Why Missouri Needs Early Literacy Reform with Cory Koedel and Avery Frank

12/12/2025 23 min
Why Missouri Needs Early Literacy Reform with Cory Koedel and Avery Frank

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Episode Synopsis

Susan Pendergrass is joined by Cory Koedel, director of education policy at the Show-Me Institute, and Avery Frank, policy analyst at the Show-Me Institute, to discuss Missouri’s early literacy crisis. They walk through the need for a universal reading screener, the evidence behind third grade retention, why banning three cueing matters, how teacher preparation programs must change to align with the science of reading, what successful states like Mississippi have done, what Missouri’s current laws get wrong, and more.

Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

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