September 20, 2023

Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

California’s Literacy Landscape Survey

The California Department of Education (CDE) requests your participation in California’s Literacy Landscape Survey. As we continue to invest and make reading by third grade and beyond a top priority, we invite you to help us collect spring 2023 literacy snapshots for grades kindergarten through grade two.

The CDE recognizes literacy’s pivotal role in students’ lives and its effect on their social–emotional learning, behavioral health, and academic outcomes. We understand that literacy begins before students take the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in English Language Arts for the first time at the end of grade three. To guide our efforts and achieve our literacy goals, the CDE would like to develop a deeper understanding of student performance prior to the administration of the CAASPP. Our purpose is to ensure that our continued literacy investments appropriately target student needs and highlight bright spots that exemplify improved learning and promising practices.

The CDE asks all districts and charter schools for their help in surveying California’s literacy landscape by volunteering a spring 2023 snapshot of aggregate student performance data for students in kindergarten through grade two. No individual student-level data should be submitted.

In addition to student performance data, the CDE is also interested in learning more about your literacy program, including the following:

• Assessment Practices: Identify assessment instruments, criteria measured, and ways in which data are used to guide instruction in kindergarten through grade three.
• Instructional Materials: Identify the instructional materials selected by your district to provide multitiered literacy instruction.
• Intervention Strategies: If applicable, provide information on intervention strategies or programs being implemented to improve literacy skills among young learners in kindergarten through grade three.

We have developed California’s Literacy Landscape Survey (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdA9bguBdoSEffPmNlL0WRHDkYS0BqFH1X0N2aefBbbcvM3lw/viewform), which outlines the information we are requesting to facilitate the submission process. Remember: Do not submit individual student data. This survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Please submit your responses by Monday, October 30, 2023.

To learn more about our efforts in surveying California’s literacy landscape, join us on Monday, October 23 as we launch a related webinar series:

Please register via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lVhdQ8mjRnq2IyjJvT6KUA#/registration for the California’s Literacy Landscape Survey webinars. If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact Dr. Bonnie Garcia, State Literacy Co-Director, at 916-445-7098 or bogarcia@cde.ca.gov.

Your district’s participation in this initiative will contribute significantly to our collective efforts to enhance literacy outcomes for California students. We firmly believe that by working together, we can create a brighter educational future for our youth.

Thank you for your dedication to fostering a culture of educational excellence. We eagerly await your district's valuable contribution to this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bonnie Garcia and Nancy Brynelson
State Literacy Co-Directors

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction