Massachusetts

Yes

Yes

• Early Literacy Screening, Regulation 603 CMR 28.03
• An Act Relative to Students with Dyslexia

No, but the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does convene panels of Massachusetts teachers to review and rate evidence on the quality and alignment of specific curricular materials, then publish their findings for educators across the Commonwealth to consult.

• FY2023 Fund Code 203: Appleseeds Implementation Grant – Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

Yes. The Curate rubric for ELA/Literacy K-5 is here and is aligned to the evidence-base codified in Mass Literacy.

Appleseeds: Evidence-Based Foundational Skills for Massachusetts

Appleseeds is a complete package of instructional materials for reading foundational skills in Kindergarten through Grade 2 that includes everything from lesson plans to student workbooks to decodable readers to assessments. All materials follow evidence-based research, use a systematic and explicit approach to instruction, and are open-source and downloadable.

Grants supporting the purchase and implementation of HQIM aligned with SoR, including:

• Accelerating Literacy Learning through High Quality Instructional Materials
• GLEAM, Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts

Yes. All info here: https://www.doe.mass.edu/instruction/screening-assessments.html

Early Literacy Screening Guidance (a guidance document to support schools and districts as they conduct early literacy universal screenings required by Massachusetts regulation 603 CMR 28.03 (1)(f), effective July 1, 2023).

Yes. MTSS Guidance is available on Mass Literacy (Leading a Multi-tiered System of Support page) and in the MTSS Blueprint (a guidance document).

Yes. The Mass Literacy Guide

Yes. The Mass Literacy Guide is our state literacy guidance.

Open-access Professional Learning (OAPL)
OAPL provides Massachusetts educators with opportunities to learn more about early literacy topics, delivered by highly qualified local and national providers. Educators looking to continue their professional growth in literacy this winter can visit the OAPL web page to learn more and enroll in courses. Courses will be opened on a rolling basis over the next month. Massachusetts educators who qualify can enroll in these courses for free by checking the website. Some courses offer stipends, college credit or special certifications upon completion.

Mass Literacy Online Overview Course

Since 2020, the Mass Literacy Guide has empowered MA educators with practical, effective teaching strategies, tools, and resources to support evidence-based practices that cultivate the literacy talents of ALL our students in grades preK-3. To support all educators in getting to know the wealth of information and resources within the Mass Literacy Guide, DESE is providing an asynchronous online course, available at no cost to any educator who works in a Massachusetts education organization. Participants who complete the course will receive 15 PDPs. https://keystoliteracy.com/mass-literacy-online-course/

• The Mass Literacy Guide: https://www.doe.mass.edu/massliteracy/ is our state literacy guidance.
• We are offering free PD for any educator: https://literacylaunchinstitutes.org/
• Specialized PD will be available later this year for Ed Prep faculty
• Mass Literacy Online Overview Course

• Accelerating Literacy Learning through High Quality Instructional Materials (competitive grant program is to equip schools and districts with the high-quality core instructional materials needed to accelerate literacy learning, particularly as schools recover from extended closures and students require rich instructional support to accelerate their learning)
• GLEAM, Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts (competitive grant program to support LEAs to implement equity-driven and sustainable improvements in programming across the Commonwealth through a multi-tiered system of support for ELA/literacy, as well as expanded access to high-quality PreK)
• Early Literacy Formative Feedback Reviews (targeted grant program is to provide funds to eligible Sponsoring Organizations to participate in a Formative Feedback Review for Early Literacy Programs. Formative Feedback Reviews will provide clear, comprehensive feedback on programmatic alignment to new expectations for early literacy instruction though optional, no-stakes reviews conducted by TPI-US)
• FY2024 Fund Code 734: From Research to Practice: Evidence-Based Early Literacy Continuation Grant – Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs
• FY2023 Fund Code 185: High Quality Instructional Materials Implementation Grant – Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs
• FY2022 Fund Code 576: Early Literacy Screening Assessment and Professional Development – Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs
• FY2023 Fund Code 203: Appleseeds Implementation Grant – Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs
• FY2025: Partnership for Reading Success — Massachusetts (PRISM) I
• Partnership for Reading Success – Massachusetts (PRISM) 1
• PRISM II
• Appleseeds
• Early Literacy Consortium Grant for districts to partner with ed prep

Our standards were updated in 2018.

Mass Literacy for Families and Communities

No.

Yes. As part of our Mass Literacy Guide Multilingual Learner Revision project, we have partnered with the English Learner Success Forum (ELSF) to update, expand, and strengthen information and resources for multilingual learners in the Mass Literacy Guide.

Appleseeds Multilingual Learner Implementation Guide K-2 is available here: https://sites.google.com/view/appleseedsk2/home.

Yes. Early Literacy Program Approval Criteria (currently in draft form, will be finalized by December 2023)

Any questions about Mass Literacy and the evidence-based early literacy initiatives in the PK12 space can be sent to LiteracyAndHumanities@mass.gov.

Any questions about Early Literacy in educator preparation can be sent to educatordevelopment@mass.gov

Early Literacy in Educator Preparation Initiative: https://www.doe.mass.edu/edprep/resources/early-literacy.html