The Evidence Is Clear. How Will You Lead?

Written by Dr. Cindy Hadicke and Kristen Wynn

Recently, my mom stumbled across an old news article that would unknowingly plant a seed in my professional life. The year was maybe 1996, and I was probably in about 8th grade when this special report titled Expose on America’s Literacy was published.Its pages were filled with urgent, unsettling headlines: "Hospital study shows patients can’t read” and “Underground Phonics.” I remember reading quotes that stopped me cold:

“Educators are more than ever under the deceptive tricks of ‘whole language’ programs. In fact, intensive phonics has largely gone underground in order to survive in a rabidly hostile anti-phonics environment (Blumenfield, 1989)."

For twelve pages, researchers, parents, educators, and business leaders voiced their concern about early literacy and the alarming rates of illiteracy in America.

Fast forward nearly 30 years — and we are still here.
Still having the same conversation.
Still seeing too many children who are not learning to read.
And still watching schools use practices that research rejected decades ago.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

As leaders, you are in a unique position. The first years of school are critical years for reading success. Decades of research confirm what works from explicit, evidence-based instruction that includes rich oral language development, yet many classrooms still rely on outdated or disproven approaches.

Torgesen’s landmark work, Catch Them Before They Fail, underscores that early identification and intervention are critical; when reading difficulties are addressed in kindergarten and first grade, the majority of struggling students can catch up to their peers and maintain grade-level performance. In contrast, delaying intervention until third grade or later drastically reduces the likelihood of full recovery in reading skills (Torgesen, 2001).

A substantial body of research strongly supports the explicit and systematic instruction of foundational decoding skills, including phonological awareness and letter knowledge. When these skills are taught in combination, they lead to significant improvements in word-decoding ability. Systematic and explicit phonics instruction further enhances students’ ability to decode words, and this approach has been shown to be effective for monolingual English speakers, dual-language learners (Baker et al., 2014; Gersten et al., 2007), and students experiencing reading difficulties or identified with a reading disability (Ehri, Nunes, Stahl, & Willows, 2001; Gersten et al., 2008).

Researchers have consistently demonstrated that it is possible to identify children at risk for future reading challenges as early as kindergarten (Catts et al., 2001; Compton et al., 2006). This early detection is significant because extensive evidence shows that providing targeted, evidence-based interventions during the first years of schooling can dramatically reduce later reading difficulties. In fact, when students receive such early and intensive support, only a small percentage (typically between 2% and 7%) continue to experience persistent reading problems (Mathes et al., 2005; McMaster et al., 2005; O’Connor et al., 2005; Torgesen, 2000; Torgesen et al., 1999; Vellutino et al., 1996). This underscores the critical need to act early rather than adopt the traditional “wait-to-fail” approach.

Leadership Is the Lever

Educational leadership is not just about managing people and programs — it’s about shaping instructional priorities and building a school culture where evidence-based practice is non-negotiable. As research from The Wallace Foundation shows, principals and school leaders have a significant impact on student learning outcomes - second only to teachers themselves.

This means leaders can be the tipping point. The work is not optional; it’s urgent.

Moving Beyond Awareness to Action