In 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled her reading initiative, "Back to Basics", that requires an annual review of school district curriculum and instructional practices in the subject of reading for students in prekindergarten through grade three. As part of this new initiative, all districts must complete a literacy attestation ensuring that their program is aligned with best practices. If not, they must provide a plan that indicates how they will transition to full implementation of best practices in the future.
Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ CSIPD (Center for School Improvement and Professional Development) Specialist Carol Bush, recently conducted a review with administrators and teachers to ensure that their curricula and interventions are part of a plan aligned with the instructional best practices for literacy. “I worked with several of our special education administrators on phonemic awareness, phonics and fluency,” says Bush. “Since many of them have students in pre-K to third grade, they found the professional development very beneficial to addressing the needs of their students and offering support to their teaching staff with strategies to be in alignment with these guidelines.”