A proactive response to the adolescent literacy crisis, with Kymyona Burk, Ed.D.
Transcripts and additional resources:
Meet Our Guest(s):
Kymyona Burk
Kymyona Burk, Ed.D., is a senior policy fellow at ExcelinEd, where she helps states strengthen K–3 reading policy and support effective literacy implementation. With more than 25 years of experience in teaching, coaching, and state leadership, she has built teacher capacity and improved student literacy outcomes. Previously, she served as state literacy director at the Mississippi Department of Education, where she led implementation of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act and helped drive Mississippi’s rise from 49th to 29th out of 50 states in fourth-grade reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Kymyona has earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science, a Master of Arts in teaching English, a Master of Science in education administration and supervision, and a doctorate in early childhood education.
Meet our host, Susan Lambert, Ed.D.
Susan Lambert is chief academic officer of literacy at Amplify and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Throughout her career, she has focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Lambert is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.
As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Lambert explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. A former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, she’s dedicated to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.
Quotes
“There's a literacy crisis in middle and high school, too.”
“We've been very proactive with early literacy, but more reactive, I believe, in adolescent literacy.”
“We don't want testing for testing's sake. We want tests that help us to inform instruction or help us identify students.”
“Be open. Be open to learning more. Be open to getting feedback from your students.”
“Think more about what the students need in response to data instead of pacing.”