So as it turns out, Montgomery County did make an improvement last year in literacy proficiency for entering 3rd graders. While data is increasingly hard to find (go figure!), the percentage who could read ‘rose’ from 55% to 57%.
Maybe I should use the word ‘crept.’ For one of the largest and, at least in the not too distant past, best school systems in the country, the reality that only a little over half of our entering 3rd graders can read should feel catastrophic. At this rate – 2% per year – it will take some ten years to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Are these percentages now becoming normative?
If they are, there is no good reason for it, and an unsuspecting state way down South is proving it.
In 2005, Mississippi held the distinction of being in very last place for reading scores around the country. No state was more illiterate than Mississippi. But in 2024, they now rank number 6 overall. They are near the top!
How did they do it?
Was it more money? No. They spent less money per student than most other states.
Was it because they have a more homogenous population? No. In fact, Black and Brown student reading scores in Mississippi are among the best in the nation as well as those scores for White students.
Did they have better teacher unions? No. Their unions are less organized.
In a word, intentionality. They figured out what it would take and implemented it. They raised the standard, gave teachers the training to teach to it, made it a requirement to read before advancing beyond third grade, and through their Literacy Based Promotion Act, offered resources like early detection of literacy problems and support for struggling readers. It was a partnership between policymakers, teachers, and communities. They all got on the same page and the “Mississippi Miracle” happened. Read more: https://www.the74million.org/article/there-really-was-a-mississippi-miracle-in-reading-states-should-learn-from-it/
What’s holding us back? Well, it is partly partisan. A blue state like Maryland doesn’t like running to deep Red states like Mississippi to replicate policy even if they share the goal of literacy and have a lot to learn. Also, learning phonics can seem very rote and doesn’t appear as wholistic or organic as the ‘whole language’ approach touted in the ‘90s and 2000s and still widespread today. Finally, in our County, other pressing issues – boundary studies, safety in the schools, etc. – can eclipse the importance of literacy for a child’s academic future.
But with the exception of those with learning disabilities, no child should graduate from elementary school not knowing how to read. It’s inexcusable. And sets them up for failure in so many ways down the line.
How can you advocate for a ‘miracle’ in Montgomery County?
- Join the Black and Brown Coalition which is actively tracking data and holding MCPS accountable to its students in the basic subjects like math and reading. See their page: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/09/28/opinion-mcps-must-move-faster-to-address-literacy-rate-disparities/
- Sign up to testify before the Board of Education (do so soon!): https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SY_LfFdhWki9chzbfUsup-0ynCrVa9lOlLD6uFL-tghUNU1DWUhaUFJUMEFSWkFQWksxMFVENDM5Ri4u
- Join www.MarylandReads.org to help advocate for policy for the State of Maryland.
- Roll up your sleeves and become a tutor! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1eLYlLw0zFhswQf6c8s7iUlYg2OeTPLvgxxpmt8gD7OQ/edit
- Give to support one-on-one tutoring for 2nd graders struggling to read: www.germantowngc.org/donate
It doesn’t have to be this way!