Literacy backed as schools' top job

The fight to end illiteracy in Charleston County schools took a critical step forward Monday night when the school board declared that reading would be the district's top educational priority.

The board unanimously gave a new proposed literacy policy initial approval during its first reading, a clear signal of its commitment to ensuring that students no longer will be passed through schools without learning to read. The board decided to create the policy after a series of Post and Courier stories revealed the serious illiteracy problem in local schools; nearly 20 percent of the county's ninth-graders read on a fourth-grade level or worse.

The policy prohibits the district from promoting struggling readers to the next grade if they refuse to participate in programs designed to improve their reading. It may be the most controversial part of the policy, but school Superintendent Nancy McGinley said it's among the most critical. Some students may not want to receive the extra help because it involves transferring schools, but McGinley said the district can't afford to make it optional. She pointed to last summer's voluntary programs as an example and said that some students came only sporadically, which lessened the programs' effect.

"We need to stay strong," she said. "We need to say this is what we're going to do."

Board member Chris Collins expressed concern about forcing middle school students to leave their neighborhood schools to get help with reading, but McGinley said the intense tutoring those students need can't be offered at every school.

The policy requires the superintendent to develop and implement a district-wide literacy plan that identifies and helps weak readers, and McGinley presented her $5.5 million proposal to the board. Kindergarten and first-grade students would be screened this spring and separated into two groups -- those reading at grade level and those reading below grade level.

Those who are on track would progress to the next grade, while those who are behind would have to attend a summer program designed to catch them up.

Students who made enough improvement in the summer program would be allowed to move on to the next grade without extra help, and those who still aren't reading at grade level would be promoted but separated into two groups -- those needing intensive, one-on-one help and those in need of small-group assistance. Students would be assessed the following spring to determine whether they still needed help or whether they are at grade level, and the program would expand by one grade each year. For older students, McGinley said she plans to replicate the new Sixth Grade Academy in North Charleston in three other areas.

School board member Chris Fraser wanted to know where the money for these programs would come from, and he reminded his colleagues that this would be an additional expense they would have to absorb in next year's budget.

Officials said they already have identified the $2.5 million needed to cover the elementary school program for next year, and they are looking at different options to find the $3 million for the middle school program. McGinley conceded that money will be an issue and that some funding going toward high schools would be redirected to make this work.

School board Chairwoman Ruth Jordan said the district doesn't want to retain children, but it also doesn't want to pass them along when they shouldn't be moving forward. It's more costly to intervene later, so giving students extra help early is the best investment, she said.

"If we are truly committed to closing the achievement gap and making sure all of our children can be successful, we need to fund this and we need to implement this policy," she said.

The literacy policy will return to the board for final approval.

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