Benchmark 3: Reading Interventions

The primary complaint of the families who initially approached the OHRC was that their children were not receiving effective reading intervention at school. For many, no intervention was provided, while many others received interventions that were not evidence-based or effective. For those lucky enough to receive high-quality, evidence-based intervention, it was often too little, too late.

The OHRC found that Ontario boards do not have a consistent system to measure students' progress or response to an intervention. During the inquiry, numerous personal accounts were heard of students placed in special education programs, often for years, where little or no objective data was captured to understand if these programs were effectively addressing the students' needs.

Boards that attempted progress monitoring often used ineffective tools (such as levelled reading assessments) or relied only on the measures built into a reading program to gauge student progress. While many of these program-specific measures assess if the student is progressing in mastering the skill or skills addressed within that program, they do not objectively assess whether the intervention has resulted in a generalized gain in the student's reading ability. Boards must become more effective at measuring the success of intervention programs at both the student and system levels.

The Inquiry found that Ontario's approach to reading interventions must be revised to prevent students from failing to learn foundational word-reading skills. Unless this happens, our education system will have failed these students.

Recommendations

Improve classroom instruction and interventions: Ontario must decrease the need for reading interventions by using explicit, systematic instruction in foundational word reading skills and by increasing access to proven interventions as necessary. This should begin in the earliest grades. To do this, the OHRC recommends the Ministry work with an external expert or experts to select appropriate early (Kindergarten and Grade 1) and later (Grades 2, 3 and onwards) interventions from which school boards must choose. These evidence-based interventions should include systemic, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics and build word-reading accuracy and fluency.

“The impact of our early initiatives has been very positive. We have witnessed increased confidence and proficiency in reading and writing skills, empowering students to unlock their full potential and succeed academically.”
S. Krause, Near North School District

Stop using ineffective programs: The OHRC recommends that school boards immediately stop using reading interventions that do not include these components or do not have a strong evidence base for students who struggle with word reading, students at risk for or identified or diagnosed with reading disabilities or dyslexia. School boards must use only interventions from the Ministry's list.

Make access to interventions equitable: To increase and standardize access, the OHRC recommends school boards ensure every school has at least one evidence-based Tier 2 and Tier 3 (more intensive than Tier 2) reading intervention for students in each grade who need them. This will require additional stable, enveloped yearly funding and implementation support from the Ministry and adequate professional development and support to make sure there are knowledgeable and skilled educators who can deliver these interventions.

Provide intervention to all students who need it: The OHRC recommends removing inappropriate eligibility criteria for interventions, such as requiring a learning disability diagnosis or the student not having a coexisting disability. Instead, the Ministry should collaborate with an external expert(s) to develop consistent research-informed student selection criteria for interventions based on standardized reading test results. To ensure equitable access, ANY student who meets the criteria should receive interventions.

Implement effective progress monitoring: The OHRC recommends making improvements to monitoring individual student progress and the overall effectiveness of intervention approaches.

“From the very first screening, we were able to identify students requiring reading assistance and set up small intensive reading groups twice a week. Since the screenings enabled us to find out what the students didn’t know, we created targeted intervention plans... After a 6-week block, learning is measured and we’re delighted with the results."
ALF-Affiliated Teacher, CEPEO

Reading Interventions: In Progress

Informed by the OHRC and the Ministry’s dialogue, in 2020-21 the Ministry provided $11.76 million to support evidence-based reading intervention programs and $20 million for re-engaging students and providing early reading assessment supports.

In March 2022, the Ministry announced $25 million to support evidence-based reading intervention programs and professional assessments, beginning immediately and continuing into the 2022-23 school year.

In its 2023 Budget, Ontario announced investments over the next two years, including $25 million to support students in Kindergarten Year 2 (formerly known as Senior Kindergarten) to Grade 2. Also, the Ministry has funded the development of a French-language reading program.

In its 2024-25 budget, the ministry provided $12.5M continued funding to enable school boards to purchase licences, resources and professional learning to support the provision of systematic, evidence-based tiered reading programs and interventions for struggling readers, including but not limited to students with reading disabilities.

The new Grade 1 to 8: Language and Français and Grade 9 English and Français curricula were designed to improve early reading instruction and reduce the need for intervention. Many school boards have been providing training and support for teachers to implement the new curriculum. However, it is equally necessary to extend professional learning opportunities to administrators to ensure successful implementation and support for educators.

PPM 168 formalizes the requirement that boards use a tiered approach to reading instruction and data from screening to inform instruction and interventions for Kindergarten to Grade 2 students. Ontario has yet to enact any new policies that would require school boards to use consistent, evidence-based selection criteria for students in grades 3 and above.

Although many school boards have been able to enhance reading instruction and intervention for younger students, providing effective interventions to older students who have struggled with the previous curriculum and intervention methods continues to be a major challenge for most boards. Nevertheless, some school boards have adopted innovative approaches to meet the needs of older students who require Tier 2 and 3 interventions.

“We need to address the challenges faced by dyslexic students, particularly in high school… the absence of sufficient support mechanisms leaves families to seek external resources independently to address literacy skill deficiencies.”
– M. Mercer, Parent, Toronto Catholic District School Board

School boards now have access to practical progress monitoring tools for assessing response to intervention in Kindergarten through high school students. The Province has selected universal screeners with efficient and integrated progress monitoring tools. However, currently, there is no policy or guidance directing boards to use these tools for progress monitoring, and as a result, very few boards are using them effectively.

The current provincial efforts to improve access to evidence-based intervention programs attempts to limit school boards’ ability to purchase new intervention programs to those on a list provided by the Province. The list aims to ensure consistency across the Province and the criteria for programs align with the updated curricula and the OHRC’s recommendations. Boards are “strongly encouraged” to use the programs and interventions listed. The Ministry allows for the possibility of using funds provided by the Ministry to select other programs that teach foundational reading skills and use systematic and explicit instructional strategies. However, school boards can continue using existing ineffective programs, or use funding from other budget areas to purchase new intervention programs that are not evidence-based.

Many school boards, such as the York Region District School Board, stopped using ineffective programs immediately following the release of the Inquiry Report. However, some boards continue to use ineffective programs and legacy resources, and a few have continued to invest new money into such programs. For example, in October 2023, staff at one school board provided the following update to trustees: "In response to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Right to Read Inquiry Report, the […] District School Board responded in multiple ways. One response included selecting a Levelled Literacy Intervention (LLI) program." However, the inquiry had found LLI, Reading Recovery®, and some board-developed approaches to be ineffective and insufficient, based on the body of research on effective early interventions and the boards' outcome data on early reading.

Next Steps: Mandate Evidence-Based Interventions

The Ministry should create a new policy and procedure memorandum to address the recommendations for intervention and progress monitoring for students in Grades 3 and up. This policy should set out the following requirements:

Select evidence-based intervention programs.
Determine which students receive intervention using objective criteria.
Monitor progress at minimum specified intervals, using the measures contained within the approved screening tool, for all students receiving intervention or who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that includes modifications or accommodations to address challenges with literacy.
Set expectations for communication of progress monitoring data with parents and caregivers.
Centrally collect progress monitoring data to inform decisions at the school, board and provincial level.