Author Archives: Cora Winslow
Kansas City Literacy Partnership Targets Grade 3
The Kansas City literacy partnership between public schools, charter schools, SchoolSmartKC, and community partners is focused on a clear problem: too few third graders are reading at grade level. As of 2025, SchoolSmartKC reported that only 21% of third-grade students across the Kansas City Public Education System, including district and charter schools, were proficient in English Language Arts on the Missouri Assessment Program, compared with 45% statewide in Missouri SchoolSmartKC … Read the rest
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Adult Literacy Philadelphia: Metrics That Help
Adult Literacy Philadelphia efforts need more than goodwill. Community programs, libraries, workforce partners, family learning sites, and referral networks all need shared ways to see whether adults are gaining skills, staying connected, and moving toward goals that matter in daily life. The best measures are not only test-based; they also show whether learners can keep attending, use reading and math in practical settings, and connect learning to work, family, and … Read the rest
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Connecticut homeschool law: What Families Need
The Connecticut homeschool law, Public Act 26-37, gives Connecticut families and school districts a new framework for what the state now calls “parent-managed learning.” Signed by Governor Ned Lamont on May 26, 2026, the law does not remove the instructional subjects parents must cover, but it changes several procedures tied to withdrawing a child from public school, documenting home education, and district follow-up.
For parents, the most useful starting point … Read the rest
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Royals Literacy League and Early Reading Growth
The Royals Literacy League gives Kansas City a practical case study in how schools, philanthropy, a major local sports organization, and families can work together around early reading. As of November 7, 2026, the available public evidence points to a serious, well-funded effort with promising early signs, while also showing why Kansas City still needs careful tracking before declaring broad reading gains across the region.
The need is clear. A … Read the rest
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Surf Therapy Program Claims: Toyota Context
A Surf Therapy Program attributed to Toyota for youth with visual impairments sounds promising, but the available evidence does not support that specific claim. As of November 6, 2026, the research reviewed for this article found no credible documentation that Toyota operates, or has operated, a surf therapy effort specifically for young people who are blind or visually impaired. What the evidence does show is more precise: the University of … Read the rest
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University of Texas at Austin Launches $5.5 Million Early Literacy Initiative in West Texas
The University of Texas at Austin is partnering with the Permian Strategic Partnership to strengthen kindergarten through second-grade reading instruction in West Texas. The $5.5 million initiative will bring evidence-based literacy coaching, classroom interventions, and data-informed teaching support directly into schools.
Austin, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has announced a $5.5 million early literacy initiative designed to improve foundational reading instruction for young students in West Texas, … Read the rest
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Evidence-Based Literacy Funding for K-12
Evidence-based literacy funding has moved to the center of federal K-12 education policy after national reading results raised concern among educators, families, and policymakers. For schools, the shift is not just about applying for grants. It is about connecting funds to reading instruction, teacher training, student screening, curriculum review, and family communication in ways that can be examined over time.
The federal push has practical meaning for classrooms. Districts are … Read the rest
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Colorado Homeschool Regulations: What Parents Need
Colorado Homeschool Regulations have moved from broad debate into a clearer rulemaking schedule. The public hearing on the proposed rules was held on October 15, 2026, and the Colorado State Board of Education is scheduled to revisit the proposals during its November 12-13, 2026 meeting. For parents and providers, the immediate task is to understand what is already on the record, what may still change, and how to prepare without … Read the rest
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Homeschool Disability Advocacy For Legal Hurdles
Homeschool disability advocacy often begins with a hard family question: can a child’s learning, health, communication, or behavioral needs be met well enough in the current school setting? For some parents, homeschooling feels less like a preference and more like a response to unmet needs. As of October 2026, about 19% of homeschooling parents said they homeschooled partly because their child had physical or mental health needs that public schools … Read the rest
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Michigan Trains More Than 8,000 Teachers in the Science of Reading as Literacy Investment Tops $500 Million
Michigan has reached a major milestone in its statewide literacy initiative, with 8,019 educators completing intensive reading instruction training and thousands more enrolled. The effort is part of a broader strategy to improve early literacy, strengthen teacher preparation, and help more children become confident readers.
Michigan has reached a significant milestone in its efforts to improve reading instruction: 8,019 educators have completed intensive science-of-reading training, while another 4,371 teachers were … Read the rest
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