Empowering Voices in Literacy Policy: Parents, Teachers, and the Politics of Practice

• In Event: Roundtable Session II

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

State literacy legislation has reshaped classroom instruction across the country, yet the voices of those most directly impacted—parents, teachers, and local leaders—are often absent from decision-making processes. This session brings together three research studies that center these underrepresented perspectives in the context of policy-driven change. The first paper offers a theoretical call for research grounded in parent insights to better understand how recent Science of Reading legislation is influencing children’s development and lived experiences. The second shares pilot survey data from educators and administrators navigating Virginia’s statewide literacy mandates, revealing tensions between evidence-based instructional goals and professional autonomy. The third explores findings from a large-scale Tennessee survey examining how teachers and librarians respond to classroom censorship and materials restriction policies, highlighting issues of professional identity, trust, and intellectual freedom.

Together, these studies surface critical tensions between policy and practice and raise questions about who is empowered to lead literacy work in today’s schools. By amplifying stakeholder perspectives, the session invites participants to reflect on how public discourse, legislation, and educational research can be bridged to cultivate inclusive, informed literacy leadership. A moderated discussion will follow the presentations to explore implications for research, teacher preparation, and equitable policy implementation.

Content Area

• AREA 4. Public Engagement and Policy in Literacy

Chair

• Catherine Compton-Lilly, University of South Carolina

Individual Presentations

• A Call for Parent Perspectives in Research to Inform Literacy Instructional Policy - Gay Ivey, University of North Carolina-Greensboro; Erin Quast, Illinois State University; Brooke Taira, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; Karole-Ann Friddle, East Carolina University

• Bridging Divides: Stakeholder Perceptions of Virginia’s Literacy Legislation - Candace Bechtold, Virginia Commonwealth University; Joan Rhodes, Virginia Commonwealth University; Lisa Cipolletti, Virginia Commonwealth University; Valerie J. Robnolt, Virginia Commonwealth University; Allison Ray Yandle, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Exploring teachers’ views: A Large scale statewide survey on censorship and materials restriction policy - Natalia Ward, ETSU; Renee Moran, East Tennessee State University; Amber Warren, Vanderbilt University; Kelly Nicole Foster, East Tennessee State University; Tolulope Adeusi, East Tennessee State University