Louisiana Department of Education is holding its first Louisiana Early Literacy Commission today at 12 noon.

The inaugural meeting will be held at the Thomas Jefferson Room in the Claiborne Building in downtown Baton Rouge, and will be broadcasted live.

The commission is a group of “state leaders, educators and parents tasked with studying and recommending ways Louisiana can develop and implement an aligned system to provide effective, evidence-based reading instruction for children from birth through third grade.”

It was established by the Louisiana Legislature during the 2019 regular session.

“I encourage the public to follow the Commission and its findings,” said State Superintendent John White. “Teaching the foundations of reading ranks among the most essential of our missions. Let us not waste a chance to review our work to date and to make improvements for the future.”

The commission will meet every month and submit final recommendations to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Legislature in January 2020.

They are tasked with gathering and analyzing data to determine the degree to which evidence-based reading is being implemented in public schools and early childhood care and education settings, conduct an assessment of practicing educators, including K-3 teachers, special education teachers, and reading specialists, with training and skills in evidence-based reading instruction, and assess the degree to which state colleges of education and alternative certification programs provide a program of study on evidence-based reading practices for K-3 teachers, special education teachers, and education specialists.

Louisiana spends more than $270,000 annually to remediate students who read below grade-level.

“Louisiana must take more proactive steps toward preparing our children to be literate and numerate citizens,” said Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, former chair of the House education committee. “We must lay a strong foundation early and continue to build children’s skills and knowledge over time, using approaches that are proven effective.”