Literacy rates show improvement

The Charleston County School District's new and aggressive campaign to improve students' reading already has sparked notable improvements, with the superintendent calling the gains a "great reflection of progress."

New figures show the percentage of next year's freshmen who read at a fourth-grade level or worse has dropped from 18 percent to 14 percent. Last year, nearly one in five students couldn't read better than a fourth-grader. This year, it's one in seven.

"When they came to me with these numbers, it was the best day I've had in a long time," said Superintendent Nancy McGinley. "It proves when we focus on something, we can get it done."

School officials learned about students' weak reading skills last year after The Post and Courier requested this analysis. The superintendent and school board responded by making literacy the district's top priority, and the emphasis on reading has permeated every school.

Still, while this year's results seem promising, it will take several years to know whether it's a one-year blip or part of a long-term trend. The district didn't track this information until last year.

Schools always have worked on literacy, but teachers and principals received a clear message this year that they would be accountable for students' reading skills, McGinley said. She said she thinks this year's results reflect several years of attention on the issue.

District officials made new efforts this year to promote literacy, and they plan to roll out a more expansive, intensive, multi-million-dollar plan this fall to identify and help weak readers.

The programs for struggling readers will be mandatory instead of voluntary, and the district will expand its reach to include first-graders and sixth-graders across the district. McGinley said she expects to see more progress among students as those plans take effect.

School board member Gregg Meyers led the effort on the board to create a literacy policy. The increased focus on reading seems to be producing results, and he said he was glad to see that.

If the board stays committed, it has the opportunity to make a big impact on illiteracy, he said. But its biggest weakness has been failing to identify goals and seeking progress on those, he said.

"It is encouraging but still not good enough," he said. "It at least shows positive movement, with more room for improvement."

Eleven of the district's 14 high schools will have freshmen who are better readers this fall. Of the three high schools that will enroll higher percentages of poor readers, two are magnets that draw students from the entire county and don't have a defined feeder school pattern.

The only neighborhood school to regress was downtown Burke High School, where 40 percent of its incoming freshmen read on a fourth-grade level or worse, compared with 33 percent last year.

McGinley didn't have an explanation for what happened, but she said she's glad to see fewer schools needing the same level of help as Burke High. She hopes to start another partnership with The Citadel to help teachers earn reading certifications so they can work in some of the district's lowest-performing schools.

West Ashley High School is among the schools that will have stronger ninth-grade readers this fall. The school saw a nearly 9 percentage point improvement in students reading on a fourth-grade level or worse.

Ben Bragg is principal of St. Andrew's Middle School in West Ashley, which is one of the main feeder schools for the high school. He recognized five years ago that illiteracy was a problem in his school, and he said he's worked since then to have more students reading on grade level.

The push from the district and school board this year boosted the school's efforts, he said.

"There's an urgency, and it made it that much more of a focus than it was in the past," he said.

The school identified students' reading abilities, and its weakest readers received additional help every day. Specialized tests showed students' precise problems, and a team of educators came up with a plan to address those deficiencies.

Those reading slightly better had extra help every other day, while its best readers were challenged in a special honors class, he said.

The school carved out 15 minutes each day for creative reading and writing, and it separated boys from girls in single-gender classes and gave them reading materials suited to their interests, he said.

Students also benefitted from the staff's consistency and high expectations, he said.

He said he looks forward to the time when the district's new programs have taken effect and fewer middle school students need the extra help.

"We've done a lot," he said. "We're starting to see the results."

Reach Diette Courrégé at dcourrege@postandcourier.com or 937-5546.