▶ 0:02:12We're not sorry.
▶ 0:04:45Good morning. The subcommittee on early childhood, elementary, and secondary education will come to order. I note that a quorum is present. Without objection, the chair is authorized to call recess at any time. The reading wars are over. For years, for decades, countless young people in this country received literacy instruction that was not science-based and did not promote the mastery needed for success in school and in life.
▶ 0:05:10But now, in almost every state in America, sciencebacked literacy instruction has prevailed. Still, progress has been uneven, and there's unfortunately still much work to do to see that best practices are followed in states and districts across the country. And more recently, we are seeing the same type of mistakes repeated when it comes to math. The latest nation's report card reflects this limited progress, showing that both fourth grade and eighth grade reading scores dropped 5% compared to 2019.
▶ 0:05:41Math scores dropped three points for fourth graders and eight points for eighth graders. These low scores are part of a longerterm trend of poor performance in the US. Essentially, all scores on the NAPE long-term trend assessment have nearly flatlined since 1971. International comparisons paint the same troubling picture. A recent international assessment showed that American 15-year-old students are below average in math among nations across the world.
▶ 0:06:07Now, there are many reasons for this decline, but one major reason which is our focus today is how many schools moved away from grounding their instruction in the science of learning. For generations, students in elementary school were taught to read by identifying letters and the sounds they represent. But then, starting in the 1970s, a new idea called whole language arose, leaving behind the explicit instruction of phonics as old-fashioned.
▶ 0:06:35This new method, which came to be known as three queuing or balanced literacy, encourages students to read by guessing an unknown word based on its context and structure within a sentence or even adjacent pictures in the book. This approach was at odds with the science of reading which aims to ensure students develop strong foundational skills. The science of reading emphasizes five core skills that every child must master. Funological awareness, phonics, fluency, uh vocabulary, and comprehension.
▶ 0:07:05More than 40 states have have now passed legislation for evidence-based reading programs in their schools. These programs emphasize the importance of phonics and building a deep vocabulary rather than guessing words based on context. There's a similar science behind learning math skills where foundational skills like the four basic functions of arithmetic, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are taught so that students can perform those functions automatically and students are given step-by-step direct instruction in problem solving.
▶ 0:07:33But in too many places, this approach has been overtaken by teaching philosophies that reject direct instruction from teachers, devalue content knowledge, and insist on studentled exploration. But here's the good news, which provides great hope for the future of education. States that truly emphasize the science of learning in reading and math have gotten outstanding results.
▶ 0:07:57In Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, for example, a renewed focus on phonics and arithmetic mastery and holding schools accountable has resulted in rapidly rising test scores even through the pandemic. Similarly, Luminous Minds, a California-based education platform, has proven that literacy gains can be achieved in even the most challenging districts through rigorous science-based literacy instruction.
▶ 0:08:22Today, we'll hear from witnesses who have proven that principled leadership and sciencebacked instruction transform student outcomes. It is time we reclaim America's academic foundations. This means getting back to basics when it comes to reading and math. Our nation's freedom, prosperity, and national strength depend on it. I'm looking forward to today's hearing. And with that, I will uh turn to the ranking member for an opening statement.
▶ 0:08:46Uh thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here today. Welcome back. I expect that we've all spent the previous month uh visiting, learning, and connecting with our constituents. And although we may disagree on some things, we surely can and should agree that uh our nation's children deserve an education that allows them to reach their full potential and that is safe. Uh the inspiring educators and school administrators and bright young people I meet with in schools in Northwest Oregon uh always remind me of this.
▶ 0:09:16Um, that being said, unfortunately, as we're having this hearing today, people in Minneapolis are still reeling from another school shooting, this time at Enunciation Catholic School. The start of the school year should begin with joyous activities, not burying classmates or recovering from bullet wounds. And as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Jacob Fry said in the aftermath, we can't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying when the shooter attacked. Congress needs to act to prevent gun violence.
▶ 0:09:44And after every senseless shooting, I'm increasingly more frustrated that we don't. And this is relevant because we want kids to be able to be focusing on learning, not worried about their safety. Now, to the issue at hand, improving math and reading instruction for students. I'm looking forward to this hearing and I have some optimism that we can find some bipartisan agreement as we did with our hearings on screen time and child care. But I need to start with a few reminders. First, the Trump administration is trying to eliminate the Department of Education.
▶ 0:10:12They're proposing a 67% cut to IEES, the Institute of Education Sciences, where important educational research is done. Delayed funding along with massive cuts of Department of Education staff who administer important programs like Title One and IDA have already caused some chaos in public school districts across the country. And finally, as we frequently discuss, curriculum decisions are made locally, not by Congress.
▶ 0:10:40That being said, I trust we can all agree that literacy in reading and math are important for success uh in school and the future. We could also agree that the latest NAPE scores, as the chairman said, show room for improvement. No doubt about it. And as we have this discussion, I do urge us to keep in mind that this year's NAPE results now have more specific information about the socioeconomic status of students.
▶ 0:11:03Those results show, for example, that 77% of fourth graders from the highest status scored above the national average, while only 34% of students from the lower socioeconomic status performed above average. I just hope we keep keep these disparities in mind as we continue our hearing today and beyond. You know, this committee works on things like school nutrition. Uh if kids are hungry, they can't learn.
▶ 0:11:27Also, looking back on the screen time hearing, a growing number of schools and districts and even states are banning cell phones during the day. It'll be interesting to see how those students do in math and reading once those bans have been in place for a while. But here's the bottom line. Without the long-term and sustained federal investment, students and schools will still lack the tools, the resources, and importantly, the research they need to best teach all students to learn, including math and reading.
▶ 0:11:54The overwhelming majority of students in the United States, about 90% attend public schools. Public education is the foundation on which we build our future. Uh public schools serve the needs of every child regardless of background or income. That's why we must invest in public education. And I submit opposed voucher scams that are funneling taxpayer dollars to private institutions.
▶ 0:12:18That said, I and most Democrats support a wide range of options within the public school system, including magnet schools, where I've seen students thrive when they have these options. For example, we have some of the top magnet programs in the state in the district I represent, including Portland, Oregon's Benson Polytechnic High School, a CTE magnet school that offers programs in automotive, building construction, electrical engineering, health occupations, media production, and more. Those are engaged students who are learning. And the Beaverton district has many choices.
▶ 0:12:47An international magnet, an arts and communication magnet, and an Academy of Science and Engineering. Again, programs that engage students, uh, keep them in school, increase attendance, and make them more likely to succeed. So, these valuable opportunities are off offered to all students, and most importantly, they're offered at free public schools that are required to comply with uh the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
▶ 0:13:11Unfortunately, my colleagues have passed and the president signed into law the big ugly bill, which will create the first nationwide school voucher program, effectively diverting taxpayer funding and resources from public schools that enables donors of school voucher programs to receive a 100% tax credit for contributions, elevating those donations to voucher programs above all other donations, including donations made to food pantries or hospitals or uh places of worship and every other kind of charity.
▶ 0:13:40Additionally, the new law will allow individuals earning up to and including 300% of the area median gross income to qualify to use vouchers to send their children to private schools, including religious schools. An analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that this new private school voucher program could cost uh 56 billion dollar per year, more than all current federal K12 spending combined.
▶ 0:14:07As I said before, there's room for improvement and families want to have options, but the newly established National School Voucher Program is counterproductive and will make things worse for the majority at 90% of students who attend public schools, which is especially concerning in rural areas like in parts of the state that I represent. There are no other options. Uh they're already short on funding. There's no other school that a student could use a voucher for.
▶ 0:14:31So instead of spending time and resources on voucher schemes that don't work, and I'll be introducing a very recent study proving that, Congress should focus on holding the education department accountable for carrying out its mission to promote a highquality education free from discrimination for all students. I look forward to the conversation. I yield back the balance of my time. Pursuant to committee rule 8C, all members who wish to insert written statements into the record may do so by submitting them to the committee clerk electronically in Microsoft Word format by 5:00 p.m. 14 days after this hearing.
▶ 0:15:01And without objection, the hearing record will remain open for 14 days to allow such statements and other extraneous material noted during the hearing to be submitted for the official hearing record. I will now introduce our witnesses. Our first witness is Dr. Cade Brumley, the state superintendent of education for the state of Louisiana, for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Our second witness is Shandra Roden, the founder of Luminous Minds in Lumis, California. Our third witness is Dr.
▶ 0:15:28Jana Wingfield, an assistant professor of early childhood and literacy education for the department of urban education at Grunt Rutgers University, Newark in New York, New Jersey. And our fourth witness is Dr. Brent Harrison, the superintendent of Sarland City Schools in Sarland, We thank the witnesses for being here today and we look forward to your testimony. Pursuant to committee rules, I would ask that you each limit your oral presentation to a threeminut summary of your written statement.
▶ 0:15:58As committee members have many questions for you. The clock will countdown from three minutes. However, pursuant to committee rule 8D and committee practice, we will not cut off your testimony until you reach the 5-minute mark. I'd like to thank I'd like I would also like to remind the witnesses to be aware of your responsibility to provide accurate information to the subcommittee. With that, I will first recognize Dr. Brumley for your Distinguished members of the committee, thank you for having me here with you today.
▶ 0:16:25My name is Kade Brumley, and I'm honored to be the state superintendent of education in the great state of Louisiana. It remains my honor uh to be able to share the story of Louisiana's historic progress across our state and across the country, which is a testament to the fine teachers doing work across our state every single day. On 2019's nation's report card, the state of Louisiana ranked 50th in the country, 50th for fourth grade reading and fourth grade math.
▶ 0:16:54Since then, Louisiana has led the entire country on two consecutive cycles of NAPE. And now, Louisiana's fourth graders rank 16th in the country on literacy. Yes, from 50th to 16th. Similarly, Louisiana has improved 12 places in fourth grade math and is ranked in the top fa five for math growth overall in 2024.
▶ 0:17:20These gains at the fourth grade level are remarkable, but they are only part of a much larger story unfolding in the state of Louisiana. As a state, Louisiana has improved our overall ranking in 2024 or has improved our overall ranking from 2019 when we were 50th in the country on the nation's report card to being 32nd today on the nation's report card.
▶ 0:17:44Likewise, US News and World Report has our preK12 ranking moving from 50th in 2019 to 37th today. These historic improvements did not occur by accident or by chance. They happened because of an intentional focus and strategy.
▶ 0:18:01Over the past five years, we have ushered in historic and comprehensive education reforms in our state that have focused on getting back to the basics, valuing teachers as professionals, expanding educational and enriching parental rights. In terms of back to the basics, for too long, Louisiana schools have used their personnel, resources, time to prioritize endeavors not align with their original intent. the intent to ensure academic excellence.
▶ 0:18:31Instead of chasing shiny things, Louisiana schools now provide a laser focus on teaching fundamental academic content and skills on the pursuit of academic excellence. Specifically, we have implemented the science of reading statewide. Likewise, in math, we have returned to a tried andrue practice of building foundational numeracy skills. But these reforms require teachers in the classrooms. So we must value them.
▶ 0:19:00So after the parent, there is nothing more important for every child than having a high quality teacher. Teachers deserve effective school leaders, meaningful professional learning, reduced distractions, elevated voice, and compensation that makes sense in the 21st century. We must appreciate all of these things to the profession. So in Louisiana, we actually listen to teachers.
▶ 0:19:25Through our let Teachers Teach initiative, we have done amazing work of removing barriers and distractions and removing bureaucracy that has pulled teachers away from instruction and has restored discipline to the classroom. We've also expanded opportunities for families. In Louisiana, educational freedom opportunities have become more abundant for our families. We've expanded choice options and removed barriers to accessing environments that make the most sense for each individual student.
▶ 0:19:55Educational freedom is inseparable from parental rights because parents are the child's first and foremost teacher. Children belong to their parents, not the government. And anything to solidify and accelerate the fundamental right of the parent must be a priority for each of us. Parents send their children to school expecting strong instruction in reading, in math, in science, and in history, not indoctrination on divisive issues.
▶ 0:20:22So, in closing, I would like to thank President Trump and Secretary McMahon for their leadership and empowering the states to chart their own educational path. And I'm proud of the work that we've accomplished in the state of Louisiana, moving from 50th in the country in 2019 on the nation's report card to 32nd here today. I'm hopeful about where we're going. We are pleased, but we're not satisfied. There's more work to do, and we must keep getting better.
▶ 0:20:47I look forward to discussing our progress with each of you, our challenges, and the lessons that we've learned along the way, which may be valuable to others. Thank you again for this opportunity to speak today.
▶ 0:21:00Thank you very much. I will next recognize Miss Roten for your testimony.
▶ 0:21:06Good morning, Mr. Chairman, ranking member, distinguished members of Congress. I would just like to thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning and speak to you about uh truly one of the most critical and urgent issues facing our educational system. How we teach young children how to read.
▶ 0:21:24My name is Shandra Roen and I'm the CEO and founder for Luminous Minds, an educational platform that provides science of reading the line resources, stellar professional development for treat teachers and works on family engagement initiatives, supporting districts, schools, and intervention programs across our country. Before founding Luminous Minds, I had the privilege of serving in public education for over two decades as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach, a principal, a curriculum expert.
▶ 0:21:54Most of this time being in title one schools working with our atrisisk My passion has always been literacy. And today I'm here not just as an educator, but as an advocate for children all over our nation that are depending on us to get this right. Let me begin with a reality that is both heartbreaking yet also motivating.
▶ 0:22:17As shared by our chairman, according to the ro most recent NAPE data, only 33% of fourth graders in the United States are reading at or above proficiency. That means 67% two out of every three children aren't. Unfortunately, this is not a new reality. Since 1992, our national reading scores have hovered between 29 and 37%. And despite decades of reform, the needle hasn't moved.
▶ 0:22:48In plain terms, more c more children in this country can't read than can. But here's what's even more troubling. We know what works and we haven't consistently implemented it. The science of reading is not a trend and it's not a theory. It's a body of decadesl long research from fields like neuroscience, cognitive psychology, linguistics, and it tells us how the brain learns to read and exactly what's required to teach it effectively in our schools.
▶ 0:23:19Reading is not a natural process. Unlike speaking, which children acquire effortlessly just through basic exposure and interaction, learning how to read is a very complex cognitive task. It literally requires rewiring of the brain where we have to connect visual, auditory and linguistic pathways so that we can make meaning from print.
▶ 0:23:41Only 5 to 10% of children will learn how to read naturally without any For the rest, that's 90 to 95% success depends on direct explicit teaching through structured literacy as promoted in the science of reading. The encouraging news is that all children can learn to read when given evidence-based instruction, trained educators, and the right support.
▶ 0:24:08The science of reading outlines five essential essential pillars to make reading instruction effective. These are focusing on phonological awareness, phonics, building fluency, developing highle academic vocabulary, and comprehension. Yet too often, classrooms are still relying on outdated, ineffective practices like balanced literacy and the three queuing method, which prompts students to guess at words instead of learning the skills to properly decode them.
▶ 0:24:38Science is very clear. Guessing is not reading. In contrast, structured literacy promoted by the science of reading equips children with systemic phonics, decoding practice, access to high-quality materials like decodable texts, building confidence and joy. Encouragingly, more and more states are banning the three queuing method and requiring science aligned instruction. This is absolutely a step in the right direction, but it's not enough to change the standards.
▶ 0:25:08State and local governments must also support educators through highquality proper training, through coaching and access to researchbased materials. Teachers deserve the knowledge and tools to do what works. Families and parents deserve to understand how they can help their children learn how to read at home. And most importantly, our children deserve instruction that gives them the best chance to succeed at life. We don't need to keep guessing. We know what works.
▶ 0:25:37We simply need the will, the coordination, and the commitment to act on it. Thank you again for the opportunity to speak with you today. I look forward to your questions and in working together on real solutions for our nation's most pre precious asset, our children.
▶ 0:25:54Thank you very much. I'll next recognize Dr. Wingfield for your testimony.
▶ 0:26:00Good morning and thank you um chairman, ranking member, and members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on proven instruction for reading and math. This critical issue matters deeply to me and millions of families, students, educators, and policymakers. My name is John Winkfield, and I serve as an assistant professor of early childhood and literacy education at Ruckers University North. I come before you today in both a personal and professional capacity.
▶ 0:26:29My journey in education has been multifaceted. I've served as a classroom teacher, a literacy coach, an administrator, a pro a professor preparing future educators, and a researcher working across many different school types and student populations. Personally, I am also a proud product of public schools, having attended both state and public institutions throughout my academic career.
▶ 0:26:51These experiences, both lived and professional, have given me deep understanding of the challenges and possibilities in literacy and math It is from that this vantage point that I make the case for proven instructional practices, the urgent need to invest in efforts that strengthen teaching and learning in public schools, and the importance of resisting policies such as school vouchers that weaken and undermine our public education system. The history of literacy in the United States is tied to inequity.
▶ 0:27:22From anti-iteracy laws to chronic underfunding of schools serving low-income students, access to reading and writing has never been evenly distributed. Today, these disparities persist. Children from marginalized communities are more likely to fall behind, and those who do not achieve reading proficiency by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. According to NAPE's 2024 report, just a third of US fourth graders are reading at or above proficiency.
▶ 0:27:51For black fourth graders, many of them scored 28 points behind their white peers. By 8th grade, black students average reading scores showed no significant change from 2019, while white student scores declined, which narrowed the gap, but the difference remained substantial at 24 points. Long-term trend data underscores how p how persistent these gaps are. For decades, NAPE has reported racial disparities in achievement, and they remain entrenched.
▶ 0:28:18In mathematics, the long-term trend assessment for 13 year olds showed that white and black score difference widened from 35 points in 2020 to 42 points in 2023. This gap does not reflect black students capability. Rather, it calls into question whether our instructional practices and classroom environments are truly designed for all children and a reminder that math achievement is not separate from literacy.
▶ 0:28:42Understanding word problems, following multi-step instructions, and explaining reasoning all depend on students access to and use of academic language and literacy skills. Students who struggle with reading often struggle with math, not because they lack ability, but because they cannot access the language in which math is taught. Investments in literacy are therefore investments in all learning and in long-term success of our students.
▶ 0:29:06To ensure those investments have impact, literacy instruction must also acknowledge and honor linguistic diversity students bring into the classroom. The science of reading has provide provided valuable insights into how children learn to decode and recognize words. But we must remember that students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds. They speak different dialects, regional varieties, and languages at home.
▶ 0:29:28If instruction does not reflect these realities, student can be students can be misunderstood, mislabeled, or left Strong literacy instruction requires both evidence-based practices and culturally responsive teaching. Teachers need sustained training and resources to meet students where they are. And that requires public investment that does not fluctuate from year to year. We have seen what targeted investments can accomplish.
▶ 0:29:54In New Jersey, districts like Union City, once considered at risk for state takeover, leverage federal relief funds to mitigate learning loss during the pandemic, providing high impact tutoring, extended summer learning, and expanded digital access. As a result, Union City has become a model for how equitable investment can transform student achievement. When schools are well supported, children thrive. When funding is withheld or diverted to private vouchers, equity suffers. Students with disabilities are especially vulnerable.
▶ 0:30:23Federal laws guarantee access to education, but without adequate funding, schools cannot provide the indiv individualized support these students need. Evidence-based interventions, specialized instruction, and assisted technology all depend on predictable, sustained investments. Public schools are not just educational institutions. They are community anchors.
▶ 0:30:44No, teachers should not be expected to serve as social workers or sacrifice their own well-being, but they must be equipped with training and antibbias practices and social emotional development so that they can support the whole child. And the whole child can only engage in learning when they are safe, well-nourished, healthy, and stably housed. Public schools provide stability, safety, and opportunity for children and families.
▶ 0:31:06When federal support is frozen or inconsistent, programs collapse, staff shortages worsen, and students lose access to the very resources that allow them to succeed. Investing in public schools Oh, Sorry. I could Oh, sorry. Investing in public schools and teacher preparation and literacy research is not optional. It is essential. I'll stop there. Sorry.
▶ 0:31:29Thank you very much. I'll lastly recognize Dr. Harrison for your Good morning and thank you for allowing me to be here today. My name is Brent Harrison and I'm honored to serve as a superintendent of Sarland City Schools in Sarland, Alabama. Sarland City Schools opened in 2008 with just over 1500 students. Today we serve approximately 3,400 students, 126% increase in enrollment over that time.
▶ 0:31:55Our student body is 73% white, 17% African-American, and over half qualify for free or reduced lunch. Despite these socioeconomic challenges, Sarland consistently ranks among the highest performing districts districts in the state of Alabama. On the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, which is our state accountability testing component, our students excel in English language arts, math, and science.
▶ 0:32:23Over the past several years, we've remained in the top 10 statewide in all three subjects as as far as proficiency. In 2025, we ranked fifth in ELA, sixth in science, and seventh in math. These results are especially meaningful when you consider that our students are being compared to peers in communities around the state of Alabama with median home prices nearing a million dollars and household incomes of $300,000 a year.
▶ 0:32:50In Sarland, the median home income price is around $230,000. The average household income is $60,000. We attribute our success to a strong school culture, strategic curriculum choices made by the state of Alabama, and a relentless focus on data. During the CO 19 pandemic, Saran was one of the first districts to reopen in August of 2020, and we did not miss a single day of in-person instruction.
▶ 0:33:18Our blueco collar community showed up and our students thrived. In our minds, our return to school and the classrooms led to a minimum learning losses across the In literacy, we follow the Alabama literacy act which mandates proficiency on the AAP reading subtest for third grade promotion. We use phonics first, an organillium based program aligned with the science of reading.
▶ 0:33:45It supports tier one instruction and provides targeted interventions for struggling students. Last year, only five of our 262 third graders did not meet proficiency, all of whom had IEPs or individualized education plans and were already receiving support. In math, we emphasize fluency and automaticity through tools like reflex math and a spiraling approach that revisits concepts throughout the school year.
▶ 0:34:13This builds deep understanding and problem solving school uh skills for our students for the year to come and years to come throughout their education. Our greatest gains come from how we approach tier 2 and tier three instruction. Instead of retaching current material, we use data to identify and close foundational skill gaps. This targeted approach continues until students are ready to succeed in tier one instruction. At Sarland City Schools, we eat, sleep, and breathe data.
▶ 0:34:42It drives every decision we make. Combined with our strong curriculum and proven instructional practices, our data-driven culture is what sets us apart. Not for the accolades, but because it's what's best for children. Thank you again for allowing me to share our story. It's an honor to represent a district that proves excellence is possible regardless of zip code. Thank
▶ 0:35:07Thank you very much. Under under committee rule nine, we will now question witnesses under the fiveminute rule. Uh and I'll first recognize the chairman of the full committee, the representative from Michigan, Mr. Wahberg. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks to the to the witnesses for being here and demonstrating that uh education can take place and take place well at the local and state level with control there. Uh that goes right to the classroom as was pointed out uh by Dr.
▶ 0:35:35Brumley, the teacher uh and the parent working together for the students best interest. Thank you, Dr. Brumley. One of one of the focuses of the committee this year has been dismantling the Department of Education and I don't back away from that. Uh a trillion dollars spent since 1980 and our test scores going down. uh failure taking place until individual attempts like your schools and your districts, your states deciding this is not acceptable.
▶ 0:36:06As I'm sure you would agree, education is fundamentally a state and local issue. And we've uh seen Democrat administrations use the department to abuse their power and pressure states into adopting woke policies that don't work. As a state leader, how would it make your job easier to have less federal micromanagement? Dr. Brumley?
▶ 0:36:26Yes, sir. Thank you for the question. Uh, first and foremost, I too support uh dismantling the US Department of Education. I I tend to think that educational decisions are best made by moms and dads working with local teachers and and local systems on uh what makes the most sense for their children and their community.
▶ 0:36:44They love those kids. And so, um, as I've previously shared with the administration, if if one believes that education is a state's rights issue, such that I believe, uh, then the administration has to also respect that states may approach education in different ways, uh, from Washington State to Louisiana, from from Texas to Vermont. Uh, and I think that that's okay and that's that's good. And so I appreciate President Trump and Secretary McMahon working to dismantle that particular agency.
▶ 0:37:13I understand it takes act of congress uh so to speak to get that done. Uh but anything that they can do to further empower uh states to remove some of the excessive bureaucracies, some of the unnecessary strains attached to funding uh which are taxpayer dollars that come into the states. Um and to elevate the parent. We appreciate that. Uh we think that's good. And so our agency at the Louisiana Department of Education, we uh stand ready.
▶ 0:37:41Uh we have a governor in the state of Louisiana that's education focused and Governor Landry. We have a state legislature that is uh working alongside us. We have a state board of education that's working alongside of us. And so we have a streamlined approach. We think policy makers in the state of Louisiana along with moms and dads can make good decisions uh without bureaucrats in DC getting in our way.
▶ 0:38:01Thank you. Thank you. Uh, Miss Roden, um, in your testimate testimony, you mentioned the NAPE scores, uh, which are concerning to say the least, uh, for me as I look at Michigan, the terrible NAPE scores. Um, can you talk about the implications of having so many children unable to read uh, and how this impacts their futures as well as their present?
▶ 0:38:29Yes, thank you for the question. Um, literacy is a it's a gateway skill. Um, as shared in some of the testimony this afternoon, if we can't read, we can't unlock and access learning from all other subjects. If we think about math, we're not able to solve math word problems. If I'm not reading and I don't have reading comprehension and I'm in high school, I can't read a drama script and fully embody and play my role correctly.
▶ 0:38:55uh if I'm a tradesman, I need to be able to read safety codes and and warranties and manuals. And so without focusing on primary skills, foundational literacy in the early years, K2, where children need it the most, um we're just limiting access to education. And I'm sorry, I had a second part to your question, Mr. Wahberg.
▶ 0:39:16That was a key part.
▶ 0:39:18Yeah. Thank you. then and you you addressed it limiting limiting the opportunity for students who can't read. Thank you, Dr. Harrison. Um Alabama in 2019 passed a law requiring schools to use the science of reading. How important it is is it to a person like yourself to have the state legislature enact laws that encourage that type of action
▶ 0:39:43for Alabama. For us as a school district in Alabama, it's very important because across the state, we we are a very transient district and meaning we do have a lot of students that do transfer in from around our local surrounding areas. Having a state curriculum um knowing that students within the state of Alabama are all following the science of reading curriculum throughout the state helps us pinpoint where that student should be coming into us where we should be able to meet them and we try to meet every student where they are and help them create and grow and and
▶ 0:40:13go from there. So it is vital for us to know in our state that we all are on the same page of she sheet of music so to speak uh and are all following the science of reading. Again, it is pivotal for us because we know each step, each classroom you go in, you're able to see each teacher following the step, different steps of science reading day in and day out from one classroom to the
▶ 0:40:36Thank you. I yield back.
▶ 0:40:38Ranking member Bonamichi, the representative from Oregon is
▶ 0:40:41Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks to the witnesses. Just a a reminder in response to the chairman's question that uh curriculum decisions are made by state and local governments. They are not made by Congress. But where Congress does make a difference, you know, we heard a lot about the teacher preparation, having educators who are skilled in this uh uh literacy issue, that's title two, low-income students, uh the additional resources that help them, that's title one. That's where the federal dollars come in. It's not in setting curriculum.
▶ 0:41:11And you know, we can all acknowledge as we have that the NAPE scores are not where we'd like them to be, especially for the most disadvantaged students. Um and we might even agree on some of the reasons uh COVID screen time uh where we disagree is on the solutions and cutting federal funding and research for K12 education is not the answer.
▶ 0:41:31Now earlier this year the Trump administration cut nearly $900 million in educational research contracts at the Institute of Education Sciences including contracts for long-term studies that would have produced data on how to best help students learn. So Dr. Dr. Wingfield, a significant part of this canceled research related to students in elementary and secondary schools. So why is IEES data important and what will these cuts mean?
▶ 0:41:58Yes. So thank you for that question. I'd like to start by saying that we all reference NAPE scores um which are all funded which funded by the research from IIEES. IEES is a research arm of the department of education. Um, so we're all referencing these points, this data that's funded by what we're talking about cutting funds from. Um, but we all use that data to inform our practice. I funds practice and policy. And without that in place, we're going to be making uninformed decisions.
▶ 0:42:28Um, in addition to that, um, we also talked about multi-tered the some of the practices that we talked about. I also funds that. So these multi-ter practices that have been extremely helpful to moving scores forward in Alabama continuously are funded by IEES to continuously improve those practices as well. So it would be harmful not just to those disadvantaged students but to all students because we're taking away these data points that we use to inform
▶ 0:42:55and we don't really know what would happen to IEES if the department of education is abolished. What happens to title one? What happens to IDEIDA? What happens to the educational research and Dr. Dr. Ringfield, this year's SNAPE scores, as as I I discussed, have more socioeconomic information than previous years, showing that 77% of wealthier students scored above average, but only 34% of low-income students. What should we learn from that?
▶ 0:43:17Yeah. So, I think that's an indication of what I talked about earlier. Literacy practices and access to quality education has not always been easily accept uh accessible to both students of diverse backgrounds and students of so lower socio socioeconomics. And so what we really need to make a greater investment on is one cultural practices and teacher education. Um teacher education is largely white women and our student population is largely students of diverse backgrounds.
▶ 0:43:47So, what investment can we make in making sure that we're not just educating our educators on evidence-based practices, but learning how to bridge those connections between home and school?
▶ 0:43:55And and how important are programs like Mckin Vento that helps home students or school nutrition uh programs that uh make sure that students have full bellies when they're trying to learn?
▶ 0:44:06Incredibly, because you can't learn without stable housing or food. Yeah. And in in my final couple minute uh minute or so, you know, a few months ago, the Republicans passed this this reconciliation big ugly bill that includes the first nationwide uh K12 school voucher program that will divert resources away from public schools that serve uh more than 90% of students. How will diverting funds away from public schools affect reading and math instruction where the in the public schools were 90% of students?
▶ 0:44:34It'll kill the resources that are in place to help our our highest need students. So, we're losing programs. It'll affect capacity as well. So, losing teachers and staff that will support these programs that help move these students along.
▶ 0:44:46Yeah. I I just submit in in the remaining time that these are are not easy issues to to deal with and we have to have a more comp comprehensive conversation about what these test scores mean. And I think that's one of the purposes of this hearing today. And as I mentioned in the opening statement, there's a there's a lot happening with students with mental health concerns, with gun violence, with ICE raids. There's a lot of of on students minds right now.
▶ 0:45:11And until we address those underlying issues, we're not going to comprehensively solve this issue. And again, I appreciate this hearing, but Congress does not set curriculum. And what we really need is the research, and that's what's being cut. I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll now recognize myself uh for five minutes. Uh Ms. uh Roden, I found uh your testimony uh very compelling when it came to how brain science ought to inform uh proper literacy instruction.
▶ 0:45:39It seems to me uh the fallacy of some of these discredited approaches like uh whole language or threeqism or whatever we want to call it is that uh it assumes that students can learn literacy or written language sort of in the same way they learn uh spoken language kind of by osmosis.
▶ 0:45:55But uh that as you explained that's not true because the brain is hardwired uh to acquire uh oral language skills uh and to generalize from from limited inputs uh in a way that is not true uh when it comes to written language. So could you just yeah tell us a little bit more about uh the problems with these alternative approaches that have been in vogue uh for for too long.
▶ 0:46:19Yes, absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, as you've shared, approaches like balance literacy and the three queuing just came out of this incorrect belief that children learn how to read naturally. And if we could just fill our classrooms with books and have a word-rich environment that children would just pick up reading effortlessly. And we now know and have known since the National Reading Panel published the science of literary in 2000 uh that this is not accurate.
▶ 0:46:45that uh the brain is not wired to learn how to read and it has to be explicitly taught in our schools. So the danger of districts and schools that are still utilizing these outdated practices like three queuing and balanced literacy is that we're promoting guessing. So, if I could give you an example in a kindergarten class, a kindergarten class that is still using balanced literacy might be doing a read aloud and the sentences the baby is and there's an unfamiliar word.
▶ 0:47:13And so, the teacher might instruct the students to guess what this word could be looking at contextual clues or looking at the picture. And if the picture was a baby sleeping, a child might guess sleeping. But what if the word was actually napping, dreaming, resting? So if I focused on phonics and foundational skills, I could have my students decode and sound out that word, understanding that n begins with napp napping and we could sound it out.
▶ 0:47:40And so what we see the aftermath of this is children that have been guessing in the primary grades where we should have been focused on foundational learning uh is we have these widened gaps in comprehension whereas text gets harder in third grade and above. Guessing strategies just completely fall apart. And this is particularly true for our students that are at risk for uh students that have learning differences.
▶ 0:48:04So fortunately we've seen uh a return to the foundational skills as uh the primary method at least uh in the laws of of many states. Could you tell us a little bit more about what that entails? I think everyone's familiar with phonics. Uh but it's it's more than just that, right?
▶ 0:48:17Yes. Um so phonics is is certainly essential and critical, but the science of reading actually outlines five pillars. Five phonics being one. But I'd like to share that we want to think about these pillars as pieces of a rope and they all need to be intertwined and working together for true reading success. So phonics is a critical component but we must also be developing phonological awareness, rhyming, doing syllables, uh changing the smallest unit of sound, we call it a phone.
▶ 0:48:46Um changing beginning, middle, ending sounds of words. While we're doing this and teaching letter sound cor letter sound correspondence or phonics, we also need to be building academic vocabulary. So in a kindergarten class, I might be learning how to decode simple words like sun and matt, but I also need to be introduced to high level academic vocabulary like ecosystems, perseverance, what do these words mean?
▶ 0:49:10And then through that I need to be putting sounds together to read words, words together to read sentences to build fluency to develop automaticity. And then when those four pillars come in hand, I need less brain power as a child to decode and now I can make that shift to focusing on the fifth pillar which is comprehension. So they all need to be working together for our children to have true literacy success.
▶ 0:49:35And finally, I know that your organization uh has been very successful when it comes to teacher training and so could you just uh expound a little on how critical it is uh that teachers have the tools uh for proper literacy
▶ 0:49:49Yeah, absolutely. I think supporting our teachers is is so essential and it's not just giving them a one-stop shop training. It's ongoing and continuous support where teachers are looking at their classroom data and assessments and making those informed decisions. Uh we know that we can't just give teachers great resources. You know, those resources just can sit on a shelf and get dusty. And if we want them to use especially new resources that they might be unfamiliar with, we have to give them that training and support to go with it.
▶ 0:50:19Thank you very much. And as you said in your introduction, we know what works. And so now the task is just to make sure that uh that every child in this country uh has access to the instruction that we know does work. Uh, I'll now recognize the representative uh from Pennsylvania, Miss Lee.
▶ 0:50:34Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It should go without being said that children need to have quality reading and math instruction. We need to invest in these skills. That said, we also can't keep asking schools, educators, children, and families to do more with less. This committee is asking schools to improve math and reading scores while the Department of Education is being dismantled.
▶ 0:50:57While schools are dealing with ongoing disruptions from this administration um unexpectedly cutting and freezing funding for educational programs, while teachers face the impossible choice between a profession that they love and earning a dignified wage that would allow them to actually pay back their insurmountable student loan debt. While children have to sit in increasingly hot classrooms with worsening air quality and no HVAC systems. or while parents have to drop their kids off fearing that ICE might be there waiting to separate them.
▶ 0:51:28Or while students and staff have to walk into school every morning wondering if their school will be the next target of a mass shooting. If you want to support children's math and reading, we need to make sure that they have safe, wellresourced learning environments. And yet just last night, uh, Republican appropriators in the House voted to slash12 billion dollars from the Department of Education's budget, including cutting about five billion uh, dollars from Title One funding, almost a 30% decrease.
▶ 0:51:57Title One funds pro uh, provide instructional support, enrichment activities, math and reading interventions, and so much more to school districts that don't have the luxury of millions of dollars in a property tax base revenue. Dr. Brumley, we appreciate you being here to share Louisiana's story uh with NAP scores and other successes.
▶ 0:52:20Um are you able to share how much title uh 1A funding Louisiana received for fiscal year 24 and 25?
▶ 0:52:29Uh yes, ma'am. So we received roughly $400 million. Um, and just yes or no, do you think Title One and other federal funding for things like reading specialists, math interventionists, uh, contributed to Louisiana's improvement in NAP scores?
▶ 0:52:44I think we've used all of our funding, uh, sources very well in a strategy to get better results for kids.
▶ 0:52:50Certainly, and those ones specifically, did they contribute?
▶ 0:52:53Um, I think we've used all of our sources really well. Given that the administration is proposing a 15% cut to federal education funding, bringing investment levels back to those of 2010, what steps is Louisiana prepared to take to protect students learning if that funding is reduced, particularly in districts that rely heavily on federal
▶ 0:53:09Yeah. So, we're already engaged in academic return on investment procedures and we've asked local systems to do the same. We want to make sure that we're focused on initiatives that matter most in that pursuit of academic excellence and teaching kids to read and do math. So, does that imply that there might be
▶ 0:53:26Um, you know, we just we just received this information this morning. So, obviously, we would work with the administration. We'd work with the secretary uh to learn more about the impacts of of said cuts.
▶ 0:53:37Thank you. We know that state budgets are not equipped to make up the educational funding shortfall that this administration is proposing. It's past time to abandon the playbook where the federal government removes the resources children need to succeed and then pushes them uh or punishes them, excuse me, for failing systems. Dr. Wfield, in your testimony, you highlighted that differences in race, income, and geography continue to shape who has access to high quality ed instruction and who bears the burden when systems fail.
▶ 0:54:04Briefly, why is literacy instruction in equity and a civil rights Having access to strong literacy or being literate um within our society allows for economic and uh economic mobility and stability it um communities that are more literate are more civically engaged and they also make better choices when it comes to their health and well-being.
▶ 0:54:25Thank you. Um your testimony also highlights the long history of racialized assumptions about intelligence that I can only assume are implicit in the types of instructions some folks want to reclaim. Given this history, can you explain why inclusive and culturally relevant curriculums are beneficial and why it's important, for example, for black students to see themselves centered in stories when they learn or when they're learning to read?
▶ 0:54:47Absolutely. So, we need to create environments that are affirming and safe for students, all students, especially black students, Latino students, students with disabilities to feel affirmed and safe within the spaces so that they could take the educational risks that are appropriate for learning in classroom settings. We also need to create environments for those students that don't create um eraser. Um they should be able to see themselves reflected back in that curriculum um and through language and just possibilities for themselves outside of the school system.
▶ 0:55:15We also have to ensure that the different varieties of culture and language that students aren't coming to school with are being perceived as um in a biased way from their school teachers leading to the way in which they instruct their students. Um I just want to add one key point. I think is commendable the growth that Louisiana has made in their reading scores. But if we were to disagregate that data and look specifically at black students, you'll still see an overwhelming gap in a reading proficiency.
▶ 0:55:41So we can talk about the science of reading, which is incredibly helpful and does truly inform and data truly informs instruction in classrooms, but we cannot ignore race when we're talking about literacy because not all students are experiencing it or accessing it in the same way.
▶ 0:55:56Thank you. I agree and I appreciate your testimony. Thank you all so much for joining us today. And I yield back.
▶ 0:56:01Representative Owens of Utah is
▶ 0:56:04Thank you so much for this. Uh let's just start off with one fact. Uh our system has failed our kids for decades. Decades. Um and it's interesting that as we try to get it fixed up, we have people just don't want to don't want to change. So, let me just kind of go back to 2017 when 75% of the black boys state of California were found to be here in in DC zero proficiency in math.
▶ 0:56:30Um, we just had a uh the study just came out that 70 64% of our kids across the country in eighth grade cannot read and write. So, no, it's time to change and it's time to change with innovation with those that are are at the table here looking at ways to get that done. I I I did a little little little uh AI stuff here and I I wanted to to tie in ignorant and free can never be was was one of the foundations of our country to make sure we we we're always presenting the smartest kids in in in the country in the world.
▶ 0:57:01Is ignorance this is AI is ignorance the lack of critical thinking skills. Ignorance is primarily the lack of knowledge. It can be also stem from lack of critical thinking skills especially when critical thinking process are in inefficient. Uh, is there a link between math and critical thinking? Yes, by the way, we're failing our kids in math. Uh, yes, critical thinking is is strongly linked to mathematics as math inherently requires analytical skills, logical reasoning, and problem solving. Is critical thinking tied into reading?
▶ 0:57:31Yes. uh there's strong established links between reading and critical thinking skills with reading acting as a powerful tool for developing of of abilities by improving comprehension and analysis and evaluation of information. Um that being said, we need to bring this process back uh to where we're getting our kids to think again. Uh Dr. Brumley, first of all, good seeing again.
▶ 0:57:58Uh you mentioned in your let teachers teach initiative you said that teachers deserve efficient effective school leaders uh reduce distractions and higher compensation. I agree with the compensation particular based on ma on on merit. Uh what uh how is your state addressing these issues and what is effect on the academic results?
▶ 0:58:17So the fact that we have moved from 49th in the country on the nation's report card to 32nd today and number 16 on fourth grade literacy is a testament to the teachers. Uh roughly three or four years ago, we had about 2500 teaching vacancies in our state. Now we've got about a thousand. Uh that has to do with smart policies enacted at the state and local doing really good work. We've used uh differentiated compensation to pay teachers more in high need areas to pay teachers more for outstanding results with kids uh learning.
▶ 0:58:45Uh we have uh kicked off our let teachers teach initiative which removes distractions from the classroom, removes excessive trainings for teachers. it it removes bureaucracy uh that is burdening them every single day. And so we believe that there's nothing more important. We fundamentally believe that there's nothing more important than the parent for the child's success. But after that, number one is the teacher. And so if we can make sure that every classroom in the state of Louisiana is equipped with a high quality teacher, we'll get great results.
▶ 0:59:14But unfortunately, teachers are telling kids, you know, don't go in the teaching profession. And that's a shame. And I think that we can correct that. And we are correcting that in the state of Louisiana with our let teachers teach initiative which is further empowering and elevating that profession.
▶ 0:59:28Uh does this impact black kids and white kids together uh in terms of this this the strategy is that um there's any difference in in how this is being accepted and success of it. Uh so what we see when we look at our NAPE results is that Louisiana is outperforming uh relative states across the country in those reading and math scores. And 73% of the students in our traditional public schools in the state of Louisiana we consider economically disadvantaged.
▶ 0:59:54So when we're talking about growth from 50th in reading in 2019 to 16th today, those are all students. Those are economically disadvantaged students. Those are students with disabilities. Those are black and brown students. And so, uh, we're just trying to focus on the merit of this work and really having a laser focus on the pursuit of academic excellence every single day in our
▶ 1:00:15Okay. Um, Miss Rottton, um, I'm impressed with with the evidence of the science of reading. What evidence would you give to teachers who want to teach reading effectively but aren't getting much support yet from their school
▶ 1:00:29Thank you for the question. Um, I think the best advice I could give teachers is lean on the evidence. I mean, the teacher is so powerful in his or her own classroom. And there's a lot that we can do even if an administrator or district hasn't adopted the science of reading to bring structured literacy into our own practice. Uh things like just focusing on phonics and letter sounds. And if a teacher teachers should feel confident to be advocates, you know, uh we can't argue the data.
▶ 1:00:56And I would encourage teachers to invite principles into their own classroom, observe a science of reading lesson um and just kind of use that as the force to push this forward at their own site.
▶ 1:01:06Thank you. Thank you for your innovation. Appreciate that. Uh your
▶ 1:01:10Representative Adams of North Carolina is recognized.
▶ 1:01:13Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and uh thank the witnesses for being here today. Uh reading and math are the foundations and they open every other door. If a child can't read by third grade, their chances of graduating on time plummet. If they can't master basic math, their pathway into today's workforce narrows. I know this uh not just from the research, but from more than 40 years in the classroom.
▶ 1:01:38I've seen students thrive when they get the right support early and and I've seen what happens when they don't. The nation's report card shows sharp declines in both reading and math, especially after the pandemic. The students suffering most are the ones who were already struggling, low-income students, English learners, and and students with disabilities. And what makes this worse is that we know what works.
▶ 1:02:04Teacher training, early intervention, high quality curriculum, and strong public schools. But instead of investing in what works, the Trump administration has has cut it away, cancelling $600 million in teacher training grants. And their new budget proposes eliminating training altogether. You know, you can't reclaim reading and math while while cutting teachers off at the knees. Teachers are not the problem.
▶ 1:02:34Teachers are the solution, but they need tools. They need training and and the support to to do their jobs. Uh Dr. Wingfield, uh welcome and thank you for your testimony. I grew up in Newark. I'm very familiar with the Ruckers State University. I graduated from high school there at Westside. But first, as a former college professor myself, I know that teachers are the heart of student success. But I also know that they can't do it alone.
▶ 1:03:04So, can you tell us why teacher training is so integral to helping students learn to read and and to do math and what impact will eliminating federal teacher training funds have on classrooms and students?
▶ 1:03:18Absolutely. Thank you. Um, the same way learning to read doesn't come by osmosis, neither does learning to teach children how to read. Um, it's a process. It's very structured. Again, I think we all agree that the science of reading is a very valid practice, but it requires that you learn it. Again, talking about language variations, us as the leaders or educators in those spaces also have language variations.
▶ 1:03:42And so, our goal is to teach young people how to match sounds with letters so that they could potentially decode words on pieces of paper, but we need explicit training to be able to do that. So talking about literacy as a priority and then turning around and cutting the funding that supports it undermines that effort alto together because teachers need that explicit training in the same ways that students need that explicit instruction in order for it to be successful.
▶ 1:04:07Thank you. It's kind of hypocritical too I think.
▶ 1:04:10Uh but thank you and let me turn to another point. The administration says that it it wants to prioritize evidence-based literacy through discretionary funds, but at the same time, it has a cut or proposed eliminated eliminating comprehensive literacy development grants and innovative approaches to literacy programs that already help students and families every day.
▶ 1:04:34So, do you have concerns about cutting these existing literacy programs even even as the administration claims claims to support evidence-based approaches?
▶ 1:04:46Um, absolutely. It's very concerning. Again, we have many vulnerable um populations that will continue to suffer and not be able to advance in making progress in their literacy proficiency. Um, and that harms communities overall. It impacts the well-being of communities as a whole when we don't have the resources in place to be able to support students in learning how to read. And that's our demographics are also changing.
▶ 1:05:10So groups of people who are acquiring still acquiring English, young people who are learning to read over time won't be able to make the economic um mobility that's needed to sustain healthy communities.
▶ 1:05:23Okay. Thank you. Uh we we also know that that the gaps are widest for students who who were already behind.
▶ 1:05:30So Dr. Winfield, how can the the federal government best support schools in in in closing these literacy and and math gaps so that children in poverty, English learners, and students with disabilities don't continue to fall further behind?
▶ 1:05:44Um well, I'd say stop cutting the funding and freeing freezing the funding. that creates chaos within these vulnerable communities who rely on every dollar to create programming that addresses these issues with uh our young people within our schools. Um it's also really important for IEES to be able to maintain its capacity again because a lot of the research that comes out of IEES informs the practices that are happening within the schools and we also use that data to um have targeted programming for students at need.
▶ 1:06:13Thank you. Well said. I yield back, Mr. Representative Miller of Illinois is
▶ 1:06:22And thank you, Chairman Kylie, for hosting this hearing and for the witnesses for attending. I'm a mom of seven, grandma of 23. I started my career in public school. I'm deeply passionate that our children can learn basic skills and learn to read. A child that cannot read has been damaged for life. And I think that the my friends on the other side are trying to turn this into a discussion about race again.
▶ 1:06:53Um reading and math are foundational to childhood development. However, the United States is facing an unprecedented crisis as large portions of our population are functionally illiterate and cannot perform basic arithmetic. This is happening all over the country, all over Illinois, but it is epidemic in Chicago where our brown and black children live and the schools are failing them.
▶ 1:07:22And we are spending so much money. In fact, there is a school in Chicago that spends $94,000 a year to educate the children and not one student is proficient in reading. In 2024, only 30% of Illinois's fourth graders met or exceeded reading proficiency. Also, in 2024, only 38% of Illinois fourth graders met or exceeded math proficiency.
▶ 1:07:53Illiteracy and inability to do arithmetic contribute to larger problems as children become teenagers and eventually adults. In Illinois, high school dropouts are three and a half times more likely to be arrested than high school graduates. Millions of Americans can't even perform basic tasks like making a budget. Lack of reading and math proficiency puts tremendous strain on the economy as billions of dollars are lost each year through decreased productivity and workforce inefficiencies.
▶ 1:08:23And more than that, God created these individuals to be productive with their life. And now we have allowed them to be damaged. They cannot read. I cannot imagine trying to get through life not being able to read. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US will need 1 million additional STEM professionals for the next decade.
▶ 1:08:46But despite all this brim news, it is encouraging to see states like Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi leading the way in transforming their schools and climbing to the top tiers in reading and math proficiency within a matter of years. Dr. Brumley, in your written testimony, you state that children belong to parents, not the government, with which I wholeheartedly agree.
▶ 1:09:10Could you talk more about the vital role that parents play in their children's education and what you are specifically doing in Louisiana to make sure parents are included?
▶ 1:09:19Yeah, thank you so much. Uh, first and foremost, I would say that we have an incredible opportunity before us today to simply narrow the focus and teach kids to read and to do math. You know, uh, schools have been asked to do too much for way too long. They've been asked to, uh, take the place of the family, take the place of the church, take the place of the hospital, take the place of the supermarket. They were never ordained to do those things. Schools should be focused on the pursuit of academic excellence with the kids under their care every single day.
▶ 1:09:49One of our foundational beliefs is to accelerate parental rights. Anything that we can do to put parents in the driver's seat, whether that's choosing the school that makes the most sense, whether that's making sure that they're making health care decisions for their child, not the school, whether that's making sure there's transparency in curriculum. All of those things are very important and they've been welcomed by the parents in the state of Louisiana. And we have an opportunity before us today to make sure that states across the country are being more welcoming to parents in their schools.
▶ 1:10:17Absolutely. And Miss Ruffton, it is refreshing to see the science of reading standards returning to schools in states like Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi and the results they are yielding. Are other states implementing these standards and are they seeing similar
▶ 1:10:35Thank you for your question. Um, yes, I'm confident and the data tells us that more and more states are adopting the science of reading and the data is speaking those stories and telling the truth of how effective it is. I can speak about my home state, California, where we just recently passed an assembly bill. It had unanimous bipartisan support and that was uh all focused on getting mandatory screeners for K2 so we could assess students and provide early interventions.
▶ 1:11:03It was about providing uh quality professional development to support our teachers and getting evidence-based uh reading instructional materials in our
▶ 1:11:13I appreciate y'all's testimonies. Um I think we've recognized that we have a problem, but you are giving us workable solutions. Thank you so much.
▶ 1:11:24Representative Hayes of Connecticut is
▶ 1:11:27Thank you. I first want to start by saying that it is not the focus of Democrats on this committee to dismantle the Department of Education. It's not the role of the federal government to write curriculum or develop instructional materials for the classroom. I don't think anyone would want that. Our role is to support state and local efforts in adopting policies and laws that promote effective literacy practices.
▶ 1:11:51Ultimately, states and local school districts are the ones that determine how literacy programs are created and implemented, not Congress, not this committee. Yet, we are here. I just want to mention that Mr. Bramley, you did reference the NAPE score data and Louisiana's progress, but I would encourage everyone to disagregate that data a little more and you will see that white students are the ones who experience the largest gains, which demonstrates that access to these opportunities still exists.
▶ 1:12:19The Elementary and Secondary Education Act requires that states that receive Title 1A funds to teach and assess reading skills, language arts, mathematics, and sciences for specific grade levels. There are also other programs such as Title 2 teacher preparation uh that provide funding to help improve student academic achievements in reading and writing. This testimony from the witnesses is probably the best case for funding title one and two programs at the Department of Education.
▶ 1:12:49ESSA does not dis dictate how subject matter should be taught, but I can tell you as a classroom teacher, I know that direct instruction is effective for foundational skills, but not for developing deeper conceptual knowledge. Long-term and sustained federal investments in our schools, particularly in our teachers, is crucial to addressing the learning gaps in this country. Teacher preparation, license stand, lensure standards, professional development, and inservice are all critical to addressing the learning gaps in this country.
▶ 1:13:20The actions of this administration do not focus on literacy literacy. The ongoing dismantling of the Department of Education and efforts to defund K12 education programs will have a negative impact on the ability of schools to teach and teachers to and students to learn.
▶ 1:13:36For example, the cancellation of $900 million in contracts at the Institution of Education Sciences, including research on literacy and the elimination of ESSA title 2 funding for teacher prepar preparation will actively harm the development and implementation of literacy programs. Miss Rotten, I'm happy that my Republican colleagues have invited you here because every word of your testimony illuminates the need for early childhood education so that students can learn letter recognition and letter sounds.
▶ 1:14:05All of those things that are foundational for when they actually begin kindergarten. So, thank you for all of your words today. Miss Wingford, Dr. Wingford, I'm sorry. My question is to you. Can you speak to some of the best practices that state and local school districts can use to achieve better literacy outcomes and uh how these evidence-based models are actually working.
▶ 1:14:29So I I would like to say again I think that's one point that many of us agree on. We in fact agree on the science of reading. We agree that multi- multi-tiered systems of support actually work to support students. We believe that um within those tiers, that tier three, pulling students for greater intervention when they demonstrate that they need more help is always good practice. D using data to inform your practice is always good practice.
▶ 1:14:59What we have to be more careful about is looking at that data in a more nuanced way. Not all students are experiencing literacy and education in the same way. and how can we use that data to better support or navigate instruction for those students who are not experiencing it in a way that is allowing them to be successful or proficient. I want to thank you for your testimony today because you have actually drawn into the fact that we rely on these NAPE scores which are federally funded.
▶ 1:15:25We can disagregate these scores to give us the information that we need to pinpoint where the issues are and actually address them for students. So this is not a one-sizefits-all approach. We agree with that and local districts should be able to make those informed decisions and precisely hone in on the students who need it most. Um, but that does not happen by uh defunding the federal agency that actually is there to support districts. Uh, Dr.
▶ 1:15:55Brumley, you thanked uh the Trump administration for all of your progress. However, you noted that this effort began 5 years ago and federal funding has helped with that. So, um 5 years ago, uh the Trump administration was not uh the administration who was in charge. It was actually the Biden administration and massive investments into districts um like yours have definitely benefited. So, yes, we are not afraid of change.
▶ 1:16:22We are not afraid of looking at the data and using it to inform our decision, but we can ignore what the data tells us. Thank you. I yield back.
▶ 1:16:31Representative Moland of Guam is
▶ 1:16:34Chairman Kelly and Recy Member Bonomichi, thank you uh for hosting today's important hearing on literacy and numeracy. The nation's report card shows a decline in both fourth and eighth grade reading and math scores. There's no reason why in 2025 twothirds of our children should be failing behind perhaps even worse. The long-term trend assessment shows scores have been nearly flat since 1971.
▶ 1:16:59The math just doesn't add up and we need innovative to be innovative in our approach to education and support students educator and families to achieve to the highest possible level. Dr. Brumley, uh, since implementing the let Teachers Teach initiative, what worked best for improving educational outcomes and what could use
▶ 1:17:24Yeah, thank you so much. So, first of all, reliance on DC is not going to flip the trajectory for educational outcomes across this country. We need reform within the states. Uh, that's what we've done in terms of literacy. You know, we banned three queuing. We trained all K3 teachers across the state on the science of reading. We went into the colleges and worked there. We tutor all of our kids needing support. We give screeners multiple times a year. We do parent notification so then they know the status of their kids ability to read.
▶ 1:17:53Uh we do third grade promotion policy. So we have taken um a policycentric approach to making things better in our state and that's where the reforms have to come um from within the states. Uh what I would suggest to you is that our let teachers teach initiative has been really important. Uh from that information, we have banned cell phones uh in all of our classrooms across the state of Louisiana, which has been so impactful.
▶ 1:18:17Um we have um taken a stronger approach on making sure that schools are peaceful and they're orderly so that teachers can teach free from distraction and and students can learn free from distraction. And this these these changes have been overwhelmingly wellreceived by teachers in our state. And that's why we've cut teaching vacancies by over 50% over the last few years. The teacher is so fundamentally important.
▶ 1:18:40Um, and I'm not aware of any teacher in the state of Louisiana that is relying on DC for their training, for their curriculum, any of those things. As has been mentioned earlier, what we need to do is we need to as much as possible uh block grant formula grant directly to the states where state leaders, moms and dads can make decisions alongside their teachers on the best way to get better outcomes for kids without additional bureaucracy here in DC.
▶ 1:19:05We know that that employees at the Department of Education DC uh many of them have been removed or no longer there. We haven't felt one single impact from that in the state of Louisiana. We just need the funds to flow directly to us. so we can make decisions in the best interest of our kids.
▶ 1:19:22Well said, sir. Thank you, Mr. Harrison. Uh, congratulations on Sarland. That's excellent of what what's coming around and uh so what does Sarland do differently in its school education educator relationships that causes such a high performance outcomes? I think when you look at the culture of what we've established at Sarland City Schools is primarily what's what's turned I guess for us.
▶ 1:19:48Uh we take a uh teacher-led process in the fact that any programs any type of programs that we put in a classroom. We get our teacher leaders on board first train them get them professional development and then we go back and do a whole professional uh professional development with our entire staffs. And so you have buyin from all of our teachers that way. It's not something that's that's directed from the administration. It's something that is led by our teachers.
▶ 1:20:15And that's something I would say within the science of reading and what we're doing with our math curriculum. Uh our teachers are the ones that were the boots on the ground so to speak. Uh getting the training, getting the one uh getting everybody behind the programs. And that's I think a big reason why we have a lot of success in in English and math. Uh one other thing the education is fundamentally a non-federal issue when it comes to curriculum building.
▶ 1:20:41So how can the federal government empower districts to further enhance literacy and numeracy rates? I think from a standpoint of trusting our state leaders, you know, uh obviously uh Governor Ivy and our our governor and our state superintendent Eric Mackey have done a phenomenal job with directing the state of Alabama. our NAPE scores have jumped tremendously in the last several years. Uh trusting in our elected folks and our appointed folks, I think is is pivotal.
▶ 1:21:09And again, I think we've got great leadership within the state of Alabama.
▶ 1:21:13Thank you to our witnesses. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Representative Minion of New York is recognized.
▶ 1:21:19Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to the witness for participating here today and joining this important discussion. Reading and math skills are fundamental in setting our students up for lifelong success both in and out of the classroom. Uh to open doors for future generations, improving proficiency and student achievement in these core subjects should be a national priority.
▶ 1:21:40as a former public school teacher of almost 30 years and uh someone who represented almost 400 teachers in a teacher association and is the spouse of an elementary school teacher, an early literacy expert, uh an instructional coach who develops uh culturally responsive curriculum.
▶ 1:22:02I've seen firsthand how the teaching profession has changed and benefited from new evidence-based approaches, including the science of learning. As I was uh the teacher association president in a school district that implemented the science of reading, there was great skepticism from many of the teachers that had taught reading uh for a long period of time.
▶ 1:22:27And it was implemented not starting at the kindergarten level but broad-based all the way across the board. And I can tell you that uh the experienced excess intensive excuse me training uh in preparation for this implementation and the success was resounding and the buyin was massive.
▶ 1:22:52Um but instructional uh classroom instruction is just a part of the equation. And for our our country to truly raise the bar in reading and math, our students need strong support systems. We need intensive uh teacher training and professional development. We need high impact tutoring, mentoring, afterchool programs, and health and wellness support.
▶ 1:23:18I've recently introduced into uh legislation the teachers are leaders uh act which will make sure that we do support our new teachers and we use our veteran teachers uh to help with their professional development. So it is troubling to see what's happening in this administration in a critical time in our country.
▶ 1:23:43Uh that we are creating a federal voucher system that is going to divert taxpayer money to private schools. Terminating critical education science research, withholding billions in funding for our K to2 schools, cancelling Americanore grants that directly support youth literacy and one-to-one tutoring. So my question is for you, Dr. Dr. Wingfield, I appreciate your written testimony discussing these federal disruptions.
▶ 1:24:12Can you expand on how these actions are expected to impact reading and math skills for students with the greatest needs, including student students that live in impoverished communities, students with disabilities or English language
▶ 1:24:26Um, yes, thank you. So, um, so I want to lead by saying that our public schools are really anchors within our community. And so that's been beneficial to both the schools and the community because it helps build those bridges and the educators within those school buildings have a better understanding for the community in which they're working with. With that being said, the funding's being cut, the the funds that are being cut directly impact programming that assists families with acquiring English, that assists that high impact tutoring that was offered during um after school time or Saturday time or summertime.
▶ 1:24:56that really helped bring up those test scores for a lot of our um vulnerable comm community communities after COVID. Um you talked about teacher training and and teacher mentors. A lot of pre-ervice teachers and uh novice teachers entering the field need that level of mentorship from advanced teachers in order to make the appropriate choices and begin to learn how to read that data that informs their practice as well.
▶ 1:25:22um afterchool programs, um subsidies for for families or or just lunch aid for students all impact the quality of learning for students. And if those are cut, then we'll see a decline in instruction because students don't have the stability of those programmings or the additional resources that help them progress through school.
▶ 1:25:42Thank you for that uh answer. As you pointed out in your testimony previously, there are disparities in the NAPE performance uh based on socioeconomic status. From your perspective, how will the administration's actions especially impact students in high poverty or under uh resourced schools?
▶ 1:26:01It'll harm them further, those vulnerable communities. Again, it has a lot to do with access and supports in order to help create that stability and additional um resources for for learning. they'll we'll see greater harm done. It creates unsafe environments.
▶ 1:26:15Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:26:18I now recognize Mr. Mesmer from Indiana for five minutes.
▶ 1:26:24Uh thank you, Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here today to share your expertise on how we can get education back on track. Uh Dr. Harrison, your your home school districts have seen an astounding comeback uh in state and national rankings in recent years. How do you use formative and summitative assessment data to recognize the improvements in learning metrics and tweak your strategies based on what you see?
▶ 1:26:47For us, our formative and summitive data is pivotal um and how we assess our students. We try to meet every child where they are uh from a educational standpoint. And so we take that data and literally formulate educational plans for all of our students dependent upon where they are um with proficiency.
▶ 1:27:04And so at our elementary level, our our uh instructional partners and our instructional coaches as well as our literacy uh teachers will pull students when they are deficient in in reading and provide tier 2 and tier three intervention for them on a daily basis. And that that also includes math as well once we get data back on their students. And so that is pivotal for us. And we believe in looking at data day in and day out.
▶ 1:27:31Uh that's probably the secret to what we do is looking at our data um from our from our students across the board starting in kindergarten. Uh we we we provide them with formative test to see where they are and all the way through high school. Um it's something that we believe in. It's something we have found a lot of success in uh for us because it is our roadmap. If we don't know where they are, we can't tell we can't help them get to where they're
▶ 1:27:54Excellent. Thank you, Miss Routen. In your testimony, you shared steps the state and local government must take to increase effectiveness of learning in schools. How can we equip families with the resources they need to supplement their child's learning?
▶ 1:28:08Thank you for your question. Um, I can speak for my home state, California, and the work that I do with Luminous Spines that we focus on family engagement initiatives and a big part of that is just giving parents knowledge and resources and how they can better work with their children at home. Uh I would like to recognize that the parent is a child's first best and most important teacher and one simple thing that parents can do uh is just read to their children as much as as much as possible.
▶ 1:28:35Um but there are many districts in California uh that are part partnering with local agencies that are bringing in family literacy nights um parent workshops to teach parents about the science of reading and strategies that they can utilize at home uh to help develop their child's literacy. Is California one of those states that's transitioned to the science-based reading models?
▶ 1:28:57Yes. Um we're a little late in the game. Uh but we just recently had an assembly bill passed with bipartisan support. Uh that's going to require evidence-based uh reading instructional materials within the classroom. Uh there's a big emphasis on coaches and professional development training for teachers uh and making sure that we properly assess uh our students.
▶ 1:29:18Thank you, Dr. Brumley. Your state has also greatly improved in their educational outcomes in the past couple years. In your opinion, how does removing federal bureaucracy and sending educational choice back to the states help states like Louisiana in their mission to improve literacy and
▶ 1:29:35So, I'm honored to tell Louisiana's historic education progress. We've been long challenged educationally. I'm thankful to our governor, Governor Landry, our legislature, our state board, uh, and then the educators across the state that are doing amazing work. Uh my conversations with the Trump administration, with Secretary McMahon have been around increased flexibilities for states to make decisions in the best interest of children within their state. Uh I appreciate education as a state's right issue and uh I think that uh individual states ought to be able to make those decisions.
▶ 1:30:05I have not suggested reduced funding. I have not suggested removal of any law such as IDA or or discrimination laws. We're just saying um less bureaucracy, less trains attached, further empowering states to work with teachers and moms and dads a and we can continue to see results improve in the state of Louisiana. And that's what I'm here to ask for today.
▶ 1:30:27Thank you. Uh Dr. Bremley, I also appreciate that you have focused so much on getting science reading in classrooms. How do you convince uh skeptical veteran teachers that the science of reading is rooted in evidence and not just a passing gimmick? Well, the results speak for themselves. Um, for us to go from 50th in the country for fourth grade reading in 2019 to number 16 today, um, it didn't happen by chance. Uh, it happened because a set of policies were put into play.
▶ 1:30:54Um, and the teachers across our state and the leaders across our state absorbed it and they said, "We can do this. We want to address this reading crisis together." Uh, and that's what we've done. And now we're taking on math. We believe that every kid's a math kid in the state of Louisiana and we're going to make sure those outcomes for math mirror those for
▶ 1:31:11Thank you. Thank you for your answers and I yield yield back the remainder of my time.
▶ 1:31:16I now uh recognize Mr. Harris from North Carolina for 5 minutes.
▶ 1:31:20Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and uh thanks to all of you on the panel for your uh incredible expertise and uh and testimonies today that have given us some guidance and and leadership. I I want to just ask a couple of questions really. Um parental engagement uh is is an important factor that I think we've heard discussed here today and and Dr.
▶ 1:31:41Brumley uh I noticed in your testimony that I enjoyed reading said that parents and I this is a quote parents send their children to school expecting strong instruction in reading, math, science, and history not indoctrination in divisive issues. And I think you're spot on. I agree 100%. And across the country, we've seen parents that have become outraged in a lot of places at the ridiculous indoctrination that is happening in many of the schools.
▶ 1:32:10I guess my question to you is, how do you keep political indoctrination out of your state? And how do you keep classrooms focused on learning the essential math and reading skills? We do everything within our power to keep the main thing the main thing. Whether we're having conversations with teachers or school boards or the legislature or advocates, it's about how can we together pursue academic excellence in these key content areas.
▶ 1:32:36When I talk to moms and dads, they want to make sure when their kid goes to school, they're safe every day. They're taken care of, but they want to make sure they're learning how to read, do math, uh understand the history of their country and the civics that underpin that. Uh they're not interested in chasing all these extraneous issues. They just want to make sure their kids get a good high-quality education. The school doesn't have to be fancy. The curriculum doesn't have to be fancy.
▶ 1:33:00Parents just want uh teachers and schools that care for their kids, understand that the kid uh belongs to the parent, not the school, and they want them taken care of, and they want to make sure they get a high quality education every day.
▶ 1:33:12Fair enough. Well, along those same lines, parents are essential partners in a child's education and can be a great asset to improving their child's literacy and numeracy. What steps has your state taken to empower the parents to help their children improve in reading and math outside of the
▶ 1:33:30Well, one of the things that we've done is we have made sure that parents are well informed of their child's progress. Uh we provide screeners uh and those results are shared with parents around reading, around math. Uh we've provided voucher programs for parents so they can provide their kids with private tutors after school and on the weekends. uh we've increased access uh to curriculum so parents can understand what's happening in the school.
▶ 1:33:56Uh and one of the most important things that has been so wellreceived by our parents in the state of Louisiana is making sure that parents understand that they're in charge of health related issues with their child. Uh the child's not going to the hospital when they go to the school. They're going to an academic institution and parents are making those decisions.
▶ 1:34:14All right. Very good. Thank you, Mrs. Roden. Um let me just talk to you for a moment about uh the comments that you made which uh have been excellent and uh my daughter's a first grade teacher and the science of reading is very important to her and uh as well as uh my wife is an eighth grade American history teacher. So education is a big part in our household. But too often we hear about lowering standards in the name of equity.
▶ 1:34:40And I want to ask you, do you agree that raising expectations and pursuing excellence in math and reading is the real path to opportunity for every child regardless of background?
▶ 1:34:53Yes, thank you for your question. Um, I absolutely believe in high expectations for all students. Um, we should be teaching our children using age appropriate, highquality resources in the classroom and in my work in the primary space. Um that's extremely important. We never want to be dumbing down um our instructional practices. We want to maintain the belief that every child can and will succeed and rise to expectations with rigorous curriculum uh given the proper instruction in the
▶ 1:35:24Well, as you said in your testimony, and I quote, "Literacy is the foundation of opportunity, equity, and civic participation." And uh end quote. and states and teachers, I think, should support learning methods that will push all of our students to do their best, not lowering standards because others can't keep up. So, I do appreciate uh the testimony and all of you again for your time and uh what you've been willing to share today. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 1:35:52The representative of the uh the ranking member of the full committee, Representative Scott of Virginia, is
▶ 1:35:57Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the witnesses for being with us today. And notice we have a state superintendent and a local superintendent and ask them that the Every Student Succeeds Act requires an identification of achievement gaps and a plan to eliminate those achievement gaps. Can you say what's going on in Louisiana and Sarland uh to to comply with those requirements?
▶ 1:36:21Uh thank you for the question. We're we're most interested in every student in our state getting an outstanding education. Uh I think number one it comes with making sure that every student has access to a high-quality teacher. So many of our initiatives around cutting vacancies uh have been really impactful. Uh next making sure that local systems are uh delivering on high quality instructional materials uh for students is really important.
▶ 1:36:45Uh the other piece I think uh or two pieces that I think work hand inand one is uh school and system level accountability. making sure that systems and schools um are doing the job that they're tasked to do and providing the public with an honest look at school quality. I think that's important. Um and then finally, another piece that matters a lot is tutoring.
▶ 1:37:07Uh what we've done in our state is made sure that every student who's not yet proficient um in an academic content area, particularly in elementary, receive that additional support during the day, but also parents have the opportunity to utilize voucher programs in the evenings and in the weekends to get additional support beyond the school day. And so I think we have a pretty robust approach to this. Uh and I think our results will continue to improve.
▶ 1:37:31Thank you, Mr. Dr. Harrison.
▶ 1:37:33Yes. at the local level with what we do. Uh obviously we give all of our students formative test to see where they are. Uh from that test and that data we're able to design tier 2 and tier three instruction uh to bring them up to the level of what their peers are. Um and from that point we um coordinate with our teachers to ensure that they're receiving the scaffolds that they need so they're not getting left behind with tier one instruction. So it is a very coordinated effort with our with our teachers at our at all of our schools.
▶ 1:38:03Uh we also provide tutoring after school uh at all of our schools at different levels at different times depending upon subject area. So we try to provide our students with as many opportunities uh outside of the school day as well as uh take care of them during the school day with the tier 2 and tier three
▶ 1:38:20Um and while I've got you, um Dr. Harrison, the American Rescue Plan had money to address loss learning due to CO. Um what did you do with the money and did it make a difference?
▶ 1:38:34For us with a lot of the money we received from the CO relief uh we were able to shift some of the things we were paying for whether it be personnel andor medical equipment, things of that nature. We were able to provide uh more professional development to our teachers through that funding.
▶ 1:38:52Did it make a difference?
▶ 1:38:53Uh yes sir.
▶ 1:38:56Thank you. Um Dr. Wingfield, uh you mentioned um equity. Does that require lowering
▶ 1:39:07No. Um equity does not require lowering standards and we should always have high expectations for our students of all backgrounds. What's important to note is that equity requires us finding the appropriate entry point to best support that student to bring them to the level of proficiency.
▶ 1:39:23Thank you. And does research suggest that some children may or may not respond to one reading instruction better than others?
▶ 1:39:34Yes. And sometimes we have to use different techniques to support different kinds of learners.
▶ 1:39:40And uh Dr. M. Routen, did you find the same thing, same kind of research that some students respond to different techniques and strategies for teaching? Yeah, I mean definitely every child learns in unique and different ways, but when we're talking about literacy, uh the science of reading was very clear that this was the most successful practice for all children. That was our children that were at risk. That was our uh children with learning differences and special needs.
▶ 1:40:09It was the same story for our proficient or advanced children.
▶ 1:40:13Thank you. And Dr. Dr. Wingfield, can you talk about the importance of disagregated data to properly understand what's actually happening?
▶ 1:40:20Absolutely. So, I think throughout this entire testimony, we talked a lot about growth in school districts, but when you look at the data, you'll see that gaps between white students and black students are large. Um, specifically in Louisiana, I believe this past year's fourth grade data had a 32 point difference. And so, what we that indicates to us is that there's something happening where it's not accessible to those same students. And it doesn't require again to dumb down your curriculum. It requires that you find the appropriate entry point to bring all students to proficiency.
▶ 1:40:51Um I think too just very quickly it's very also important to follow that data for students with disabilities as well. While the science of reading works for all students, I genuinely believe that it does not show up or look the same in every classroom setting again because of cultural, racial, linguistic differences. And so how can we address
▶ 1:41:08Thank you. And Mr. M Mr. Chairman, I' I'd ask the witnesses to provide us with any research that we actually ought to be reviewing. And we've talked about science and things like that. What uh rather than give opinions, if you could provide us with research that we ought to be reviewing, I think it would help us make decisions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 1:41:28Thank you very much to all our witnesses. I'll now recognize the ranking member uh for closing remarks.
▶ 1:41:32Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for uh for your testimony and your expertise. All all of the witnesses. I agree with Representative Hayes who was a national teacher of the year that you've made a great case for funding title one, title two, Institute of Education Sciences. You know, public education in this country has been chronically underfunded for decades and too many students are suffering because of it.
▶ 1:41:54Even though local and state governments are primarily responsible for school funding, the federal government has a very important role to play in closing opportunity gaps. But instead of making these critical investments in public education, the Trump administration is threatening to dismantle the Department of Education, closing the doors of opportunity for scores of our nation's students. And that's a tremendous loss of potential.
▶ 1:42:17And on a note that those who say, "Well, we support Title One, IDEIDA, and these other programs, the Department of Education monitors and enforces those programs and operates them. Without the Department of Education, we don't know what will happen to them." The administration and Republicans are touting voucher schemes as a solution. But as Dr. Wingfield testified, vouchers take a muchneeded funding from public schools and give it to wealthy families to subsidize sending their kids to private schools.
▶ 1:42:44And plenty of evidence shows that vouchers do not improve academic outcomes. Uh they allow a few students to slip out, but they leave poor and rural students with fewer resources and fewer opportunities. They lack transparency and accountability and their misuse of taxpayer dollars.
▶ 1:43:01And I'll note that the majority points to declining NAPE scores as a reason for including and excuse me, increasing private voucher schemes and predatory school choice initiatives, but they have yet to produce any test scores that prove that students who attend private schools are outperforming public school students. In fact, in Louisiana, voucher students at private school private schools are performing worse on state tests than their peers in public schools.
▶ 1:43:28That's according to the Times Pikyun and the New Orleans Advocate. They reported that in 2023, only 14% of voucher students in grades three through eight met state achievement goals compared with 23% of low-income students at public schools. I'd like to enter that into the record, that article. Mr.
▶ 1:43:47without objection. And according to Education Choice and the 2025 rankings, Florida and Arizona rank number one and two when it comes to using public funds to bolster private school choice schemes. But this approach has consequences. The NAPE scores revealed that both Florida and Arizona fell below the national average in 8th grade math and reading.
▶ 1:44:09Additionally, uh, I'd also like to enter into the record a report released yesterday by the Education Policy Analysis Archives at Arizona State University that comprehensively reviewed state voucher laws since 1869. And that report concluded uh comprehensively that school vouchers have failed students, families, and our nation, draining public school funding and exacerbating inequities without improving our nation's education system.
▶ 1:44:39And I'd also like to that introduce that into the record.
▶ 1:44:41Without objection.
▶ 1:44:42Thank you. And uh Dr. Bramley claimed that your state was not affected by cuts to federal uh funding. A recent article in KPEL Lafayette News revealed that a superintendent was discussing finding uh uh the challenges of the f federal funding freeze and said it was really it really caught them offguard. And I'd like to introduce that into the record as well. Thank you.
▶ 1:45:06You know, the American public school education system faces challenges, no doubt, but with 90% of our students enrolled, it will always be the foundation on which to build our nation's future. We need these long-term investments and the research to get students on track to success, but also ready for the future. We look at the proliferation, for example, of artificial intelligence in schools and the workforce. That means we need to instill creative critical thinking.
▶ 1:45:33As uh Representative Burgess mentioned, it's important to educate critical thinkers. Years of research shows that students who have arts education do better in other academic subjects and are more likely to stay in school. So for those of you who want to see academic achievement and improvement, I invite you to join on um my bipartisan arts education for all bill. Uh and when we think about NAPE scores, those are test scores.
▶ 1:46:00Keep in mind there is a mental health crisis in our nation's schools. A North Carolina publication recently revealed that nearly 1 in5 adolescents in North Carolina suffered from depression and one in 10 of the high school students there reported attempting suicide. Colleagues, this is a serious issue we should be grappling with as well. Um, also Dr. Braley, you said parents want their kids to be safe. Absolutely they do. Uh, after the school shooting at St.
▶ 1:46:30Helena High School in Greensburg, Louisiana. A high school st student said, "My generation is being forced to normalize living and learning in constant fear of gunfire ringing out in our schools. Students who are worried about being gunned down in their classroom are in survival mode. They are not uh focused on getting good test scores.
▶ 1:46:53students who live in fear of ICE raids, as Representative Lee mentioned, uh coming into their their school and taking their classmates, uh they will have trouble focusing on learning reading and math. And finally, uh Mr. Chairman, I hope we can work together to fix our crumbling school buildings so that every child, regardless of their background or their income, can learn in a place that reinforces to them that they have a bright future. Uh thank you.
▶ 1:47:21I look forward to continued conversation on these important issues and I yield back the balance of my time.
▶ 1:47:26Uh thank you very much and I want to say uh thank you again to our truly outstanding witnesses. I think this was a very important hearing and I want to also thank members on both sides for the thoughtful questions uh while we might not agree on every issue. Uh there seems to be uh quite a bit of agreement that the reading wars are over that we need to return to teaching uh foundational literacy and foundational uh numeracy. So I think we have three uh takeaways from today's hearing. Uh number one is the stakes.
▶ 1:47:55Uh we heard from Miss uh Roen that twothirds of kids are not reading at proficiency uh right now. We also uh heard from Dr. Wingfield uh that if you don't read uh at a proficient level by third grade, then you are four times more likely uh to drop out of high school. Uh the second takeaway is the science. Uh M. wrote and said, "We know what works uh but it just hasn't been fully implemented uh across the country." Dr.
▶ 1:48:21Brumley uh in Louisiana is calling this a back to basics approach that involves building foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Uh and uh Dr. Harrison in his district in Alabama has stressed the importance of making databased decisions. I think you said that you uh eat, sleep, and breathe uh data when it comes to how to best assist students.
▶ 1:48:41And then the third takeaway is the path forward because we've seen from uh the record of our witnesses today that we really can get phenomenal results uh when these things are taught in the right way. So Dr. Brumley's state of Louisiana has moved from 50th to 16th in literacy in a relatively short amount of time. Uh in Dr. Harrison's district in Alabama, 257 out of 262 third graders actually met proficiency levels, which is, you know, miles ahead of the national average.
▶ 1:49:11So, it's my hope that the work that you've done and the work that uh Miss Roten's uh group is doing at uh schools across California and across the country uh as you've shared today uh can serve as an inspiration to school leaders and policy makers uh throughout the country so that uh young people can learn the skills they need early on to go from learning to read to reading to learn and can learn the foundational math skills that are necessary uh for the workplace and to navigate uh a complex world.
▶ 1:49:40If we can do that, then we can reverse our nation's uh educational decline. We can help millions of kids have better lives and our country will be a lot better off for it. Without objection, there being no further business, the committee stands adjourned.