Two-thirds of elementary students cannot read at grade level. The district plans to fix it (2024)

Faced with stark evidence that nearly two-thirds of elementary school students in Savannah-Chatham County public schools (SCCPSS) are not reading at grade level, the district's literacy task force made recommendations on how to improve reading and writing skills for the community's youngest learners. The task force report was presented to the SCCPSS Board of Education during its annual retreat on March 24.

Hiring district-level literacy specialists, dedicating 120 minutes a day to literacy instruction (in all grade levels), new textbooks and resources, and a renewed emphasis on teacher trainings were some the top recommendations from the task force's draft presentation. The formal report will be presented at the April 12 School Board meeting, where the public will be able to comment on the recommendations.

The task force convened in October 2022 and was staffed by district-level administrators. The taskforce was "charged with building a collective understanding of K-12 literacy best practices to make recommendations that would increase the number of students reading on grade level districtwide."

The recommendations are anchored by five areas: parent and community partnerships, teacher preparation, professional development, instructional strategies, and selection of educational materials.

Two-thirds of elementary students cannot read at grade level. The district plans to fix it (1)

Savannah-Chatham superintendent search:Firm hired for search, forums seek public insight

And while Bernadette Ball-Oliver, SCCPSS deputy superintendent of teaching and learning, said the district recognizes improving reading scores across the county cannot be solved with "one-size-fits-all" mentality, many board members pressed the district to hone in more on struggling schools and classrooms.

"I might think about spending the money to put paraprofessionals in these classrooms where the teachers are struggling and (students) are not behaving because they are frustrated because they don't understand," said SCCPSS Board Member Cornelia Hall, District 3. "So, you need to consider that as you're putting more and more money into programs. People make a difference."

Why is SCCPSS addressing the literacy rate?

During the 2021-2022 school year, SCCPSS reported that only 34% of elementary school students were reading at or above grade level, the measure of literacy for students in grades 3-8.

And according to district-level data, 49% of elementary school students ranked as the lowest-level learners on state-mandated English end-of-grade exams.

In SCCPSS schools, Black and economically disadvantaged elementary students are far behind their white counterparts, with three-in-four children failing to achieve grade-level literacy, according to the Georgia Department of Education. The state tracks achievement data by school and by race, poverty status, English proficiency, and disabilities.

Two-thirds of elementary students cannot read at grade level. The district plans to fix it (2)

In Chatham County, 55% of white elementary students read at or above grade level compared to 24% of Black students, according to the state. The district reported that only 16% of elementary students with disabilities were reading at grade level.

Lawsuit:Former school administrator alleges retaliation for whistleblowing

The trends are on-par with the state of adult literacy in Georgia at 84%, one of the lowest rates in the country, according to Atlanta-based nonprofit, Literacy For All.

Literacy rates are often tied to other socioeconomic factors such as poverty. In addition to behavioral issues and chronic absenteeism, students struggling with literacy are also prone to earn less than their peers after leaving school.

How will SCCPSS raise literacy rates?

The report was aimed at academic implementations only, but there is a larger district focus on addressing the root causes to many of the issues impacting schools like poverty, behavior, mental health and truancy.

Read the draft report:

Literacty Task Force Recommendations_Watermark_V2_mar 23 2023 | PDF | Phonics | Literacy

Here are a few of the recommendations, which are not subject to board approval:

  • Two-day literacy conference for teachers during the summer
  • Continued professional development, some with stipends, for teachers throughout the school year
  • Dyslexia screening trainings
  • Emphasis on explicit phonics instruction
  • Solicit the local nonprofit DEEP Center to implement another writing program within the schools
  • Update the literacy plan for grades 6-12
  • Partner with Parent University to provide adult literacy courses
  • Expand partnerships with the Live Oak Library System
  • Track school- and teacher-specific literacy data to see what's working, and where additional help is needed
  • Hire six district-level literacy specialists
  • Re-evaluate funding to allow school principals to hire more early-intervention specialists
  • Form a committee to look at purchasing new textbooks and educational materials

The classroom tenant of the plan requires teachers to provide two hours of literacy instruction every day, with a focus on guided instruction, out-loud reading and writing. The district will send out sample schedules for how schools can program the "instructional block," but the organization and lesson planning will be up to the schools' and teachers' discretions.

The in-classroom recommendations will be implemented at every school and every grade level.

Two-thirds of elementary students cannot read at grade level. The district plans to fix it (3)

The task force's recommendations leaned heavily on the Science of Reading, a research-based learning method that approaches reading instruction with an emphasis on phonics (learning to read by understanding the sounds of letters and words to comprehend writing.) The emphasis is a change from the district's use of balanced literacy, an opposing method of reading instruction that relies on a combination of instructional methods.

For Subscribers:Savannah-Chatham Schools examine where to grow as populations shift, facilities age

Ball-Oliver said the recommendations highlight a combination of several teaching methods, not a strict adherence to any one theory.

She added that schools and teachers should identify students as early as possible who need additional help, whether that's by hiring more in-classroom paraprofessionals or restructuring elementary grade levels to have teachers who focus solely on teaching reading.

Two-thirds of elementary students cannot read at grade level. The district plans to fix it (4)

Outgoing superintendent Ann Levett ensured the district will connect with universities they work with to ensure education programs are adequately preparing teachers to teach students how to read. "That's not necessarily always the case," Levett said.

More:Geechee descendants on Sapela Island fight to protect representation on state board

Another problem the district wrestles with is adult illiteracy ― parents and guardians who are not functionally literate, meaning they're unable to help their children learn to read and write. In Georgia, about 24% of adults have "low literacy," according to the Barbara Bush Foundation. The task force recommended adding adult literacy courses to its district-run adult upskilling program, LEAP, and expanding the partnership with Parent University, a local nonprofit that teaches parenting and life skills courses.

Ball-Oliver emphasized that the district will market these parent courses in a way that doesn't encourage shame.

Board members push for more in-school specialists, interventionists

The school board's nine members all praised the task force for presenting a comprehensive and detailed plan aimed at addressing reading scores, but challenged district administrators to focus resources and hiring initiatives on schools where students are struggling the most.

At six of the district's 23 elementary schools — Shuman, Haven, Rice Creek, Gadsen, Brock, and Williams — more than 40% of third to fifth grade students are not meeting literacy expectations.

Hall called for instant action to help the students at these schools and others struggling to meet expectations across the county.

Two-thirds of elementary students cannot read at grade level. The district plans to fix it (5)

"I'm not talking about your average Johnny and Sally and Heidi who can make their way because their parents have the wherewithal and the environment to nourish," Hall said. "I'm talking about the ones who need our nourishment more. Please consider doing things that immediately affect the students."

Several board members asked for more paraprofessionals and Early Intervention Specialists — specialized instructors who identify and work with students who are falling behind — at these schools. The task force recommended hiring six specialists to address literacy, but all at the district level.

Savannah City Council election 2023:Who is running for mayor, council this year?

Levett told the board that by having specialists at the district level, they can "push in" at schools needing additional help.

Two-thirds of elementary students cannot read at grade level. The district plans to fix it (6)

"We have found that sometimes schools may not utilize (specialists) exactly the way that you would like to see them focused, as well as the actual level of their ability to support may vary from school to school," Ball-Oliver said of instructional specialists and paraprofessionals already embedded in SCCPSS schools. Many of these employees also teach gifted programs, or are pulled into the classroom to teach. "District level persons are there... to go where we need it. It does not negate that (schools) can ask for additional intervention specialists, additional teachers."

Board Members David Bringman, District 6, and Dionne Hoskins-Brown, District 2, both agreed that increased funding for more counselors and instructional specialists were top priorities for the upcoming budget cycle.

"Make it rain," Bringman said of expanding funds for hiring.

Zoe is the Savannah Morning News' investigate reporter, focusing on land use and education issues. Contact her at znicholson@gannett.com or on Twitter @zoenicholson_

Two-thirds of elementary students cannot read at grade level. The district plans to fix it (2024)

FAQs

What percentage of students read at grade level? ›

On average, the percentage of students at grade level fell by eight percentage points - from 38% to 30%.

Why are students reading below grade level? ›

Why don't all students read on grade level? There are many reasons—or combinations of reasons—a student might read below grade level, some of which include: Struggling to learn word recognition skills like phonological awareness, decoding, or sight recognition.

How many students in the United States are reading below grade level? ›

66% of students in the United States are not reading at a proficient level.

Why are students behind in reading? ›

“These alarming statistics can be largely attributed to inequities in access to effective reading instruction, a problem that strong state policy and bold state leaders can solve.”

What percentage of students across the nation cannot read at a basic level? ›

Approximately 40% of students across the nation cannot read at a basic level.

Which US state has the lowest literacy rate? ›

California has the lowest percentage of adults with proficient literacy skills, with only 43%. Other states with low percentages include Louisiana (48%), Mississippi (49%), and Arkansas (50%). On average, about 57% of adults across all states have proficient literacy skills.

How to help a student reading below grade level? ›

Have children write stories, draw pictures of their favorite characters, and write words to describe them,” says Burke. “Talk with children about what they are reading, read aloud even with older children, model what fluent readers do. Partner read — take turns reading a page each.

Why are so many American kids struggling to read? ›

In short, children raised in poverty, those with limited proficiency in English, those from homes where the parents' reading levels and practices are low, and those with speech, language, and hearing handicaps are at increased risk of reading failure.

How do you get students to read on grade level? ›

Before reading a grade-level text
  1. Determine what students already know. ...
  2. Provide an introductory text (video, audio, or written). ...
  3. Build background or preview important words. ...
  4. Chunk the text. ...
  5. Provide a text with color or visual cues. ...
  6. Read the text multiple times with different purposes to make deeper meaning.
Oct 11, 2023

What percent of students are below grade level? ›

The data released today can be found on the School Pulse Panel dashboard at https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/. Entering the 2022-23 school year, public schools estimated that, on average, 49 percent of their students began the year behind grade level in at least one academic subject.

Are reading levels declining? ›

The downward trend began in 2012. The average reading score for 13-year-olds was significantly lower in 2023 than in 2020, continuing a decline that began in 2012.

Are kids reading less? ›

These figures showed a 26% decrease in the number of children reading daily in their free time since 2005.

Why do students not read anymore? ›

While it is no doubt that the rise of smartphones and social media in combination with the recent pandemic has played a role in these statistics, it is hard to deny that schools have not played a significant factor as well. From a young age, schools unintentionally insinuate the belief that reading is a tedious chore.

What prevents students from reading? ›

Some kids have a learning disability that makes reading difficult to learn. Others come to school without the literacy. experiences they need to become readers. Some children struggle because they've received poor or inadequate reading instruction.

Why is child literacy declining? ›

According to Literacy Pittsburgh, the myriad factors that go into a declining literacy rate include undiagnosed learning disabilities, loss of hearing or vision, lack of role models, poverty (which forces students to focus on their survival needs instead of their educational needs), violence (or a fear of violence, ...

What grade level does the average person read at? ›

The average American reads at the 7th- to 8th-grade level, according to The Literacy Project.

Do 54% of Americans read below 6th grade level? ›

This appears to be true in the United States. “About 130 million adults in the U.S. have low literacy skills according to a Gallup analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education. This means more than half of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 (54%) read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level.”

What grade do most people learn to read? ›

Experts say that most children learn to read by age 6 or 7, meaning first or second grade, and that some learn much earlier. However, a head start on reading doesn't guarantee a child will stay ahead as they progress through school. Abilities tend to even out in later grades.

What are the statistics on reading in the US? ›

Average Reading Statistics

The average adult reads between 200 to 400 words per minute. The average American spends only 19 minutes a day reading. The average number of books read by adults over the age of 65 is higher than any other age group at around 20 books per year.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Last Updated:

Views: 6197

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (46 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Birthday: 2001-01-17

Address: Suite 769 2454 Marsha Coves, Debbieton, MS 95002

Phone: +813077629322

Job: Real-Estate Executive

Hobby: Archery, Metal detecting, Kitesurfing, Genealogy, Kitesurfing, Calligraphy, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Gov. Deandrea McKenzie, I am a spotless, clean, glamorous, sparkling, adventurous, nice, brainy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.