Majority of local students reading below grade level
Sep. 28—More than half of the state's students are reading below grade level, including students in the Lodi and Galt districts, according to a survey that assessed third-grade reading performance in nearly 300 school districts
The California Reading Coalition released its report card earlier this month, revealing that Galt Joint Union Elementary — at No. 70 — ranked the highest among the Sacramento region's school districts. Elk Grove Unified ranked 115, Washington Unified ranked 233 and Sacramento City Unified ranked 246.
Galt Joint Union Elementary was one of just a few local districts above the statewide median.
"Reading by third grade is a crucial milestone for student success," Todd Collins, one of CA Reads' organizers, said. "Over half of California's third grade students are below grade level, and California ranks near the bottom on national tests. But some districts are beating the odds and delivering on one of the main goals of public education — that every student reads."
Not all of the state's 1,000 school districts were included in the report. The report, which used data from the California Assessment of Students Performance and Progress third grade English Language Arts test, focused on school districts that served more than 100 socio-economically disadvantaged Latinx third graders. Low-income Latinx students represent about 43% of the K-12 student population in California.
"These kids, more than any other kids, are dependent on school to learn to read," Collins said. Collecting data from a sub-group of students who may not seek outside resources to supplement reading skills helped identify just how effective reading programs and curriculum in schools can be on their own.
"When you find students not doing well, that means none of them are doing well from their school (resources)," Collins said.
According to survey results, 39% of Galt Joint Union's third graders are reading at, or exceeding, their grade level reading ability, while 63% are considered "high-need" students.
"We still have more growth to make in the area of reading," Superintendent Lois Yount said. "All students should be reading at grade level by the end of third grade. Unfortunately, due to the recent school closures, we are seeing students in (grades) K-3 with larger reading deficiencies. The district has partnered with CORE Learn to provide professional development for staff in the areas of reading. Our staff is dedicated and committed to the implementation of SIPPS Phonics and Benchmark English Language Arts programs to support student growth. Beginning in October, we will be extending the school day for targeted students in a new program, Acceleration Blocks."
Lodi Unified School District ranked 155th on the list, with 33% of third graders meeting or exceeding reading level expectations, and 68% considered "high-risk" students.
Neil Young, Lodi Unified's assistant superintendent of elementary education, said the survey is based on data from the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years.
He added the district takes the information very seriously and is examining ways to support all students learning to read.
"Currently, educators and administrators are spending time assessing our student early literacy skills, making systematic instructional decisions based on that information, and as a district, we are supporting our dedicated elementary teachers with the tools they need to help our students reach this goal," he said. "We, in the elementary division, are proud of these efforts. We trust we will see progress from all our students."
Among a total of five school districts surveyed in San Joaquin County, LUSD was at the middle of the pack. Lincoln Unified School District in Stockton fared best in the county with a ranking of 86th, where 38% of third grade met or exceeded reading levels, but 68% were considered "high-risk."
Stockton Unified was not only ranked worst in the county, but it also placed near the bottom of the list at 271. The results found 22% of its third-graders were at or above reading levels, but 81% were "high-risk."
Manteca Unified School District and Tracy Joint Unified School District ranked 121 and 185, respectively.
Sacramento Bee reporter Sawsan Morrar contributed to this story.
