From Policy to Practice: MILE Leads Science of Reading Panel at Reading League Conference

At the 9th Annual Reading League Conference in Chicago, the Maryland Initiative for Literacy & Equity (MILE) was represented by Drs. Simone Gibson, DJ Bolger, and Laura Groth. The MILE team facilitated a panel session titled “From Policy to Practice: Maryland’s Lessons in Implementing the Science of Reading.”

The panel brought together voices from across Maryland’s literacy landscape, featuring Tenette Smith (Deputy State Superintendent, Maryland State Department of Education), Simone McQuaige (Supervisor of Reading/English Language Arts, K–5, Prince George’s County Public Schools), Michaela Dickerson (2nd Year Teacher, Baltimore City Public Schools), and Winifred Winston (Dyslexia Advocate and Parent).

The discussion explored Maryland’s statewide efforts to implement the Science of Reading, addressing key themes such as policy-to-practice alignment, professional learning and capacity building, equity and access, parent engagement, and strategies for sustaining literacy reform.