Champions of Change

Literacy in our CSD schools: A need for K-12 curricular coherence

Sun, 09/15/2019 - 7:00am

This is the sixth of several feature articles we are publishing which were written by Boothbay Region High School’s AP Language students. According to BRHS AP Language teacher Mark Gorey, the articles are a different incarnation of their Champions of Change proposals. One of the requirements for this assignment was to cite research sources.

Literacy is a vital skill that is absolutely necessary in every aspect of our lives, from taking directions from road signs to selecting leaders that will uphold the values we care about the most. However, an inadequate start to reading can have disastrous consequences later in life, and once a child is past third grade, it becomes incredibly difficult to remediate deficiencies (readingfoundation.org​). Boothbay Region High School is seeing an alarming decline in literacy rates, and English teachers are very concerned that the school is graduating students that lack the proper reading skills needed to succeed as adults in the 21st century.

Growing up, I was always surrounded by books. I was read to nearly every night for years, and at age five, my birthday present was a thick, heavy book on Hawaiian marine invertebrates. My fascination with the natural world inspired me to learn as much as I possibly could, and reading very quickly became one of my favorite pastimes. I am incredibly grateful that my family has always placed such a heavy emphasis on reading, but I realize that there are many others who are not as fortunate to grow up with the same kind of encouragement. This is why I believe that it is crucial for schools to ensure that students are receiving solid reading instruction, either to further the development of a foundation already set forth at home, or to foster a new enjoyment of reading altogether.

Schools are instrumental when it comes to teaching literacy skills. Some parents simply don’t have enough time to ensure that their children are progressing at a good pace, while others may not be literate enough themselves to pass those skills on to their children. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, children whose parents have low literacy skills have a 72​ ​percent chance of low literacy as well. In addition, there is a high correlation between illiteracy and incarceration; a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics revealed that 7 in 10 prisoners scored low on prose, document, and quantitative literacy tests. In today’s fast-paced world, inadequate literacy blocks the paths of millions of Americans when they attempt to find jobs, access healthcare, and vote, among other impactful choices.

All the English teachers that I spoke to have noticed a concerning stagnation even decline in the literacy and grammar capabilities of BRHS students. Mark Gorey, who teaches eleventh and twelfth-grade English, recalled a college prep class he taught recently in which two-thirds of the students were reading years below grade level. As a result, teachers are forced “to use more class time to “backfill” that background, which leaves [them] with less time to explore additional texts,” says ninth-grade English teacher Tanya Hammond. Additionally, high-school English teachers are not as equipped to teach basic reading​ ​as are their elementary-school colleagues; rather, they expect that students will already have the necessary skills that allow them to analyze and interpret literature and nonfiction texts. During my discussions with members of the English department, I was also informed of the significant disconnect between BRES and BRHS. According to tenth-grade teacher Michael Cherry, the two English departments have only met twice in the decade that he has taught at the school. BRHS English teachers are not aware of the methods used by BRES teachers to teach literacy and grammar; as a result, it is difficult for teachers in both schools to address joint problem areas.

Years ago, BRHS had a curriculum coordinator​ — Ms. Mary Patrick, a longtime BRHS English teacher as well — who brought the faculty together to look at SAT, PSAT, and NWEA scores, which allowed them to pinpoint areas of weakness. NWEA tests are used to assess the capability of students in various areas, including language arts. This gave teachers a better general understanding of the topics they needed to focus their efforts on. BRHS has not had a curriculum coordinator for over six years, and NWEA tests are only administered if an individual teacher decides they are necessary. Without either of these resources, teachers are left to determine what they need to teach by themselves, disjointing what needs to be an interlocking system that moves students up the ladder through grade-appropriate lessons. The most recent NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation report for BRHS highlighted the lack of data examination, but as of now​ ​the school has not taken action. Furthermore, the CSD school committee terminated its affiliation with NEASC soon after. Gorey, who has been a persistent advocate for the implementation of either a curriculum coordinator or a UMaine literacy specialist, said that over a year ago, voters approved $6,000 to enlist the help of a reading specialist; however, the funds this year were not disbursed for this
purpose, and no further plans for interaction with a specialist were made. Additionally, this year, the committee initially budgeted $70,000 for a curriculum coordinator, but the money was taken out prior to citizens voting on the budget.

In order to improve literacy at both BRHS and BRES, there needs to be a greater sense of collaboration between teachers and administrators in both schools. I implore the CSD school committee to give further consideration to the funding of a curriculum coordinator; no, it isn’t cheap, but $70,000 pales in comparison to the financial, social, and emotional costs that students incur when they enter the adult world reading years below grade level. With a curriculum coordinator to bridge the gap between the elementary and high schools, teachers can work together to identify and remedy areas of weakness. This school is in dire need of a revitalization of the literacy program to ensure that we are graduating students fully capable of making the decisions necessary to be upstanding citizens.

Works Cited

Cherry, Michael. English instructor at BRHS. Personal Interview. May 2019.

Gorey, Mark. English instructor at BRHS. Personal Interview. May 2019.

Additional resources: www.readingfoundation.org https://www.boothbayregister.com/article/literacy-brhs-concern/94259