Schools earn grades for K-3 literacy

By Denise Dick

denise_dick@vindy.com

COLUMBUS

Two Mahoning Valley school districts earned A’s from the state for improving literacy in kindergarten through third grade, but many districts weren’t graded because at least 95 percent of their kindergarteners are on track in reading.

Maplewood and Mathews schools earned A’s, while Austintown, Canfield, Lowellville, South Range, Bloomfield-Mespo, Weathersfield and Southern earned B’s.

Youngstown, Sebring, Struthers, West Branch, Bristol, Liberty, Newton Falls, Niles, Beaver, East Palestine, Leetonia, Lisbon, Salem and United all earned C’s.

Girard, Hubbard, Southington, Warren, East Liverpool and Wellsville got D’s.

Campbell was the only Valley district that received an F.

All of the Valley’s other districts didn’t earn grades because either there weren’t a sufficient number of students in kindergarten to calculate a grade, or at least 95 percent of kindergarteners are on track according to their reading diagnostic tests.

The kindergarten-to-third-grade literacy measure shows districts’ and schools’ progress at moving students who are identified as “not on track” to “on track.”

“Boys and girls who can read on grade level in third grade control their academic destinies and are more likely to graduate with the skills they need to be successful,” Richard A. Ross, state superintendent of public instruction, said in a news release. “This is why we must identify early students who need extra help and provide them with the intervention they need to become proficient readers.”

Linda Ross, director of instruction at Boardman schools, said at least 95 percent of that district’s kindergarteners were on track on their reading diagnostic test.

“It all starts with the kids — and we’ve got great kids and great parents,” said Perry Nicholas, Maplewood superintendent. “They’re supportive of us.”

He also credited teachers.

“The teachers have expectations for the students,” he said. “They aren’t mean about it, but their expectations are high and the parents back them up on it.”

Lew Lowery, Mathews superintendent, also credits teachers with the high grade.

“The program at our K-2 building, Currie Elementary, [teachers] do a great job with reading,” he said.

The school provides early intervention beginning in kindergarten for any students who exhibit problems.

“We have special reading classes during the day for any student who appears to be struggling,” Lowery said. The program has been in place for several years.

Youngstown Superintendent Connie Hathorn said the grade, which is part of last year’s state report card but wasn’t released until this week, is an indication of progress.

“We’re on the right track, but it takes time,” he said.

It demonstrates the teachers’ hard work and shows the programs in place in the district are working.

Two years ago, the district implemented a new literacy program.

“Research told us it would take three to five years before it would show results,” Hathorn said.

This is the second full year of the program.

“And it’s paying dividends,” he said. “I compliment the teachers in the buildings for sticking to it. They believe in the program, they work hard and they’re raising expectations for the kids.”

Campbell Superintendent Matthew Bowen said when the legislation establishing the third-grade reading guarantee took effect in the 2012-13 school year, before he and the rest of his administrative team joined the district, some of the students who were determined not to be reading on track for their grade level weren’t placed on reading improvement and monitoring plans as required. That resulted in a 19-point deduction.

“It’s unfortunate, but we know what we have to do,” Bowen said.

However, 82 percent of kindergarten through third-graders in the Campbell schools are on track in reading, he said.

“Campbell City Schools are performing well, and the longer [students] receive instruction with the staff in the district, the better they perform,” Bowen said. “This can further be supported by the district’s A rating [on the state report card] in overall growth.”

Vince Colaluca, Austintown superintendent, said the four students whose performance earned the district a B rather than an A were all students who moved into the district during the school year rather than attending Austintown schools all year.

“What we’re doing now is the same stuff we were doing before the third-grade reading guarantee,” he said.

The district provides intervention with tutors for students whose performance on tests shows they aren’t reading on track. Austintown also offers an after-school program where students can get help.

Teachers also tailor instruction to individual students rather than teaching all students the same way.

“We do the same thing with math,” the superintendent said.