Utilizing Complexity Theory to Examine the Texas Science of Teaching Reading Standards

Legislation based on the Science of Reading has spurred changes in teacher preparation and K-12 schools. Texas, a frequent leader in educational policy, adopted its own Science of Teaching Reading (STR) Framework with a focus on scientifically based instructional practices. Adoption of these standards is intended to improve methods of teaching reading within teacher preparation and, by extension, improve reading instruction in schools. To understand how the Texas STR standards defined and related the elements of learning environments, including reading, teaching, and learners, a content analysis of the STR framework informed by complexity theory was conducted. Themes include (A) teaching as adherence to research-based practices, (B) a stand-alone view of reading that minimally attends to writing instruction, (C) a stage-based and simple view of reading, and (D) minimal attention to sociocultural factors. Overall, findings suggest that the STR standards lack specificity, barely mention relevant research, and fail to sufficiently address the role of race, culture, ethnicity and other sociocultural factors in reading instruction. The implications of these drawbacks of the STR standards, especially as they provide guidance to educator preparation programs, are discussed.