National Reading Panel (NRP) - Congressional Testimony

Senator Thad Cochran
Testimony before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education

Good morning, and welcome to this hearing of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. Senator Arlen Specter is the chairman of this subcommittee, and I thank him for authorizing this hearing to receive the report of the National Reading Panel.

The National Reading Panel was created at my suggestion as a result of legislation I introduced in 1997 which was titled the "Successful Reading Research and Instruction Act." Subsequently, the report accompanying the Fiscal Year 1998 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act called on the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Department of Education to form a panel to evaluate existing research on the teaching of reading to children, identify proven methodologies, and suggest ways for dissemination of this information to teachers, parents, universities and others.

I was convinced at the time that Congress didn't have a clear idea, and certainly no expertise to know, how children should be taught to read. Statics showed that 40 to 60 percent of elementary students were not reading proficiently, but there was no plan to help remedy the situation.

I learned that the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 had mandated research on why children have difficulties learning to read. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development had conducted this research and in 1997, they had some answers. Congress hadn't asked for the results, and the information was literally trapped in the academic and research world. Since 1997, we've made a little progress. Today more people know that reading research exists, but very few of us are able to decipher what it means, or how to translate it into meaningful practice.

What most parents want to know is pretty simple, "How will my child learn to read?" Until now, the response to that question was often vague, and the so-called "expert" or "research based" methods were conflicting. Consequently, there is a great deal of confusion among parents, teachers and school administrators about improving reading skills of children. Meanwhile, we have spent nearly $100 million on programs which one researcher described as, "at best, it shouldn't hurt."

It is my hope that the report of this panel will give us guidance in making informed decisions on reading issues.

I command the efforts of the National Reading Panel and I hope educators will implement their recommendations and use the new teaching methods and programs outlined in the report.

For inclusion in the official record of this hearing, I have copies of the original bill, the Successful Reading Research and Instruction Act, partial transcripts of the relevant discussions in the hearings of this subcommittee, and a copy of the Senate Appropriations Report language which authorized the panel's creation.

The panel of witnesses scheduled to testify today are joined by the members of the National Reading Panel who are seated in the audience. I want to thank all of your for making the trip to Washington today, and especially for your dedicated work over the last two years.