Equitable Literacy |
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We are experiencing a literacy crisis
There is currently a literacy crisis happening in the U.S., one that disproportionately affects students of color, and that cannot be ignored. Literacy is one of the major civil rights issues of our time, and our children’s future — and our nation’s democracy — depends on us addressing it now.
There is overwhelming evidence that nearly all children can learn to read. But in schools across the country, many students — especially students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities — are not yet skillful readers.
From The Education Trust
There is overwhelming evidence that nearly all children can learn to read. But in schools across the country, many students — especially students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities — are not yet skillful readers.
From The Education Trust
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Shoreline PTA Council and Shoreline School District are co-hosting a free screening of the film "The Right to Read" on Wednesday, January 24th.
The movie shares the stories of an NAACP activist, a teacher, and two American families who are striving to see better reading instruction in American schools. The activist featured in the film, Kareem Weaver, believes literacy is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time. Recent data shows that nearly 40% of Washington 4th graders do not meet the basic reading standards for this grade level. Shoreline students fared only slightly better - last year 37% of 4th graders did not meet standard on the Smarter Balanced ELA assessment (from the OSPI report card). Many districts in our state, including Shoreline, have been slow to implement curriculums that better align with the science of reading and in the film you'll hear that Mr. Weaver and others are proponents for this to change. Shoreline PTA Council has prepared a resource list for caregivers with information about the science of reading and tips for supporting learning to read at home. You can view that here or download the file below. 
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WA State Reading Data
The National Assessment of Educational Progress' most recent data on reading shows that only 33% of 4th graders scored in the proficient or higher level. When looking at the data by racial groups, there are stark differences - 53% of White students scored at proficient or higher while 29% of Black students and 19% of Hispanic students scored at the same level.
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