States Unclear On ESEA Rules About Reading

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo & Erik W.

Washington

Lawmakers, reading experts, and publishers are urging the Department of Education to clarify reading requirements under the "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001, amid widespread perceptions that a small number of commercial programs will win favor while other popular approaches might be discouraged or spurned.

In recent letters to Secretary of Education Rod Paige and at a congressional hearing last week, policymakers and reading organizations raised concerns that state education officials are getting the message that they can improve their chances of receiving their share of $900 million in Reading First money by ordering school districts to use particular products and materials.

"Many of the writing teams for the [Reading First state applications] have gained the understanding that approval will be expedited if, in their state competitions, they indicate a competitive preference for particular commercial programs," Donna Ogle, the president of the 80,000-member International Reading Association, wrote Mr. Paige last month. "This belief has been fostered by comments and examples offered by department staff at...