Peter Huidekoper, Jr. February 2024
Part 1 - The case to extend the READ Act to the K-5 years
Part 2 - The bigger picture - Reading in grades 6-12 in Colorado
Introduction – Paying attention
The Colorado
legislature initiated a major commitment to improve our students’ reading
skills in 2012 by passing the READ Act. By 2019 deep concerns about a lack of
progress compelled policy makers to pay attention. That year they created more specific
measures to train and support teachers: Senate Bill 199 – Strengthening the
READ Act.[i]
Five years on, we must, again, pay attention.
This report aims to sound an alarm. The READ Act, some might have imagined,
could benefit our whole K-12 system. Perhaps a few believed, naively, that if
we fix the reading struggles our kids endure in their early years—we’re home
free.
SB 199 called for a
multiyear evaluation of the READ Act. In both 2022 and 2023 the Independent
Evaluation of the READ Act recommended we pay closer attention to the reading
skills of students after third grade. This report does just that. It
will show that tens of thousands of Colorado students, throughout the K-12
system, struggle to read well.
We need to take off
our blinders. We cannot look solely at the K-3 years.
Ann Schimke at Chalkbeat Colorado
has been paying attention. For background on my report, two of her articles are
invaluable. One quote below; more from her articles in Addendum A.
Policy makers and school leaders need
to understand and face up to the scope of the problem. There is much more work
to do.
From Chalkbeat Colorado
Experts say Colorado’s local control landscape means wide variation in
the kinds of extra help provided to secondary struggling readers — if there’s
any at all
Bold mine
… aside from a modest literacy grant program, state
policymakers have given scant attention to the tens of thousands of secondary
students who struggle with reading.
Students who
can’t read proficiently face long-term consequences. They are at greater risk
of dropping out, earning less as adults, and becoming involved in the criminal
justice system.
Leaders at
the state education department say their role in addressing older students
who can’t read well is minimal because there’s no law equivalent to the
2012 READ Act, which mandates help for struggling young readers.
“Because
there isn’t a statute similar to the READ Act, there is not a structure
around literacy [in grades] four through 12,” said Floyd Cobb, executive
director of teaching and learning at the Colorado Department of Education.
“That responsibility is largely that of the districts.”
________________________________________________________
After the READ Act – Beyond third
grade, how well do our students read?
Table of Contents
Two reports – Look beyond third grade
Independent Evaluation
of the READ Act (2022)
National Council
on Teacher Quality (2024)
Part 1 – The case to extend the READ Act to the
K-5 years
Over 20,000
students in grades 4-5 still on a READ plan.
CMAS shows
over 30,000 4th and 5th graders well below grade level on
literacy.
Why “reading at grade level by end of 3rd
grade” must be revised.
·
From annual reports on the READ Act
·
CMAS-English Language Arts scores – Grade 3
Over past eight
years, we have never seen 42% of 3rd graders Meet or Exceed
Expectations.
For 3rd
Grade - READ Act figures and CMAS-ELA scores
Grades
4 and 5 –
CMAS-ELA – 2023 results - PROGRESS!
On the other hand. Consider the challenge for
our 4th and 5th grade teachers.
What if we fail to make the READ Act a K-5 effort? A warning.
What do our 4th and 5th grade teachers need?
**
Part 2 –
The bigger picture - Reading in grades 6-12 in Colorado
CDE reports over 34,000 students in grades
6-12 are still on a READ plan.
CDE data reveals 30 high schools with at
least 100 students still on a READ plan.
CMAS & PSAT/SAT
scores indicate over 60,000 secondary school students struggle to read well.
·
Grades 6-8 – In 2023, over 20,000 students Did Not Yet Met
Expectations.
·
Grades 9-11 – In 2023, over 40,000 students Did Not Yet Meet
Expectations.
Addenda A - L
_______________________________________________________________
… but can they read?
The vision of
the Colorado Department of Education:
“all students
in Colorado will become educated and productive citizens capable of succeeding
in society, the workforce, and life.”[iii]
**
“The future of reading affects the
future of our societies.”[iv]
"If there are no young readers
and writers, there will soon be no old ones. The culture of the written word
will be dead, and with it democracy." (Margaret Atwood)
**
2022 - Percentage of students at or
above proficiency in reading
National Assessment of Educational
Progress[v]
Colorado
Grade 4 - 38%
Grade 8 – 34%
**
U.S. Literacy Rate Statistics[vi]
1. 54% of adults [in the US] have a
literacy below sixth-grade level.
2. 21% of Americans 18 and older are
illiterate in 2022.
3. The state with the highest rate of child
literacy is Massachusetts, with over 80% of kids there having good
proficiency in reading.
4. New Mexico has the lowest literacy rate for
children, with over 30% of the state's children being illiterate.
___________________________________________________________
Two
reports – Look beyond third grade
A. From the Independent Evaluation of the
Colorado READ ACT
Year 2 report (June 2022) Bold mine
From Executive
Summary
Many students who do not achieve proficiency on the CMAS are
not served under the current READ Act.
Analysis of
third grade CMAS ELA proficiency shows that there are many students (48
percent in the 2020-21 school year) who are not classified as having SRDs, but
who also do not achieve proficiency on the CMAS ELA exam.... This result
may suggest a need for additional support, not just for students identified
as having SRDs, but for other students as well.
… if
students are not exited from their READ Plans by the end of third grade,
educators reported that, since READ funding is no longer provided starting
in fourth grade, schools are often not able to provide the added
interventions and supports needed to help the student reach proficiency and
exit their plan.
• LEPs
[Local Education Providers] and schools report the need for additional
resources to support continued interventions in grades 4-12 for students who do
not exit their READ Plans by end of grade three since these students
continue to require additional assistance and support in order to reach grade
level proficiency.
We recommend that Year 3 of the evaluation include an
analysis of READ Plans, interventions, and outcomes for students in grades
four through 12 to determine where additional supports may be needed beyond
the third grade.
https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/year2evaluationsummaryreport
B. From the National Council on Teacher Quality
NOTE: The recent report from the
National Council on Teacher Quality speaks of training for all elementary
teachers,
not just K-3 teachers, in its
recommendations.
STATE OF THE
STATES 2024
Five Policy
Actions to Strengthen Implementation of the Science of Reading
JANUARY 2024
Bold mine
State education
leaders across the country are rightly prioritizing efforts to improve elementary
student reading outcomes. However, too often these initiatives do not focus
enough on the key component to strong implementation and long-term sustainability: effective
teachers.… This report outlines five policy actions states can
take to ensure a well-prepared teacher workforce that can implement and
sustain the science of reading in classrooms across the country.
Policy
Action 5: Provide
professional learning for teachers and ongoing support to sustain the
implementation of the science of reading
Indicators:
Require all current
elementary teachers to receive high-quality professional learning in
scientifically based reading instruction and to demonstrate their learning
Provide districts with resources to
support implementation and sustainability such as literacy coaches or support
networks
Support professional learning to
promote skillful implementation of high-quality reading curricula
Evaluate results of investments in
professional learning
https://www.nctq.org/publications/State-of-the-States-2024-Five-Policy-Actions-to-Strengthen-Implementation-of-the-Science-of-Reading
__________________________________________________________________________
Part 1
– The case to extend the READ Act to the K-5 years
Over 20,000 students in grades 4-5 are still on a READ plan.
CMAS shows over 30,000 4th
and 5th graders well below grade level on literacy.
I take
a close look at data from grades 4 and 5 to support my argument that we must
add these grades to the READ Act’s purview. Our K-3 effort is not enough.
|
3rd gr. – # of students Identified
with Significant Reading Deficiency (SRD)*
|
4th gr. - # of students on a Read
plan
|
|
2021 -13,755
|
2022 - 14,033
|
|
|
|
|
2018 – 12,066**
|
2019 – 13,310
|
|
*Significant Reading Deficiency – from here on referred to as SRD. The
Colorado Department’s definition equates SRD with students identified as
significantly below grade level.”[vii]
|
|
**12,066 – my math based on state numbers. 18.2% out of
66,295 students assessed. Other numbers are from the annual READ Act reports
of 2023, 2022, and 2020. For 4th graders, the reports state:
“Approximate Numbers of Students Who Remain on READ plans beyond Third Grade
by Grade Level.”
|
The
state’s figures suggest that 4th and 5th grade teachers
together might find 24,000 students still on READ plan. Add this curious fact: in
2022 more students were on a READ plan in 4th grade
than were identified the previous year with Significant Reading Deficiency by
3rd grade teachers. (See box. A similar rise from 2018 to 2019.)
And yet the READ Act’s support stops at grade 3.
What is more, as I will show, CMAS data indicates
over 30,000 4thand 5th graders perform well below grade
level on literacy.
Teachers in these two grades must be
overwhelmed trying to meet the individual needs of so many students. Especially—and
this is critical—as many, perhaps most, 4/5 teachers have not had the
training in the science of reading so central to the READ Act’s K-3 work.
Why “reading at
grade level by end of 3rd grade” must be revised.
To make a convincing case for this change, I
must establish that the goal of seeing 3rd graders reading at
grade level (see five versions of this, Addendum B) was misplaced, is
proving impossible, and has become meaningless – and hence the need for a
credible goal.
A. From annual
reports on the READ Act
|
Students still on a READ plan - #s from
the annual READ Act reports to the legislature
|
|
|
Grade 4
|
Grade 5
|
TOTAL
|
|
2022
|
14,033
|
x
|
|
|
2021
|
x
|
10,777
|
|
|
2019
|
13,310
|
10,770
|
24,080
|
|
2018**
|
11,000
|
7,000
|
19,000
|
|
X - State testing was affected by
COVID, so numbers for this class (in 4th grade in 2021, then in 5th
grade in 2022) are unavailable.
|
The Colorado READ Act passed in 2012. It was in place by 2013-14. In spite
of a decade of data, we still spout the same line about all students achieving proficiency. Such rhetoric is
out of touch with the facts.
READ Act reports show that even after the
hard work by our K-3
teachers, well over 20,000 students are still on a READ plan in grades 4 and 5 -
see box. (And, oh yes, that another 34,000 students are still on a READ plan in
grades 6-12. See Part 2.)
“All 3rd graders will read at grade
level”? Nonsense.
B.
CMAS-English Language Arts scores – Grade 3
READ Act reports only look at our youngest students having the toughest
time trying to read. For grades 3-8, CMAS-English Language Arts data presents
the bigger picture. We have results for roughly 60,000 students in each grade.
Are CMAS-ELA scores useful to measure our students’ reading skills? We
know (I hope) that CMAS-ELA and the READ Act do not assess the same skills. CMAS
ELA tests for both reading
and writing, while the READ Act’s SRD diagnostic assessment is for reading alone. Nevertheless, CMAS
results tell us
something meaningful about how well our students read. (More below.)
They complement, and in some ways correct, what we
might take from READ Act reports.
We have used the CMAS-English Language Arts for
the past 8 years. Results?
Not once have we seen 42% of 3rd graders
Meet or Exceed Expectations.
Percent
of 3rd graders who Met or Exceeded Expectations on CMAS English
Language Arts/Literacy
|
2023
|
2022
|
2021
|
2019
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
2015
|
|
39.9
|
40.7
|
39.1
|
41.3
|
40.4
|
40.1
|
37.4
|
38.2
|
During
these same years, in grades 4 and 5, the average percentage of students achieving
proficiency has also remained below 50%.
Percent of 4th/5th
graders who Met or Exceeded Expectations on CMAS English Language Arts
|
|
2023
|
2022
|
2021
|
2019
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
2015
|
|
Grade 4
|
43.8
|
44.1
|
x
|
48.0
|
46.1
|
44.1
|
43.9
|
41.7
|
|
Grade 5
|
47.8
|
45.4
|
47.2
|
48.4
|
47.4
|
46.3
|
41.2
|
40.5
|
X –In 2021, due to COVID, CMAS testing was
reduced to every other grade.
In
short, what is not happening for 3rd grade is also not
happening for grade 4 and 5. No one declares that all 4th and 5th
graders will be reading at grade level, for good reason.
For 3rd
Grade - READ Act figures and CMAS-ELA scores
Let’s see
where READ Act data and CMAS-ELA scores for 3rd graders overlap. I am
not alone in making this comparison. The Independent Evaluation of the READ
Act (produced by West Ed; RTI International; and Augenblick, Palaich
& Associates) has done this on numerous occasions. (See Addendum
D.) Its Year 3 report goes further.[viii]
Recommendation: CDE and the external evaluation should focus
attention on persistently low rates of proficiency on the CMAS ELA exam and
explore the gap between students who are not designated with having an SRD
(either through exiting SRD status or whose interim assessment scores are above
the threshold for SRD status) but do not reach proficiency on the CMAS ELA exam.
CMAS
results break down into five categories:
|
% Did Not Yet Meet Expectations
|
% Partially Met Expectations
|
% Approached Expectations
|
% Met Expectations
|
% Exceeded Expectations
|
Those scoring in the bottom performance
level on CMAS-ELA represent that portion of the class performing well below (perhaps
two or three years below) grade level.
CMAS – students scoring in lowest
performance level - Did Not Yet Meet Expectations
READ ACT – students identified with Significant
Reading Deficiency
Striking
similarities over 5 years - % and
number of 3rd grade students
|
|
CMAS – Did
Not Yet Meet Expectations (lowest performance level)
|
|
READ ACT Significant
Reading Deficiency
|
|
2022
|
22.1% -
12,194
|
|
22.3% - 13,175
|
|
2021
|
21.5% - 9,735
|
|
23.3% -
13,756
|
|
2019
|
17.3% -
10,493
|
|
19.1% -
12,236
|
|
2018
|
17.8% -
11,198
|
|
18.2% -
12,066*
|
*This number does not appear in the
READ Act annual report; instead, the report states the percentage and the total
number of students assessed in grade 3. The math is mine.
In each case, in 2022, we see over 12,000 students and close to one-fifth
of the 3rd grade class. If READ Act numbers and CMAS results match
up in the one year (third grade) when both assessments are in place, we
have further reason to follow CMAS-ELA scores beyond third grade. And to ask what
they say about the reading skills of our 4th and 5th graders.
Grades 4 and 5 – CMAS-ELA – 2023
results - PROGRESS!
First, good news. See (below) the drop in the number and the percentage
of students who scored in the lowest performance level (Did Not Yet Meet
Expectations) on CMAS-ELA last spring: 22.2% in 3rd grade – down
to 7.9% by 5th grade. Real progress.
(Albeit rare. This is the only time we see the number and percentage
decline for grades 3-11.)
We find equally good news at the other end of the scale: the percentage
of students in grades 4 and 5 who Meet or Exceeded Expectations improves.
Close to 50% at grade level in 5th grade.
Something good is
happening in grades 4 and 5!
|
|
Declining % Did
Not Yet Meet
|
|
Rising % Meet
or Exceed
|
|
|
% of students who scored Did Not Yet Meet
Expectations (lowest level) declines to 7.9% (lowest % of all grades 3-8)
|
|
% of students who Meet or Exceeded Expectations rises
to nearly 48% (highest % of all grades 3-8)
|
|
3
|
22.2%
|
|
39.9%
|
|
4
|
14.5%
|
|
43.8%
|
|
5
|
7.9%
|
|
47.8%
|
On the other hand. Consider the challenge
for our 4th and 5th grade teachers.
|
From, “Life is
hard for middle and high schoolers who struggle to read,” Chalkbeat,
by Ann Schimke, 5/12/22.[ix]
“The scope of reading problems is clearer
for younger students because Colorado’s 2012 reading law requires schools to
identify students with significant reading deficits in kindergarten through
third grade and spell out plans to help them catch up. The state has a pot of
money earmarked to help this group.
“There’s no such requirement — nor funding
— for students in fourth grade through 12th grade, though some students stay
on their so-called READ Plans far beyond third grade.”
|
Now a more sober point. We must appreciate how
many students in grades 4 and 5 need extra help to even “approach” meeting our
expectations in reading and writing. This requires a more complete look at CMAS
results. A brief dive into the weeds; I hope you will see why.
On CMAS-ELA, roughly 10,000 students in each
grade scored in the second lowest performance level: Partially Met
Expectations. These students were unable to achieve a score of Approached
Expectations, to say nothing of being able to Meet Expectations. (If
you have any doubts that Partially Met Expectations means well below
grade level, see CDE’s description - Addendum E.)
We combine
these bottom two categories and find that in 2023 over 32,000 4th
and 5th graders, close to 30% in each class, were well behind in
their reading and writing skills.
|
Grade
|
% Did Not Yet Meet Expectations
|
% Partially Met Expectations
|
% Approached
Expectations
|
% Met Expectations
|
% Exceeded Expectations
|
|
4
|
14.5 8,063 students
|
16.5
9,165 students
|
25.2
|
35.1
|
8.7
|
|
5
|
7.9
4,494 students
|
18.5
10,485 students
|
25.8
|
41.1
|
6.7
|
|
Total
|
12,557
|
19,650
|
|
|
|
|
|
32,207
students
|
|
|
|
NOTE: The percentage
of 4th and 5th graders who Did Not Yet Meet or Partially
Met in 2023 is similar what we have seen over the past six years, 2016-2022:
26% to 30%. See Addendum F.What if we fail to make the READ Act a K-5 effort? A warning. 
We
have seen the progress from grades 3-5.
Sadly, though, beginning in 6th
grade, the trend goes in the opposite direction. The number of students
who Did Not Yet Meet Expectations doubles from grade 6 to 9. True,
there are fewer students on a READ plan each year, but such data does not
reflect what teachers actually see in their classes. State assessments on
reading and writing reveal the grim news. This is from 2023:
So in 9th
grade last spring, 12,160 students performed at the lowest level on the PSAT. And that number keeps climbing through 11th
grade in high school. As Part 2 will show, on the SAT last spring, 15,663 juniors
performed at the lowest level—Did Not Yet Meet Expectations.
These dire numbers compel us to do more to tackle
students’ poor reading skills before they reach 6th grade.
Grade 4 & 5 teachers
– Prepared to teach students how to read?
Ask the Colorado Department of
Education how many 4th and 5th grade teachers have the
knowledge and skills to teach reading, equal to what all K-3 teachers now
possess. CDE will say READ Act training has already reached some of them. And
it will point to the state’s updated endorsement standards (2016), which ensure
that newly licensed elementary teachers have many of the skills to teach
reading. Grades 4 and 5 included.
Bold
mine
|
The Year 3 Independent
Evaluation of the READ Act heard schools and districts stress the value of
including grades 4 and 5 in READ Act training. See Addendum G.
|
The Elementary Teacher
Literacy Standards are part of the Elementary Education Endorsement
(K-6) outlined in the Colorado State Board of Education Rules…. [it] ensure[s]
alignment to both to the Colorado Academic Standards as well as the Reading to
Ensure Academic Success Act (READ Act). The Elementary Teacher Literacy
Standards outline and describe practices and competencies for all K-6
teachers to teach students to read proficiently. (CDE[x])
Good to know – for
all new teachers prepared the past few years. Still, thousands of veteran teachers in
grades 4 and 5 were not licensed with these standards.
What will they need? What do they want?
|
A teacher’s
confession
I am a 4th or
5th grade teacher. I find eight of my 27 students on a READ plan.
In the past I might have created a 504 for a few, explored special ed
services for a couple, or sought a tutor’s help…
I know I need to do
better. I am not doing enough to help these boys and girls who struggle. I
borrow ideas and strategies from my 2nd/ 3rd grade
colleagues, but so much is still a mystery. I am just guessing. It is
frustrating.
To be honest, it has
been this way for many years, each fall, when I discover the students who are
well behind as readers…
I dislike mandates as
much as the next teacher. And yet it seems different, in this case.
Because I am not able to
meet the needs of these eight students.
I need help.
|
They have heard their 2nd and 3rd grade colleagues—maybe their classroom is next door, or just down the hall—describe
their READ Act
training. They see a new confidence in these colleagues; they know how to teach
reading. It has left 4th and 5th grade teachers only more
aware of what they do not know. How to diagnose students’ reading difficulties.
How to identify if it is word recognition, decoding, or comprehension that
remains the key stumbling block. One wonders how they must feel. (See box) It is
unconscionable to leave teachers ill-equipped for the job, to just say: good
luck. Without the proper training, the task we have given our 4th
and 5th grade teachers—again, to address the reading struggles of
30,000-plus students—is impossible. Let’s take the next step and give these teachers the proper training and support. It will signal a newdetermination to tackle the huge problem identified in this report: tens of thousands students in grades 4-12 who do not read well.
**
|
A conversation with CDE’s Melissa
Ahlstrand, Literacy Program Supervisor, Elementary Literacy and School
Readiness, on how many 4th and 5th grade teachers need
additional training. In her view, any conscientious teacher—aware of the
skills they need but do not possess—will be glad to have the proper training. Notes
from our talk, Addendum H.
|
|
An example of one school making sure
its training was presented to the entire K-5 staff, Addendum I.
|
I believe a
commitment to extend the READ Act to grades 4 and 5 would unite our elementary
schools around a common goal.
I believe such a commitment
would be welcome by most 4th and 5th grade teachers. They want the resources and professional development that will help them meet their
students’ needs. (See box)
I believe that once we support our 4th
and 5th grade teachers in this way, we can set a new, meaningful
target: to see that a
majority of our students, and maybe even a large majority, are reading
well by the time they complete fifth grade.
Not ambitious
enough, you say?
Let’s achieve that
goal first – and then raise the bar.
_____________________________________________________________
Part 2 – The bigger picture - Grades
6-12 in Colorado
Introduction
Bold mine
Wendy Birhanzel is the
Superintendent of Harrison School District 2.
From an article in The Colorado
Sun by Erica Breunlin. (Jan. 10,
2024.[i])
“Like many other Colorado school districts,
Harrison School District 2 continues to see lower graduation rates of students
with more challenging life circumstances, including students with disabilities,
kids learning English and kids living in poverty.
“‘We have a very
transient group that come in as juniors with maybe two credits or they come
in as ninth graders and can’t read,’ Birhanzel said. ‘And so we have huge
gaps to close, and we do everything in our power to close them.’”
**
A highly-honored teacher, after 15 years in
middle schools, is now in her first year teaching high school English. She
wrote me: “I am still shocked
by how many of my high school students are not proficient readers. It is very concerning and often
frustrating.”
**
On learning to read after 6th grade
From “Science of
Reading Myths and Misconceptions,” Colorado Department of Education
Myth #2: Children will
learn to read if given enough time.
The idea of “late bloomers”
is another pervasive myth. This was known among researchers as the
developmental lag theory, which said that difficulties in learning to read
would fade as the brain matured and that early intervention was not needed—that
the student just needed more time. Developmental lag theory has been disproven
with evidence, indicating that for most students waiting does not work and is
harmful. Evidence from three longitudinal studies has supported the skill
deficit theory and discredited the developmental lag theory
“Late bloomers are rare; skill
deficits are almost always what prevent children from blooming as readers.” (Juel, 1988;
Francis et al., 1996; Shaywitz et al., 1999; Torgesen, 1998) [ii]
**
“As legislators we
are insisting that the schools prioritize the fact that our kids need to read.”[iii]
Sen. Janet Buckner, chair
of the Senate Education Committee
Chalkbeat Colorado 2024 Legislative
Preview (Jan. 8, 2024)
[Note to legislators: other states
have begun to address reading beyond 3rd grade.
Examples from Virginia and Indiana. Addendum
J.]
_________________________________________________________
Part 2 – The bigger picture - Reading
in grades 6-12 in Colorado
State data finds 34,000 6-12 students
still on a READ plan.
State reading and writing assessments
reveal over 60,000 well below grade level.
In
2022 Colorado saw over 34,000 students in grades 6-12 still on a READ Plan, still needing extra help with
basic reading skills. Reason enough to appreciate the limits of our K-3 work,
and to insist that we address the struggles of our secondary school students as
well.
And yet even 34,000 is off the mark. We have
more accurate data. It exposes a bigger problem.
a. CDE reports over 34,000 students in
grades 6-12 are still on a READ Plan.[iv]
|
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Total
|
|
2022
|
8,395
|
7,914
|
6,762
|
4,813
|
3,324
|
2,252
|
738
|
34,198
|
|
2021
|
9,584
|
7,904
|
5,821
|
4,396
|
2,932
|
1,758
|
0
|
32,402
|
|
2019
|
7,552
|
5,691
|
4,017
|
2,325
|
|
|
|
Almost 20,000 without gr. 10- 12
|
|
2018
|
6,000*
|
4,000
|
2,000
|
|
|
|
|
Roughly 12,000 without gr. 9-12
|
*Numbers in the report for
2017-18 were rounded like this; no exact figures. Some
might say: at least the numbers decline after 6th grade. Isn’t that
a good thing?
Not
when the numbers are, at best, incomplete. CDE is quick to acknowledge that its
figures are based on what districts report. As Anji Gallanos, Director of Elementary Literacy and
School Readiness at CDE, explained to me: “I can collect what [districts] tell
us.” Tracking all 6-12 activity is beyond the reach of her office.
“... many students with
reading struggles are never flagged for the reading plans because their
problems aren’t severe enough in the early grades or they mask
weaknesses with advanced vocabulary, well-developed verbal skills, or other
compensation strategies. Such students often manage to muddle through school with passing grades even if they’re missing a lot of what they read.” “Life is hard for middle and high schoolers who
struggle to read.”[v] (Schimke, Chalkbeat Colorado, May 11, 2022)
|
In addition, not all boys and girls in those
grades were properly identified (see box). And we can well imagine that student
records—stating who is on a READ plan—do not always transfer successfully from elementary
to middle schools, as students age, or from there on to high schools.
Finally, only students identified in their
K-3 years with an SRD were ever placed on a READ plan. But of course thousands
of new students enter our schools after 3rd grade, many from other
countries, many with limited English-speaking skills.[vi]
Given those limitations, here is a look at
the number of students on a READ plan in 30 high schools, based on the data CDE
has gathered the past two years. Each school here had at least 100
students on a READ plan in 2022. Note how the number of students grew
from 2021 to 2022, especially in high schools in APS and DPS. Note, too (surprised?),
that this list even includes high schools earning a Performance Plan
rating on the School Performance Framework: Douglas County High, Loveland High, and Pueblo West High.
30
high schools with 100 or more students on a READ plan[vii]
No one can look at these figures and claim
that reading is just a K-3 issue. No one in DPS (15 schools) or APS (6 schools)
can deny that reading in their high schools should be a top concern.
|
|
2020-21
|
2021-22
|
2021-22
|
|
|
Grades 9-11
|
Grades 9-12
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
|
Westminster High
|
335
|
327
|
|
|
61
|
|
|
Aurora Central H.S. (APS)*
|
203
|
290
|
121
|
99
|
70
|
|
|
Adams City High School
|
206
|
239
|
120
|
|
|
|
|
North High (DPS)
|
196
|
271
|
105
|
81
|
51
|
34
|
|
Hinkley (APS)
|
199
|
225
|
90
|
74
|
|
|
|
Abraham Lincoln (DPS)
|
182
|
224
|
96
|
83
|
27
|
18
|
|
Gateway High (APS)
|
137
|
190
|
72
|
75
|
43
|
|
|
Northglenn High (Adams
12)
|
154
|
181
|
83
|
23
|
75
|
|
|
Rangeview H.S. (APS)
|
116
|
177
|
77
|
66
|
34
|
|
|
East High (DPS)
|
124
|
153
|
65
|
44
|
25
|
19
|
|
South High (DPS)
|
120
|
151
|
45
|
48
|
31
|
27
|
|
John F Kennedy (DPS)
|
126
|
149
|
48
|
43
|
42
|
16
|
|
Thornton High (Adams 12)
|
177
|
147
|
52
|
44
|
51
|
|
|
West High (DPS)
|
66
|
141
|
57
|
29
|
24
|
31
|
|
Dr. MLK. Jr. Early College (DPS)
|
104
|
134
|
52
|
39
|
26
|
17
|
|
Montrose H.S.
|
88
|
131
|
60
|
50
|
21
|
|
|
Skyline H.S. (St. Vrain)
|
75
|
130
|
72
|
33
|
25
|
|
|
Douglas County H.S.
|
96
|
126
|
69
|
34
|
|
|
|
Montbello H.S. (DPS)
|
97
|
126
|
55
|
32
|
22
|
17
|
|
George Washington H.S. (DPS)
|
110
|
123
|
54
|
36
|
|
|
|
Thomas Jefferson H.S. (DPS)
|
90
|
118
|
54
|
31
|
|
|
|
STRIVE Prep – Smart Academy (DPS)
|
98
|
116
|
39
|
32
|
25
|
20
|
|
Northfield H.S. (DPS)
|
71
|
114
|
59
|
29
|
|
|
|
DSST – College View (DPS)
|
92
|
107
|
32
|
43
|
|
|
|
Aurora
West College Prep (APS)
|
65
|
106
|
46
|
35
|
25
|
|
|
Loveland H.S. (Thompson
R2-J)
|
87
|
104
|
34
|
35
|
22
|
|
|
Pueblo West (Pueblo
County 70)
|
82
|
102
|
48
|
35
|
19
|
|
|
Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory (APS)
|
57
|
101
|
58
|
|
|
|
|
KIPP NE Denver Leadership (DPS)
|
86
|
100
|
29
|
29
|
|
|
|
STRIVE Prep – Rise (DPS)
|
70
|
100
|
39
|
|
26
|
|
*In blue - schools where the number of students on a READ plan grew by 40 or more, from 2020-21 to 2021-22.
|
|
2020-21
|
2021-22
|
|
STATE TOTALS
|
9,086
|
11,127
|
To return to the overall trend: yes, the
number of students on a READ plan in Colorado declines from grade 6 to 11. The more
significant fact, though, is that the number performing significantly below
grade level on reading and writing climbs higher and higher, as we see in
the results on CMAS, PSAT, and SAT.
We seldom look at these numbers.[viii]
We do not talk about them. But we must.
I know
some will say this data is too focused on gaps or deficits. That they are overly
dependent on biased tests. That many students, especially in high school, feel
no reason to try their best on state assessments. I merely ask: please do not look away.
b. CMAS & PSAT/SAT scores - Over 60,000 secondary
school students struggle to read well.
Grades 6-8
– Over 20,000 middle school students Did Not Yet Met Expectations.
Part 1 showed that in grades 3-5 we have
not yet seen even 50% of student Meet or Exceed Expectations on
CMAS-ELA. This has continued in grades 6-8.
% of 6-8
students who Met or Exceeded Expectations on CMAS English Language
Arts/Literacy[ix]
|
|
2023
|
2022
|
2019*
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
2015
|
|
Grade 6
|
43.4
|
43.0
|
43.6
|
42.8
|
40.6
|
38.3
|
39.1
|
|
Grade 7
|
45.0
|
41.8
|
46.5
|
46.6
|
44.2
|
41.0
|
41.0
|
|
Grade 8
|
42.4
|
43.9
|
46.9
|
43.8
|
43.4
|
41.6
|
40.9
|
*Not all grades were tested in 2021 due to
COVID.
We are inured to these low numbers.
In the first year of CMAS many were stunned to see the percentage at grade
level under 50%; CSAP/TCAP scores (1997-2014) had been more generous. By
now most consider CMAS results reliable. One reason: we can see how closely aligned
they are to what the national reading assessment (NAEP) has been telling us for
decades (see next page).
But if we are accustomed to these sub-50% proficiency rates, we
seldom focus on the CMAS-ELA scores at the other end. They reveal that tens of thousands
of Colorado’s middle school students score in the lowest performance level:
Did Not Yet Meet Expectations.
A reminder from Part
1: CMAS
results break down into five categories:
|
% Did Not Yet Meet
Expectations
|
% Partially Met
Expectations
|
% Approached
Expectations
|
% Met Expectations
|
% Exceeded Expectations
|
The
percentage and number of students, grades 6-8, scoring in the lowest
performance level.
CMAS – English Language Arts - % Did Not Yet Meet
Expectations
|
Grade
|
2023 - % and number of students
|
2022
|
2019
|
|
6
|
10.3% - 5,734
|
11.5%
|
9.8%
|
|
7
|
13.2% - 7,126
|
15.1%
|
13,3%
|
|
8
|
16.5% - 8,561
|
16.7%
|
15.0%
|
|
TOTAL
|
21,421 students
|
|
|
(Part 1 looked at the rate of 4
& 5 students scoring in the two lowest performance levels on CMAS-ELA over
several years. Addendum K provides that data for grades 6-8. Roughly 30%
have scored well below Meeting Expectations.)
We can see that as students
advance, the percentage who Did Not Yet Meet Expectations keeps rising.
(A heads-up: This will get worse.)
And look at how our 8th
graders performed last spring: 16.5% of them demonstrated reading and writing
skills that might be considered at the 6th grade level—at best. A
few months later, this past August, these young teenagers were high school
freshmen. (See “30 high schools” above: 120 9th graders on a READ
plan at both Adams City High and Aurora Central High.)
To underline how worried we should be about the reading skills of our 8th
graders, consider this 10-year trend for Colorado. Here are National Assessment
of Educational Progress (NAEP) results for reading. Our 8th
grade proficiency rate has not been this low since 2009.
As these 8th graders become high school freshmen, do we think
their new teachers know how to meet the needs of students with poor reading
skills? To be sure, English, science, and history teachers find ways to help
with reading comprehension skills. But decoding? Phonics? And do they have the
time to provide much-needed one-on-one support for their weakest readers? (Especially
unlikely when teachers have 35 students in a class, and 170 in all. See Another
View #260 & #261 - “Why we must talk about class size.”)
The need for intense support is huge. Our Reading Interventionists can only
do so much.
We now turn to the results on high school assessments. The state reports
that roughly 10,000 high school students are still on a READ plan. To
repeat, an unreliable figure.
Grades 9-11 – In 2023, over 40,000 high
school students Did Not Yet Meet Expectations.
|
“The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score combines
the Reading Test Score with the Writing and Language Test Score.”[x] The College Board
|
Again, while we have no reading test, per se, for high school students,
we have scores on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing portion of the
PSAT/SAT tests. Colorado students in grades
9-11 took these tests last April. As with CMAS-ELA, the state’s PSAT/SAT scores
provide solid data revealing how many students, based on these assessments, demonstrate
literacy skills well below grade level.
While
there are five performance levels for CMAS, PSAT/SAT uses only four.
|
% Did Not Yet Meet
Expectations*
|
% Approached
Expectations
|
% Met Expectations
|
% Exceeded Expectations
|
*What does it mean to
score “Did Not Yet Meet Expectations” on PSAT/SAT? See Addendum L.
Again, note how the percentage of students scoring in the
lowest performance level keeps climbing.
2023 - % Did
Not Yet Meet Expectations[xi]
|
Test/ Grade
|
Overall - % and number
|
Asian
|
Black
|
Hispanic
|
2 or more races
|
White
|
|
PSAT 9
|
21.2% - 12,391 students
|
11.3%
|
35%
|
34.4%
|
16.1%
|
11.8%
|
|
PSAT 10
|
22.1% - 12,429 students
|
12.8%
|
34.3%
|
36.4%
|
16.5%
|
12.4%
|
|
SAT 11
|
28% - 15,663
students
|
17.1%
|
44.8%
|
46.4%
|
21.8%
|
16.1%
|
|
TOTAL
|
40,483 students
|
|
|
|
|
|
A
three-year picture (2021-23) of the percentage of high school students scoring Did
Not Yet Meet shows another disturbing trend.[xii]
Grim facts, don’t you agree? In 2023:
· 40,000 high school students in grades 9-11 scored at the lowest
performance level on a Reading/Writing assessment.
· Nearly 30% of our juniors
demonstrated literacy skills that are perhaps two or more years below grade
level. Another 13.1% of 11th graders, 7,335 students, scored Approached
Expectations, perhaps one year below grade level.
·
Close
to 45% of Black and Hispanic high school juniors scored Did Not Yet Meet Expectations.
Are policy makers and school leaders willing
to acknowledge and address this reality? Or will they continue their narrow focus
on reading in grades K-3?
Total – 61,904 secondary school
students perform at “lowest performance level”
We conclude with a full
picture for grades 6-11: in 2023, a total of 61,904 students scored
at the lowest performance level on Colorado’s reading and writing assessments.
Not too late to help
our 17-year-olds – soon to be voting citizens
We must have an honest picture of the
reading skills of our students throughout the K-12 system. Maybe what I
present here is wrong. Let’s find out. We all need to see the problem for what
it is.
If the evidence in this report is
essentially on target, Colorado must see reading at grade level, reading
with fluency, reading with strong comprehension – in short, reading well,
as a K-12 issue. It is a challenge for the whole system.
Three cheers to Colorado for having made a
major commitment to improve how we help students learn to read in the first
four grades. Congratulations to all the K-3 teachers doing their best to help
our youngest boys and girls make good progress.
But it is just a start. Tens of
thousands of students beyond third grade cannot read well.
Most perilous for them and for our
country – as they approach graduation, the data suggests that over one in
five high school students cannot read well.
So it is not just 7-year-old students;
17-year-olds, too, are struggling. Soon to be voting citizens. And we say we want
a literate citizenry?
Public education is probably the last
chance many students will have to learn how to read. The K-12 system owes them our
best effort.
After the READ Act,
we have nine years, grades 4-12, nine opportunities to do the job.
Two recommendations:
For grades 4-5: We extend
the READ Act to train and support teachers in these grades. We make sure all elementary teachers have the skills to meet
the needs of their struggling readers.
For grades 6-12: We take
off our blinders. We acknowledge the difficulty so many 6-12 students experience
as readers. We make it a priority to help them become competent readers before
they graduate.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Addendum A
From Chalkbeat Colorado
“What happens when older students struggle to read? We
asked. You answered.”
by Ann Schimke, June 13, 2022
When students get to middle and high school
without strong reading skills, the results can be devastating.
In response to a recent Chalkbeat survey,
dozens of parents and educators described secondary students who refuse to read
out loud for fear of being teased, who can’t understand math word problems or
science vocabulary, and gradually give up on school altogether. They worried
such students face poor job prospects and bleak futures.
One mother called the distress faced by
older struggling readers “astronomical.”
But respondents also had lots of ideas for
helping older struggling readers. It’s an area ripe for attention, since most
states and districts have focused recent reading improvement on early
elementary students.
Bold mine
“Funding is essential
for the training teachers need to work with struggling students. I have been
continually frustrated by the lack of
money needed to train staff, simply because the students are past third
grade.” — Shawna
Hettich, teacher, Bear Creek K-8 School, Lakewood
“We need research-based reading curriculum. We need to use these
curriculums in middle and high school to get kids moving, not just ignore it in
the name of teaching grade-level standards that kids aren’t going to
get anyway.” — Tessa McAleer, teacher, STRIVE Prep — Lake campus, Denver.
“I discovered that the 17-year-old freshman I worked with was reading
at a second grade level. Though it took a while, I was able to arrange for
testing which showed she had dyslexia. I was able to enlist help from BOCES
[Board of Cooperative Educational Services], got her a tutor and other support,
but she did not participate. I think she’d already given up on school after
so many years without success.” — Carolyn Faselt, CASA Truancy
Volunteer, Clear Creek County
“I have dyslexia and
because of that, I felt dumb for a lot of my life. It really affected my
mental state as I felt lesser than a lot of my peers because I couldn’t
read as fast and spell as well as them. In middle school, I wanted to hide
my dyslexia because I wanted to feel like I fit in and was as smart as all
my friends.” — Audrey Drakos, high school student, Littleton Public Schools,
Centennial
“I observe the effects of limited reading skills on a daily
basis. Kids lack self-confidence,
they can’t access the reading content assigned in their core classes, they turn
to other avenues for affirmation, usually social media and behaviors that
distract from their academic struggles.” — Shawna
Hettich, teacher, Bear Creek K-8 School, Lakewood https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2022/6/13/23161498/struggling-readers-middle-high-school-chalkbeat-survey/
Addendum B
A central goal
of the READ Act (that we have not met and cannot meet)
“reading at
grade level by the end of 3rd grade”
The goal of the READ Act has been stated in various ways.
Whatever the version you look at, after 12 years, we must admit that each is
far out of reach of what K-12 public education in Colorado can accomplish. The
stated goal is more than ambitious; it is preposterous and it is naïve. Let’s
stop pretending we can do this. It is time to revise.
1) From the 2012
legislation:
IT IS THEREFORE THE INTENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
THAT EACH LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER THAT ENROLLS STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN OR
FIRST, SECOND, OR THIRD GRADE WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE PARENTS AND TEACHERS
OF THESE STUDENTS TO PROVIDE THE STUDENTS THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMMING,
INTERVENTION INSTRUCTION, AND SUPPORT, AT HOME AND IN SCHOOL, NECESSARY TO
ENSURE THAT STUDENTS, BY THE COMPLETION OF THIRD GRADE, CAN DEMONSTRATE A LEVEL
OF COMPETENCY IN READING SKILLS THAT IS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THEM IN ACHIEVING THE
ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS APPLICABLE TO THE FOURTH-GRADE CURRICULUM.
https://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2012A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/BE80872E0CC93D2987257981007DC105?Open&file=1238_enr.pdf
2) “About the Colorado
READ Act” – Colorado Department of Education
The Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (Colorado
READ Act) was passed by the Colorado legislature in 2012, giving the state the
guiding philosophy, structure and resources to get children reading at grade
level by the time they enter the fourth grade. https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy
3) The Colorado Department of Education’s
Strategic Plan, 2017-2023, has five goals, including:
“By the end
of third grade, all students can read at grade level.” https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdecomm/cdeperformanceplan
4) Legislative Council Staff Nonpartisan
Services for Colorado’s Legislature – Issue Brief - October 2019
Overview Enacted in 2012, the READ Act addresses
literacy education for early elementary grade students to master the reading
and literacy skills necessary to meet fourth-grade curriculum and beyond. https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/r19-861_issue_brief_on_updates_to_the_read_act.pdf
5) Sen.
Janet Buckner – Chalkbeat Colorado’s 2024 Legislative Preview, Jan. 9, 2024
Responding
to a question about the READ Act - “I am a big proponent of the READ Act… We
understand the urgency of being able to read by third grade. We all know
the statistics about what happens if you don’t learn by third grade –
the school-to-prison pipeline is one example – so we know the urgency is there.
As legislators we are insisting that the schools prioritize the fact that our
kids need to read…” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Ipq7Zp0EI
Addendum C
NAEP scores represent a higher bar
than CMAS
NOTE: CMAS English Language Arts is both a reading
and writing assessment, so CMAS scores do not capture reading skills,
per se, accurately. NAEP (a national test) is strictly a reading test.
CMAS-ELA
– % Meet or Exceed Expectations NAEP
– Colorado score - % Proficient or Above
|
|
GRADE 4
|
|
GRADE 8
|
NOTE decline
since 2017. Only 34% of 8th graders proficient: the lowest NAEP for
Colorado since 2009.*
|
|
|
CMAS - ELA
|
NAEP - Reading
|
|
CMAS-ELA
|
NAEP - Reading
|
|
2017
|
44.1
|
40
|
|
43.4
|
41
|
|
2019
|
48.0
|
40
|
|
46.9
|
38
|
|
2022
|
44.1
|
38
|
|
43.9
|
34
|
When compared to NAEP, the “gold
standard” of national tests, CMAS scores are higher than NAEP results. If CMAS
results appear discouraging or harsh to many in Colorado, it is worth knowing
that they present students’ literacy skills in a more favorable light than
NAEP scores do on their reading skills.
*https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile/overview/CO?cti=PgTab_OT&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=CO&fs=Grade&st=MN&year=2022R3&sg=Gender%3A%20Male%20vs.%20Female&sgv=Difference&ts=Single%20Year&sfj=NP
Addendum D
Using CMAS data to help us understand
READ Act results
From the “Independent
Evaluation of the Colorado READ Act: Per Pupil Funding - Year 3 Summary Report,”
by WestEd, RTI International, and Augenblick, Palaich, & Associates
CMAS Proficiency and SRD Status
“Students first take the CMAS assessment in the 3rd
grade, the final year in which interim READ Act assessments are given. Since
the goal of the READ Act is to identify struggling readers and provide them
with the support they need to read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade, 3rd-grade
CMAS scores provide one way to gauge the extent to which early literacy
instruction and interventions have moved students towards 3rd-grade reading
proficiency.”
Only a small
number of students identified as SRD at any point in their K-3 years become proficient
readers by the end of 3rd grade:
“Since the 2014–2015 school year, fewer than 4.5% of
students per year who had ever been identified as having an SRD achieved
proficiency on the CMAS ELA exam in the 3rd grade (i.e., met or exceeded expectations)
…
“That trend
continued in the 2021–2022 school year, with only 4.1% of students who had ever
been identified with an SRD reaching proficiency.”
https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/readactperpupilsummaryreportyear3
Addendum E
On CMAS-ELA, what does a score of
“Partially Met Expectations” mean?
Descriptors
from CDE – grade 3 and grade 8
From CDE’s Interpretive Guide to Assessment
Reports – A Guide for Parents and Educators. An explanation of the reading
skills when scores are in the next to bottom quartile, Partially Met
Expectations. https://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/cmas_coalt_interpretiveguide_2023
Scoring PARTIALLY MET EXPECTATIONS – reading skills
Bold mine
Grade 3 ELA and CSLA Performance Level Descriptors
A student who achieves at Level 2 partially meets
expectations for the assessed standards.
In reading, the pattern exhibited by student
responses indicates:
● With very complex text, students
demonstrate the inability to ask or answer questions, showing limited
understanding of the text when referring to explicit details and examples
in the text.
● With moderately complex text, students
demonstrate the ability to be minimally accurate when asking and/or
answering questions, showing minimal understanding of the text when
referring to explicit details and examples in the text.
● With readily accessible text, students
demonstrate the ability to be partially accurate when asking and/or
answering questions, showing partial understanding of the text when
referring to explicit details and examples in the text.
Grade 8 ELA Performance Level Descriptors
A student who achieves at Level 2 partially
meets expectations for the assessed standards.
In reading, the pattern exhibited by
student responses indicates:
●With very complex text, students
demonstrate the inability to do an accurate analysis of the text,
showing limited understanding of the text when referring to explicit
details and examples in the text and when supporting sound inferences drawn
from the text.
●With moderately complex text, students
demonstrate the ability to do minimally accurate analyses of the text,
showing minimal understanding of the text when referring to explicit
details and examples in the text and when supporting sound inferences drawn
from the text.
●With readily accessible text, students
demonstrate the ability to do partially accurate analyses of the text,
showing partial understanding of the text when referring to explicit
details and examples in the text and when supporting sound inferences drawn
from the text.
Addendum F
Grades 4 and 5 - Scoring in the lowest
two performance levels, 2016-2022
CMAS-ELA
- Percentage and number of students
|
GRADE 4
|
Did Not
Yet Meet Expectations (lowest performance level)
|
|
Partially
Met Expectations
(second
lowest level)
|
TOTAL
|
|
2022
|
15.1% -
8,424
|
|
15.6% - 8,689
|
26-30%
16,000 to 18,000 students each year
|
|
2019
|
11.8% -
7,492
|
|
14.7% -
9,282
|
|
2018
|
10.6% -
6,875
|
|
17.2% -
11,158
|
|
2017
|
12.07% -
7,685
|
|
17.7% -
11,350
|
|
2016
|
12.0% -
7,543
|
|
16.7% -
10,542
|
2021 – Grade 4 not tested. Covid year.
|
GRADE 5
|
Did Not Yet Meet Expectations (bottom performance
level)
|
|
Partially Met Expectations
(second lowest level)
|
TOTAL
|
|
2022
|
8.2% - 4,707
|
|
19.3% -
11,091
|
26-28%
12,000
to 19,000
students
each year
|
|
2021
|
7.7% - 3,595
|
|
19.2% - 9,015
|
|
2019
|
9.0% - 5,927
|
|
17.0% - 11,201
|
|
2018
|
9.9% - 6,448
|
|
16.1% - 10,527
|
|
2017
|
10.5% - 6,675
|
|
17.0% - 10,779
|
|
2016
|
10.8% - 6,997
|
|
19.8% - 12,273
|
Conclusion:
Most years 30,000 to 35,000 4th and 5th graders perform
well below grade level.
Addendum G
Why include grades 4 and 5 in READ
Act training
What the Independent Evaluation of the READ Act heard from
schools and districts.
Year 3 report (June 2023)
Bold mine
From Challenges Related to Reading
Approach
Challenges
were cited with regard to instructional materials, the Advisory List, and
supporting learning and adoption of new teaching practices….
Although
some schools reported that the Advisory List was useful and impactful in the
adoption of evidence-based materials, they also reported challenges in the
lack of inclusion of 4th- and 5th-grade materials, which would foster alignment
across elementary schools. (p.18)
From Challenges Associated with READ Act
Per-Pupil Funding
“… Some
participants [in the study] also cited difficulties in addressing the needs
of 4th and 5th-grade students with reading challenges. They
advocated for additional guidance to help these groups and/or for the READ
Act to be extended to higher grade levels.” (pp. 58-59)
From Professional Development;
Evidence-Based Requirements
“One school
noted it would have been helpful to require all teachers in 4th and 5th
grades, administrators, and paraprofessionals to take the training too,
preferably at the same time as the rest of the school staff, to promote more
cohesive understanding of instructional expectations schoolwide. Other
schools noted the benefit of teachers going through the training at the same
time, as it gave them an opportunity to support each other and promoted
collaboration within the school, especially if the administration provided
dedicated time for a professional learning community or similar structure to
support continued professional learning. The CDE training, in particular, provided
a ‘common language’ around the science of reading that helped school teams
achieve consistent understanding of instructional expectations. It also
facilitated dialogue within the school about approaches to reading, encouraging
a collaborative culture to flourish.” (p. 25)
Year 3 Independent
Evaluation of READ Act (June 2023). https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/readactperpupilsummaryreportyear3
Addendum H
Conversation with CDE’s Literacy Program Supervisor
On the training
taken and/or needed by teachers in grades 4 and higher
From
a conversation on Feb. 1, 2024, with Melissa Ahlstrand, Literacy Program
Supervisor, Elementary Literacy and School Readiness, Colorado Department of
Education.
How
many or what percentage of 4th/ 5th grade
teachers have this (READ-Act like) training on the “science of reading”?
M.
A. – “I cannot say how many do have this training.”
She
reminds me that SB 199 includes READ Act training for:
- all K-3
teachers who provide literacy instruction and any new teachers who are hired
and provide literacy instruction, and
-all who
fulfill the function of “Reading Interventionist.” (See below for CDE’s
summary.*)
M.A.
– “Districts have to determine these
definitions. It is up to each district to determine who would be required to
take the training.”
“Many
districts might say their 4th and 5th grade
teachers are the ones” to fill this “function” as interventionists, and
therefore they will take the READ Act teacher training. There is good reason to believe many 4th and
5th grade teachers have had this training. [But] it is not
required. It is not written [down as a requirement] like it is for K-3
teachers.”
Ahlstrand
reminds me that this is a local decision. The state does not know how many 4th
and 5th grade teachers are tasked with being a Reading
Interventionist [in addition to their regular job].
Are
4th and 5th grade teachers encouraged to take the
training?
M.A. “I encourage
all teachers to take the training.”
Is
it possible we might find it necessary to require it of all 4th and
5th grade teachers, given the huge number students they are
working with still on a READ plan?
M.A. - “If
you’re working with students to help them learn how to read, my personal
opinion is that you should take the training. If you don’t have that knowledge,
if you don’t understand how the brain learns to read and why some students
may struggle, it would be difficult to put together the right plan that would
best support students with becoming proficient readers.
“You [as a
teacher] have one shot at helping his/her student [be they in 2nd grade,
4th grade, or 6thgrade]. My hope is that you have
the knowledge to help that student.”
I
ask her thoughts on what is needed beyond third grade.
M.A – “There
are still many students beyond 3rd grade who are not demonstrating
grade level proficiency in reading. These students need to continue to
receive intervention that will help them develop the skills needed to become
proficient readers.”
**
* FROM CDE
The READ Act requires districts to ensure that all K-3
teachers who provide literacy instruction to students in grades K-3 and K-12
reading interventionists fulfill the READ Act teacher training requirements.
Which roles must complete the training relates to the definitions of a
“teacher” and "reading interventionist" in the State Board rules for
the Colorado READ Act which are listed below:
- 1 CCR 301-92
(2.39) Teacher: The professional responsible for the
literacy instruction of the student(s) and may include the main instructor
for a class, an instructional coach, Reading Interventionist (in grades
K-3), special education teacher, Title I teacher or other personnel who
are identified as effective in the teaching of reading and who has been
employed to teach kindergarten or any of grades one through three.
- 1 CCR 301-92 (2.30) Reading Interventionist: An
individual employed to teach students and whose primary job duties include
providing reading intervention to students on READ Act Plans during
regular school hours to supplement core academic instruction and who is
employed in any of grades K-12.
Addendum I
One school goes all in - K-5
From
the Independent Evaluation of the READ Act (June 2023)
ABC Elementary’s Experience with the Evidence-Based
Training Requirement
Bold mine
“Opting for
a whole-school approach to the training, all licensed K–5 instructional and
paraprofessional staff completed the CDE course and had the opportunity to
participate in monthly meetings to discuss the coursework. Staff described
observing multiple benefits to this approach… ABC Elementary’s experience
demonstrates how a coordinated, whole-school approach to the training—reinforced
by ongoing peer-to-peer support structures integrated throughout the school
year—can result in meaningful changes in educators’ knowledge and instructional.”
https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/readactperpupilsummaryreportyear3
Addendum J
Legislation in other states reaching
beyond 3rd grade
After 17 more states
passed “laws or other policies related to evidence-based reading instruction”
last year, 37 states and the District of Columbia, according to Education
Week, now have such policies in place.* But in most cases, the work is focused on grades K-3.
Colorado policy
makers who recognize the prevalence of students’ reading difficulties
throughout the K12 system might look to legislation passed (Virginia) or
currently up for debate (Indiana) in other states. These might be the first of
many efforts to reach beyond third grade.
Virginia passed the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) in 2022.
“… Virginia
is taking the lead nationwide to improve early literacy outcomes for Virginia’s
young learners. Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year:
“Every student in kindergarten to grade
five will receive core literacy instruction based in scientifically based
reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction, as defined in the
VLA. Students in kindergarten through grade eight will also receive
evidence-based supplemental instruction and intervention, as outlined in an
individualized student reading plan, if they do not meet literacy benchmarks.” [ii]
(Virginia Literacy Act, Virginia Department of Education, https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/english-reading-literacy/literacy/virginia-literacy-act. More at Virginia Literacy Act, Virginia Literacy Partnerships, https://literacy.virginia.edu/vla-instructional-programs#:~:text)
The Indiana legislature is currently weighing Senate Bill 6.
“Reading proficiency. Requires the department of education
(department) to develop a method to identify students in grade 4 through
grade 8 who: (1) did not pass the determinant evaluation of reading skills
approved by the state board of education; and (2) are at risk of not being
proficient in reading as determined by Lexile scores on the statewide summative
assessment. Requires the department to develop guidance for schools
regarding how to support students who are at risk of not being proficient in
reading.” [iii]
(Passed House Committee
on Education 10-0, Feb. 14, 2024)
(Senate Bill 6 - Reading Proficiency, Indiana General Assembly, 2024 Session. https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/6/details)
* Sarah Schwartz, “The Science of Reading in 2024: 5 State initiatives to Watch,” (Education Week, Feb. 7, 2024). https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/the-science-of-reading-in-2024-5-state-initiatives-to-watch/2024/01
Addendum K
CMAS-English Language Arts scores –
Grades 6-8
Percentage and number of students
scoring in two lowest performance levels;
both levels are below Approaching Expectations
|
GRADE 6
|
Did Not Yet Meet Expectations (lowest performance
level)
|
|
Partially Met Expectations
(second lowest level)
|
TOTAL
|
|
2023
|
10.3% – 5,734
|
|
20.2% - 11,209
|
28-31%
16,000 to 19,000 students each year
|
|
2022
|
11.5% - 6,430
|
|
18.5% - 10,361
|
|
2019
|
9.8% - 6,330
|
|
18.3% - 11,777
|
|
2018
|
10.5% - 6,653
|
|
18.9% - 12,049
|
|
2017
|
10.1% - 6,135
|
|
20.3% - 12,352
|
.
|
GRADE 7
|
Did Not Yet
Meet Expectations (lowest performance level)
|
|
Partially Met
Expectations
(second
lowest level)
|
TOTAL
|
|
2023
|
13.2% - 7,126
|
|
17.5% - 9,440
|
30-34%
16,000 to 19,000 students each
year
|
|
2022
|
15.1% - 8,342
|
|
18.9% - 10,464
|
|
2019
|
13.3% - 8,362
|
|
16.9% - 10,569
|
|
2018
|
14.4% - 8,793
|
|
15.7% - 9,563
|
|
2017
|
14.0% - 8,219
|
|
16.8% - 9,880
|
|
GRADE 8
|
Did Not Yet Meet Expectations
(bottom performance level)
|
|
Partially Met
Expectations
(second lowest level)
|
TOTAL
|
|
2023
|
16.5% - 8,561
|
|
18% - 9,291
|
34.5% -
17,852
|
|
2022
|
16.7% - 8,779
|
|
17.1%
- 9004
|
31-34%
18,000 students each year
|
|
2019
|
15.0% - 8,796
|
|
16.2% - 9,519
|
|
2018
|
14.7% - 8,624
|
|
17.1% - 10,064
|
|
2017
|
14.8% - 8,292
|
|
17.6% - 9,886
|
And
when we combine the two columns in 2023, we see that roughly ONE-THIRD OF
THE 8TH GRADE CLASS entered high school nowhere close to
performing at grade level on CMAS-ELA.
Addendum L
What does it mean to score “Did Not
Yet Meet Expectations” on the PSAT/SAT?
From the website for Colorado
Department of Education
SAT Performance Levels
and Cut Scores –
https://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/sat-psat#satperfcutscore
Performance Level Descriptors
Policy level descriptors are general statements across grades and content
areas indicating the expected level of achievement or rigor for each level. For
PSAT/SAT, Colorado adopted four levels of achievement named consistently with
the Colorado Measures of Academic Success but with text specific to high
school.
Level 1 - Did Not Yet Meet Expectations
Students performing at this level may minimally approach
the academic expectations for the knowledge, skills and practices known to be
most relevant for success in college and careers contained in the assessed high
school Colorado Academic Standards.
With significant additional coursework, students may engage successfully
in entry-level, credit-bearing courses.
__________________________________________________________________
Footnotes
CMA-ELA.
A useful check on reading progress?
Ever since 2015 when CMAS became our state test, the Colorado Department
of Education has chosen not to give the public results that break down
reading skills versus writing skills. In Another View I have often
voiced my frustration that CDE cannot be more transparent in communicating what
the results tell us about reading vs. writing. AV#167, 168 (fall
2017); #192, 193 (spring 2019); #217, 218 (fall 2020).
Note one rationale CDE gives for its decision. Every writing portion of
CMAS ELA is connected to reading passages; each writing prompt is connected to
what students read on the test. Therefore (the explanation goes) it is
difficult to break down the difference in reading skills versus writing skills.
(This is why CMAS results, I suspect, most likely say more about how well
students read than how well they write.)
Why else do we believe CMAS-ELA scores reveal
“something meaningful” about our students’ reading skills? We see that CMAS-ELA
results compare favorably to the “gold standard” of national reading tests, the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). (In fact, CMAS data might
overstate how well our students are reading. See Addendum C: 2022
results for 8th grade: CMAS-ELA, 44% Met/Exceeded Expectations,
but on NAEP-Reading, only 34% scored Proficient.)
What does it mean to score “Did Not Yet Meet
Expectations”? From the Colorado
Department of Education: “CMAS - Performance levels and Policy Claims – Students
who do not yet meet academic expectations for the concepts, skills, and
practices embodied by the Colorado Academic Standards assessed at their grade
level. They will need extensive academic support to engage successfully
in further studies in this content area.” https://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/cmas_perflvl_plcclms
[i]
“After six years of implementation of the READ
Act, schools and districts were not seeing the dramatic improvements in reading
levels envisioned by state leaders.” READ Act - SB 19-199
Amendment Updates, Colorado Department of Education. https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/sb19199updates
[vii] Colorado READ Act FAQs - What is a Significant Reading
Deficiency? Pursuant to the READ Act, teachers in grades kindergarten
through three administer an interim assessment to all children in order to determine
whether children are making sufficient progress to grade level reading
proficiency. When students are identified as significantly below grade level
(called a “significant reading deficiency” or SRD), teachers administer a
diagnostic assessment to determine specific areas of need for reading
improvement. https://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/20171219readhighlights#whatissrdS
Part 2
[iv] Data from READ Act annual reports and from CDE upon my requests for additional information.
2022 data – from 2023 READ Act report – Number of Students Who Remain on READ Plans by Grade Level as Reported in 2021-2022.
2021 data – from 2022 READ Act report – (on 2020-21) Any student, identified with an SRD, who is not yet reading at grade level by the end of third grade will continue to receive support, regardless of their SRD status.
2019 data – from 2020 READ Act report (on 2018-19)- The READ Act requires continued support for students with READ plans past third grade. Approximately 43,000 students who were once identified with an SRD still have READ plans in place in fourth grade and beyond. …
2018 data - from 2019 READ Act report – (on 2017-18) Approximately 30,000 students who were once identified with an SRD still have READ plans in place beyond third grade.https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/readactannuallegislativereports
[vii] Read Plan Per Grade Data – provided to me by the Colorado Department of Education, Feb. 9, 2024.
[xii] Percentage of students (grades 9-11) scoring far below Meets Expectation rises from 2021 to 2023.
% and Number of Students who Did Not Yet Meet Expectations (Level 1 - lowest level performance)
Test/Grade | 2021 | 2022 | | 2023 |
PSAT 9 | 17.0% | 20.7% - over 12,000 students | | 21.2% - 12,391 students |
PSAT 10 | 18.2% | 19.6% - over 11,000 students | | 22.1% - 12,429 students |
SAT 11 | 25.2% | 28.2% - nearly 16,000 students | | 28.0% - 15,663 students |
TOTAL | 20% | 23% - nearly 40,000 | | 24% - 40,483 students |
https://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/sat-psat-data
