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Articles
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| National test results show low literacy level in the District |
VOICE writes, "National test results show low literacy level in the District
BY VICTORIA SOLOMON
D.C. public school students' scores in math and reading on a nationwide test improved slightly this year compared with the city's 2005 scores, but they still fell far below national averages and may foretell a continuing low graduation rate.
More than half of D.C. ninth-graders in public schools read at a below-basic level, according to the latest results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The test, which assesses fourth- and eighth-graders' math and reading abilities every other year, categorizes student abilities as below-basic, basic, proficient and advanced. It is known as the "nation's report card," and the National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education released the results in late September."
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A portion of fourth-graders and eighth-graders in D.C. took the test in January 2007. Fourth-graders improved in both math and reading compared with 2005 scores, and eighth-graders improved in math. The percent of eighth-graders reading proficiently remained constant.
Slightly fewer eighth-graders read at a below-basic level this year than in 2005. In reading, below basic means getting approximately 50 percent or less correct on the test. More than half of the students sampled — 62 percent — scored below basic in reading, while 48 percent scored at or above basic. Twelve percent of students sampled scored at proficient or above, the same percent as in 2005.
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education considers student performance on this national test important but less critical than the D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System in setting the curriculum for the school system, according to a spokesperson for the office. The D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System is administered under the federal No Child Left Behind law, and more is at stake for schools that perform well or poorly on that test.
Nevertheless, the state office in the coming months will have the national scores in mind as it forms policies for early- literacy and family-literacy programs in conjunction with the local public and public charter administrations, according to the office. The office will also be exploring improving pre-service training and professional development for educators, as well as seeking resources such as grants to fund school programs, according to director Deborah Gist.
Gist said the office will work with Chancellor Michelle Rhee to examine programs from around the country that have helped save students from falling between the cracks on reading. "We plan to closely examine programs that have been successful such as programs for English-language learners and support programs for families who are new to the United States," Gist wrote in an e-mail to The Current.
D.C. State Board of Education member Mary Lord said several of her colleagues — including president Robert Bobb — have been strong advocates for expanded literacy programs. She said improving literacy in schools is "going to be a huge focus for the board."
John Kraman, a senior policy analyst at Achieve, a national nonprofit that aims to raise student achievement, said scores on the national test have remained flat over time, with the average score hovering around 260 out of 500 possible points nationally.
National results show that literacy has not fared well, with only about 30 percent of children reading at a proficient or advanced level.
The District's average score is 20 points below the national average, though Kraman pointed out that comparing D.C.'s score with other states' scores is misleading because D.C. is an urban population, whereas most states include both urban and rural populations.
Later this year a report will compare scores in major metropolitan areas, which many say is a better comparison for D.C.
With or without the comparison, the number of children who read at a below-basic level suggests that D.C.'s low graduation rate may continue.
According to recent findings of the Alliance for Excellent Education, a D.C.-based national education policy, research and advocacy group, the ninth-graders who tested below basic have such poor literacy skills that they are at risk of not finishing high school.
The District has a 43 percent graduation rate and a 9 percent graduation rate from post-secondary schools, according to the state education office. Only one student in three in wards 7 and 8 finishes high school, and only one in 20 earns a college degree, according to the office.
The Alliance for Excellent Education estimates that D.C. households could earn about $167 million more if all heads of household had graduated from high school and that D.C.'s economy would grow by more than $5 billion by 2020 if students of color graduated at the same rate as white students.
The organization also researched college readiness and estimates that if all students were prepared for full-time college coursework, the city would save more than $1.5 million a year in college remediation.
Liz Liptak, director of the Washington Literacy Council, said her organization helps about 200 adults from the metropolitan area learn to read each year, and most of them attended D.C. public schools. About 20 to 25 percent of the adult learners have a high school diploma despite being illiterate.
She said hearing about the low reading scores is upsetting because many may end up not graduating or may graduate without learning how to read properly. "Clearly we look at these numbers because it's going to affect us in the future," Liptak said.
Daryao Khatri, who teaches an intensive summer math remediation program at the University of the District of Columbia for D.C. public high school graduates, said 80 to 85 percent of the university's students from D.C. schools need remediation classes.
His program is relatively new, having just finished its second summer, and has had enormous success, Khatri said.
"In the right conditions it's all doable," he said of student success, speculating that if students had the intensive program in high schools, their performance on math tests would increase. "It is all teaching. We should never blame the kids. Identify the gaps; fill the gaps in."
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Posted on Oct 04, 2007 16:57pm.
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