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The New York State Reading Association is a professional organization comprised of over 6,000 reading teachers, classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, administrators, parents and others interested in reading skills development. We welcome this opportunity to present our recommendations to the New York State Board of Regents relating to legislative and budgetary initiatives for the 2001 Legislative Session. Much progress has been made in recent years, including adoption of the new learning standards and increased graduation requirements, dramatic changes in teacher preparation and certification criteria, as well as substantial increases in education funding in critical areas such as professional development, academic intervention, standards implementation, summer school programs and learning technologies. We believe that the results to date substantiate the importance of such investments. As we accelerate the implementation of new Regents exam requirements, it will be important to target resources to assist children who are in need of academic support, while at the same time ensuring that students in all districts are treated equitably. We need to further concentrate our efforts on perfecting our approaches to emerging strategies, including early childhood education programs, state-funded summer school opportunities, changes in special education processes, programs and classifications, and preventative services for students at risk of not attaining standards. The Regents have taken an aggressive lead in advancing changes affecting the performance of our schools and the preparation of future teachers who will prepare our young people for tomorrow's world. This effort must be supported by a commitment of new funding and a strategic redirection of existing resources. As this process unfolds, it is important that the Regents, the Governor and the Legislature take into account the need for a commitment to an adequate and stable funding base, increased emphasis on professional development, parental and teacher involvement in learning, local discretion, and flexibility in meeting needs of children from diverse backgrounds and differing needs. We also must promote stronger collaborations between teacher preparation institutions and elementary and secondary schools. There has been much debate over the approaches and teaching strategies that should be utilized to increase the reading competency of our students. Parents, business leaders, legislators and others have made reading attainment a celebrated cause, and rightfully so. Reading is, indeed, the cornerstone for all learning. When we succeed in teaching a child to read, we increase exponentially his or her capacity to learn. Conversely, failing to prepare children to read leads to diminished capacity to learn, school failure, and lack of future employment opportunities. In line with this point, the New York State Reading Association has consistently argued that the learning needs of students are served best a comprehensive approach to reading skills development. Such an approach does not rely on one-size-fits-all strategies, but brings to individual students the services and strategies that respond to their own learning abilities and styles. Moreover, a comprehensive reading program develops students' skills on a broad range of levels, from simple word recognition to comprehension to more sophisticated analytical applications. This broad application is necessary to enable students to attain the proficiency needed to perform in accordance with the Regents standards and the 4th and 8th Grade ELA assessments. The New York State Reading Association believes that there is a need for stronger commitments to early reading intervention programs, reading curricula clearly aligned with State standards, increased reading abilities for the majority of students, and more intensive instruction in writing and listening skills. This kind of commitment can be carried out most effectively by providing adequate funding to school districts and by ensuring an sufficient supply of certified reading teachers to meet the needs of our students. A major emphasis must be placed on professional development programs which rely on research-based best practices. Our recommendations to you for this 2000 Legislative Policy Conference are based on the above observations and philosophies. Accordingly, we offer the following points for your consideration and discussion as you prepare your legislative priorities for the year ahead.