NYC students beginning to show signs of reading progress, new data shows

Yahoo

2 days ago

New York City students are showing early signs of progress in reading after the Adams administration overhauled how the subject is taught in public schools, according to new data released Wednesday.
The school system is still far from where it needs to be to ensure that all students who graduate know how to read proficiently. But elementary school reading scores on quick, periodic assessments known as 'screeners' increased by 2.5 points over a year — driven in part by considerable gains in the youngest grades, the data shows.
'It's really, really promising news, because what it's showing is progress,' First Deputy Chancellor Dan Weisberg told the Daily News. 'So the hard work that our educators and support staff are doing on the field, you can see here, is really paying off.'
Some experts caution against drawing sweeping conclusions from screener data, which is captured three times each year and typically used as a diagnostic tool to help identify struggling readers so teachers can intervene in real-time.
But Weisberg, the outgoing second-in-command of the public schools, said the data is 'highly correlated' with state test scores, and offers system leaders a glimpse of whether students are performing at or above the national median. Close to 42% of elementary school students crossed the threshold on the spring screener, the data showed.
The literacy push, known as 'NYC Reads,' launched in less than half of school districts during the 2023-24 school year before expanding to all elementary schools citywide last fall.
Each district selected one of three pre-approved literacy programs rooted in the 'science of reading' — referring to a wide body of research about how children learn to read. All place a greater emphasis on phonics, which teaches children about the relationships between letters and sounds.
Screener scores from phase-one districts — which have had more time for implementation — posted slightly larger gains than those in the second cohort: 2.8 and 2.3 points, respectively. Students in kindergarten through second grade, who were exposed to the curriculum at a younger age, notched a 3.2-point boost, according to the data.
While not unexpected in a school system as large as New York City's, test scores have been slow to catch up.
Annual state exams showed reading scores dropped citywide last year — with students in the second phase outperforming their peers in the first cohort using the new literacy programs. Education leaders chalked up the discrepancy to an 'implementation dip,' predicting students would turn a corner as they adjusted to the new ways of learning and their teachers mastered new instructional methods.
The results of this year's tests have yet to be released, but Weisberg likes his chances.
'That doesn't mean that just because screener scores increase, that state test scores are going to increase, but it's a promising sign,' the first deputy chancellor said.
In April, Adams and the chancellor announced NYC Reads is expanding next school year to older students for the first time, starting with 102 middle schools in eight districts.
'As we close out this school year, we are proud to be able to share early results on our citywide investment in evidence-based reading and mathematics instruction for our students — delivering the education our children deserve,' Mayor Adams and Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said in a joint statement.
Math screener scores show the share of elementary school students scoring above national benchmarks increased by 3.2 points, though the grade levels are not formally included in 'NYC Solves,' the math equivalent of NYC Reads.