage.
Investing in literacy coaching will also strengthen other investments Maryland has already made. The state has committed significant resources to new curriculum, teacher training, and community schools. Those investments are essential — but they work best when teachers have ongoing support to implement them effectively.
Coaches provide that bridge between policy and classroom practice.
Better readers become stronger students, more productive workers, and more engaged citizens. Every year we delay strengthening literacy instruction is another year a cohort of Maryland children misses opportunities they deserve.
Maryland once led the nation in reading. With the legislature’s continued support for literacy coaching, we can lead again.