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Teacher and Leader Development

Teacher and Leader Development

New York State The Path Forward Initiative

In Fall 2023, New York State was chosen to participate in the third cohort of the Hunt Institute’s The Path Forward initiative. The goal of the initiative is to improve literacy instruction in schools by supporting and integrating the science of reading into teacher preparation program and certification requirements.  

In collaboration with the New York State Education Department and the Hunt Institute, Literacy Academy Collective regularly convenes and facilitates the work of the NYS Path Forward team. The team is comprised of education leaders and diverse stakeholders and met regularly during the 2023-2024 school year to develop an Action Plan.

The New York State Action Plan: The Path Forward was released in October 2024 and includes initiatives in six areas. The Action Plan focuses on teacher preparation programs in five areas: early childhood education (birth-grade 2), childhood education (grades 1-6), English to speakers of other languages, literacy, and students with disabilities. 

The New York State Education Department will be completing the activities in the first two areas of the Action Plan. Information about the Action Plan and the NYS Path Forward Team is provided below.

 

New York State Action Plan
Presentations
NYS Path Forward Team
Framework for Integrating the Science of Reading in Educator Preparation Programs and Baseline Reflection

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is pleased to share the Framework for Integrating the Science of Reading (SoR) in Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) (“framework”) along with the accompanying Baseline Reflection ("reflection"). These resources are part of NYSED’s broader literacy initiative, building on the New York State (NYS) Path Forward Initiative and serving as a key element of the NYS Path Forward Action Plan to strengthen literacy instruction in K-12 schools statewide.

Developed by NYSED’s Office of Teacher and Leader Development, the framework supports EPPs in embedding evidence-based literacy instruction into coursework and clinical experiences. The framework was shaped by extensive input from the Path Forward Steering Committee and Workgroups, comprising diverse stakeholders committed to strengthening literacy instruction in EPPs. While reflecting significant stakeholder alignment, this document outlines NYSED's expectations rather than unanimous consensus.

The reflection is designed to gather information about how EPPs currently integrate evidence-based practices for teaching literacy that are grounded in SoR into their programs. It focuses on selected, high-priority areas from the framework. The responses to the reflection will inform NYSED’s future policy development and technical assistance efforts.