Latest news with #NorthwestEvaluationAssociation
Chicago Tribune
16-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Jerald McNair: While schools are out, our youths need to continue to read
As the summer approaches and the school year ends, schools across the country are concerned about the upcoming year and the federal cuts that may come with the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. The concern is even more pressing considering a report released in January by the National Assessment of Educational Progress that shows that the reading proficiency for fourth and eighth graders in the United States continues to decline. Last year, their proficiency declined by 2 points compared with 2022. In fact, 19 states had a fourth grade reading score below the national average of 214. For eighth graders, 11 states had scores much lower than the national average of 257. What we do know about educational data is there is often a decline in reading scores in the summer, which is referred to as 'summer slope' or 'summer slide.' Data from the Northwest Evaluation Association shows that third to fifth graders lose 20% of their school-year gains in reading. This kind of data hits educators, including administrators, quite hard. What more can we do? Does this one biennial test represent all of what schools are doing to improve the reading skills of students throughout the year? As we seek answers, what gets lost in the discussion is the myriad of variables that influence reading results and why they can be so volatile, particularly for young readers, whose foundational skills have yet to develop. When youths don't read enough, their reading score results will often stagnate or decline. Average instructional time for a student in the United States is 5.7 hours per day. Reading represents only a portion of that time. If the only time young people read books is when they are at school, reading scores across our nation will not improve. Now more than ever, it's important that our youths continue to read throughout the summer. For those students not attending summer school, it's essential that parents and caregivers designate times for their children to read, even on vacation. That means putting some limits on use of devices. If the family is traveling, requiring reading can prove to be beneficial. Neuropsychology and Education Services for Children and Adolescents, a practice in New England, recommends that children read at least 20 minutes per day after being in school all day. It will expose them to 1.8 million words in one school year. During summer break, continuing that practice can have a profound impact on reading efficiency for students, preventing some of the reading loss that happens during summer break. Having youths not only visit the library but also obtain a library card is recommended. The American Library Association maintains that library cards fuel academic achievement. Through the summer, many libraries host events and activities to engage youths and can encourage them to become lifelong readers. Unfortunately for education in our country, the budget proposed by President Donald Trump, known as the 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' may result in 40 federal K-12 programs being cut. The president's budget proposal keeps top-line funding intact for the Education Department's two biggest sources for schools, Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, an analysis by Education Week says. However, the bill asks Congress to eliminate nearly four dozen other grant programs that provide services for specific K-12 student populations. It comes down to a proposed cut of $12 billion to the U.S. Department of Education budget at the beginning of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1. School districts may have to do more with less. With reading data continuing to show a decline, it's more than concerning. It makes this summer, and summers in the foreseeable future, particularly important. President John F. Kennedy once said: 'Children are the world's most valuable resource. And its best hope for the future.' How we meet the challenges of the future, compete in this global economy and stay on the cutting edge of technological improvements and advancements depends on how educated our youths are. It's important to understand that the learning loss that COVID-19 caused is still being felt. Data from the Harvard Graduate School of Education states that when a student experiences learning loss due to an interruption, students generally recover 20% to 30% of the lost ground the first year but typically make no more recovery in the next three to four years. So much work has to be done. We can start by making certain our youths continue to pick up a book and read over the summer. Perhaps our iconic and talented entertainers Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Shaboozey and others can lead the way and positively influence our youths by saying, 'Summer reading is summer fun.'
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Over 5,000 Oklahoma City Public Schools students doubled their projected growth in reading
Over 5,000 Oklahoma City Public Schools students doubled their projected growth in reading from fall to winter 2024 in national achievement tests. The Northwest Evaluation Association Measuring Academic Progress Growth is an exam that measures what students know and informs what they're ready to learn, according to a presentation given Monday to the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education by Verna Martin, the district's senior executive director of secondary schools, and Laura McGee, OKCPS senior executive director of elementary schools. The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) projected growth is an estimate of how much a student is expected to improve academically over a specific period based on their current score compared to the average of similar students. It predicts how many Rasch UnIT (RIT) score points a student should gain based on their starting point and grade level. RIT is a measurement scale used to simplify the interpretation of test scores. More: Oklahoma City schools implements prevention system to address increasing dropout rates From fall to winter, 5,381 students at Oklahoma City Public Schools doubled their projected growth, according to the presentation, including 1,151 elementary school students, 2,123 middle schoolers and 2,107 high school scholars. "Each of these 5,381 OKCPS scholars who doubled their projected growth in reading from fall to winter has their own unique story of progress and achievement," Martin said Monday. "We celebrate all of these scholars for their demonstration of perseverance, diligence and academic excellence." Natalie Johnson-Papageorge, OKCPS elementary principal supervisor, and Shane Sanders, OKCPS secondary principal supervisor, shared stories of individual students who doubled, or more than doubled, their projected growth in reading. "Our first scholar is from Adams Elementary. A fourth-grader scholar, who is an English language learner, had a projected growth of seven RIT points," Johnson-Papageorge said. "However, through goal setting and his hard work, he achieved 26 growth points from fall to winter." A second-grader from Bodine Elementary was projected to grow 10 RIT points, but achieved 23, Johnson-Papageorge said. A seventh-grade student from F.D. Moon Middle School was projected to grow three RIT points, Sanders said. Instead, she grew 13. An 11th-grade student at John Marshall Enterprise High School achieved the 97th percentile after she exceeded her growth projection of one RIT point and achieved 19 points, Sanders said. "This is what OKCPS is about," said Board Member Jessica Cifuentes. "We are prioritizing growth within our students. We are using evidence-based practices, and just to see these data points today is incredible and truly so beautiful and awe-inspiring." The students' achievements are examples of the work being done at Oklahoma City Public Schools through the district's strategic plan, instructional framework, planning, curriculum and support, Johnson-Papageorge said. "We have to be more focused and intentional with our small groups and differentiated support, and we will continue to see more of our scholars increase their academic growth and academic achievement," Johnson-Papageorge said. "This was just the growth from the beginning of the year to the middle of the year. Stay tuned. The best is yet to come for the end of the school year data." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKCPS national achievement tests: Students show progress in reading
