Some likely graduates lack reading skills

Most of Charleston County's high school dropouts were far behind in reading when they decided to give up. That's not shocking to school leaders.

But what is perplexing is that many students who were just as far behind in reading when they entered high school are expected to graduate on time this spring. And even more troubling, some students who read on grade level or even better dropped out of school anyway.

Charleston School Superintendent Nancy McGinley struggled to explain the contradictions. The findings came to light after The Post and Courier requested an analysis of eighth-graders' reading levels from spring 2006 -- right before they entered high school -- and find out who dropped out and who remained on track to graduate. Earlier this year, the newspaper revealed that nearly 20 percent of this year's freshmen read on a fourth-grade level or lower.

McGinley couldn't explain why so many students who weren't reading on grade level have been able to pass high school courses and move on to the next grade. Nearly one-third of the students who are expected to graduate on time this spring were two or more years behind in reading when they started high school, and 11 percent of the expected on-time graduates read at a fourth-grade level or worse when they started high school.

The state has safeguards against social promotion -- teachers passing students based on their age versus their achievement -- aimed at preventing students from making it through high school unable to read, McGinley said. Students must pass the state's mandatory exit exam, the High School Assessment Program, in English/language arts and math, and they take end of course exams in algebra, English, physical science and U.S. history that count for 20 percent of their final grades.

State officials pointed out that some percentage of the students who are considered "on track to graduate" in the analysis may not pass the exit exam, said Jim Foster, spokesman for the state Department of Education. The exit exam is based on ninth- and 10th-grade standards.

Still, McGinley said, some of the credit for helping keep these students on track to graduate probably lies with high schools requiring students to take extra English classes to strengthen their reading skills.

The analysis also showed:

--The typical dropout was reading at the fifth-grade level at the end of eighth grade;

--The typical on-time graduate was reading at the ninth-grade level at the end of eighth grade.

--40.7 percent of the students who dropped out read at a fourth-grade level or worse.

Of all the results, McGinley was particularly interested in the finding that 22 percent of dropouts were reading at a high school freshmen level or better before they started high school but still didn't finish their education. She called those students "high school material," or students who had the ability to master and understand their lessons.

"If you go into high school with that strong skill set," she said, "you would assume you would be a successful student."

She wondered what other factors led to students' decisions to drop out and whether any of those were within the school district's control. Some students may leave because of personal issues such as pregnancy, she said, and schools need to make sure they are checking in with students so that those challenges don't lead them to drop out.

Others may have questioned the relevance of their education and dropped out, McGinley said. That possibility, she said, underscores the need for schools to offer elective courses and programs that capture students' interest and motivate them to stay in school.

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