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Assess Reading First; Then Make Plans by Jack Humphrey Middle Grades Reading Network |
According to the Alliance for Excellent Education’s Adolescents and Literacy: Reading for the 21st Century by Michael L. Kamil (<http://www.all4ed.org/publications/AdolescentsAndLiteracy.pdf>), there are approximately 8.7 million fourth through twelfth graders in American schools whose chances for academic success are dismal because they are unable to read and comprehend the material in their textbooks. Nationally, 25 percent of secondary students are reading below basic levels. Another report from the Alliance for Excellent Education entitled Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle
and High School Literacy by Catherine Snow and Gina Biancarosa (<http://www.all4ed.org/publications/ReadingNext/index.html>) states that all young people should graduate from high school able to read and write and prepared for the challenges they face in the future, a future that has a far greater demand for literacy skills.
These reports from the Carnegie Corporation of New York are a sign of the present disarray and confusion surrounding middle grades reading. Reading instruction in middle grades schools is not a trivial enterprise. High school success and middle grades reading are indissolubly connected. While the rest of the nation begins to consider what needs to be done to improve middle grades reading skills and graduation rates, Indiana middle grades schools can stay ahead by acting now with clear and deliberate thought.
Determining the status of reading in a middle grades school takes time and effort, but without this information, it is difficult to develop a plan and provide resources needed to build a strong reading program.
What should be known by all parties within a school prior to designing plans to improve the reading abilities of students? The following is the kind of basic information needed for finding the status of reading in a middle grades school:
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· How many middle grades students do not graduate from high school in four years? · What was the reading level of those students who did not graduate from high school when they left the eighth grade? · What are the ISTEP reading results? · What are the reading test results on standardized reading tests provided by the school for students in grades not involved in ISTEP? · How many students are enrolled in reading courses 0480-06, 0480-07, and/or 0480-08? · What is the budget for developmental reading materials appropriate for serving a range of reading levels? · How many members of the staff have a reading endorsement or reading license? · What is the per-student book circulation in the school library? · What is the per-student number of new books added to the school library during the past year? · How many students have a public library card? · How is reading promoted to students and parents? · Are members of the faculty good reading role models for students? · Are newspapers available and put to good use? · What schoolwide programs are used to encourage students to read? · Are reading teachers supported with local professional development activities and encouraged to attend other professional reading meetings? |
One way to answer most of these questions is to use the Middle Grades Reading Assessment. It can be downloaded at <http://mgrn.evansville.edu /assreading.htm>. The Middle Grades Reading Assessment, Second Edition, will be
sent to Indiana middle grades schools next fall. Drop-out information can be obtained from school counselors. Reading scores of students who drop out of high school can be obtained from school records.
The way to build a stable reading program is to institutionalize things that work. One thing is clear: Indiana schools need to help more students to be high school graduates, and middle grades schools can create immensely productive reading programs that will support this goal. Here is a modest proposal: Assess your school’s reading program; then use that information to ensure that students have the kinds of reading opportunities needed for their success in high school and life.