As today’s world moves at a relentless pace, educators are being asked to do the impossible: they’re expected to keep their classrooms up to date when research, technology, and best practices seem to evolve on a daily basis. How can we get to the bottom of anything when the landscape is constantly changing?

Creating structure where we can is the best way to mitigate the chaos. In this spirit, the International Literacy Association recently created the first-ever set of national standards to guide literacy professionals. Released earlier this year, the ILA’s Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 (Standards 2017) aim to provide all literacy educators with skills they need to best serve today’s students.

The standards were created by literacy experts from across the United States and draw on robust research to prepare instructors to meet the demands of today’s classrooms. According to ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post, "This is an important step toward ensuring that all literacy professional preparation programs and practicing literacy professionals provide the foundational tools needed to deliver high-quality literacy instruction."

Standards 2017 can be used by institutions, administrators, and educators alike for program development, professional development, and evaluation of literacy professionals. Among other important recommendations, the standards address the need for a broader definition of literacy to include writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing in both print and digital realms.

Our professional development options work well in conjunction with this resource to provide further support for literacy professionals. Check out Standards 2017, and be sure to take advantage of the variety of free resources offered as part of this project. 

As always, we would love to support you as you and your fellow educators foster the literacy development of today’s students. Please check out our website to learn about our many solutions and high-quality resources.