An issue brief by the NGA Center for Best Practices cites examples of a number of states that have developed K-12 literacy plans. It’s not enough to have a literacy plan only for students in grades K-3, such as the ones many states created to participate in Reading First, the flagship reading program under the No Child Left Behind Act, according to the National Governors Association. The 15-page brief says that “reading on grade level by 3rd grade is not sufficient for preparing students for success in high school and beyond.”
Alabama sponsored summer training sessions to expand a statewide reading initiative to secondary schools. Florida and Ohio appointed adolescent reading coordinators in their state departments of education.
The brief stresses the need to identify struggling readers at all grade levels and to intervene. Rhode Island requires “personal literacy plans” for any students in grades K-12 who are reading three or more years below grade level. Initially the state required such plans only for students in grades K-5, according to the brief.
There seem to be lots of good ideas here on how to take efforts to improve literacy among adolescents to scale on a statewide level.