Montana Fourth-Graders Read Above National Average

Sixty-five percent of students in Montana’s public schools are unable to read at grade-level proficiency when entering fourth grade, a rate that is only slightly better than the national rate of 67 percent ( http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard ; http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/acrossstates/Rankings.aspx?ind=5116 ).

A report released last week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows Montana fourth-graders are ranked 17th in the nation in reading proficiency, based on findings released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation raises awareness of the critical importance of achieving grade-level reading proficiency for all children by the end of third grade through the release of its special report, “Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters” ( http://www.aecf.org/readingmatters.aspx ). The ability to read is central to a child’s success in school, lifelong earning potential and ability to contribute to the nation’s economy and security.

A broad coalition of organizations, including America’s Promise Alliance, Mission: Readiness, and United Way Worldwide, support this call for renewed emphasis on reading success.

Although NAEP scores have shown incremental increases during the past 15 years for most students, disparities in reading achievement persist across economic, racial and ethnic groups. The shortfall in reading proficiency is especially pronounced among low-income children: More than four out of five children from low-income families fail to reach the “proficient” level in reading. The shortfall occurs similarly for low-income children attending schools in cities, suburbs, towns and rural areas, and is especially pronounced in high-poverty schools serving African American, Hispanic and American Indian students.

The primary predictor of future success is whether a person graduates from high school, and early reading skills are essential to achieving that milestone, said Alma Powell, of America’s Promise Alliance.

“The National Research Council has shown that a child who is not at least a modestly skilled reader by the end of third grade is unlikely to graduate from high school,” Powell said.

The current pool of high school graduates is neither large nor skilled enough to meet the country’s national security needs, said retired Army Brig. Gen. Velma Richardson of Mission: Readiness.

“The Defense Department estimates 75 percent of Americans aged 17 to 24 are ineligible to join the U.S. military because they are poorly educated, involved in crime or physically unfit,” Richardson said. “Even with a high school diploma, 30 percent of potential recruits fail the entrance exam due to inadequate math and reading skills. We must get today’s kids on track to become tomorrow’s leaders.”

Presently, an estimated 80,000 young adults in Montana are ineligible to join the armed forces ( http://www.missionreadiness.org/press110509.html ).

Recognizing these and other challenges, “Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters” has identified four steps to close the gap and raise the bar:

1. Develop a coherent system of early care and education that aligns, integrates and coordinates what happens from birth through third grade so children are ready to take on the learning tasks associated with fourth grade and beyond.

2. Encourage and enable parents, families and caregivers to play their indispensable roles as co-producers of good outcomes for their children.

3. Prioritize, support and invest in results-driven initiatives to transform low-performing schools into high-quality teaching and learning environments in which all children, including those from low-income families and high-poverty neighborhoods, are present, engaged and educated to high standards.

4. Develop and use solutions to two of the most significant contributors to the under-achievement of children from low-income families: chronic absence from school and summer learning loss.

“Because shortfalls in grade-level reading are such strong predictors of future problems, philanthropy is putting a stake in the ground on ensuring that children are able to read at grade level by the end of third grade,” said Michael L. Eskew, Casey board chair and former CEO of UPS. “The research is clear and compelling. And it affirms what common sense tells us. In a knowledge-dependent world and global economy, no city, no region, no nation ― including our own ― can compete successfully without attending to the basics. And that starts with reading.”

The Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization that fosters public policies, human-service reforms and community support to more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. For more information, visit http://www.aecf.org .

The Montana Kids Count program is funded through the Annie E. Casey Foundation and is part of a national network of Kids Count organizations. Housed in The University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Montana Kids Count is a statewide effort to identify the status and well-being of Montana children by collecting data about them and publishing an annual data book. For more information, visit http://www.montanakidscount.org .

http://news.umt.edu/2010/05/052610read.aspx