Please read this blog post about reading getting political.
The author says:
"Everyone wants kids to read at grade level or better. But who’s responsible when the plan to reach that goal is extraordinarily unpopular?"
I'd like to answer that question, from the perspective of the parent of a 3rd grader (and two future 3rd graders).
Senate leader Phil Berger (champion of the Read to Achieve law) blames NC's Department of Public Instruction for failing to implement Read to Achieve correctly. I agree with him. The portfolio (with between 36 and 120 mini-tests) that DPI came up with is beyond ridiculous. Dr. Atkinson (State Superintendent) has defended the portfolio by saying it wasn't intended for all students and claiming it is grade-level appropriate. Multiple districts and at least one remedial reading expert have sounded an alarm, saying passages are too difficult. Claiming all students shouldn't be given this portfolio is hardly a defense. Even one student having to waste multiple hours taking tests when they should be learning and making progress is one too many. I realize changes are now coming to the portfolio, and hopefully there are going to be alternative assessments, but I do lay the blame of the portfolio solidly on DPI.
That said, let's move to the larger problem. What is truly striking fear in the hearts of parents? It's the thought that their child, a child who hopes, tries, laughs, and loves, is going to be reduced to nothing more than a data point by the state of North Carolina and therefore flunk the 3rd grade. Parents instinctively know retention is a bad thing for their children. But, in the post linked above, Berger says this (in response to Dr. Atkinson suggestion to remove the retention portion of the law):
"...research shows children who leave third grade unable to read are on a path to academic failure and life-long economic hardship. Superintendent Atkinson’s continued insistence that we keep advancing kids who can’t read into fourth grade is disturbing and could amount to an economic death sentence for those students. We – the legislature, the Department of Public Instruction, educators and parents – can no longer accept allowing even a single child who has the ability to learn to leave third grade unable to read.”
Wow, really? Apparently Senator Berger did his research about the importance of literacy (and I couldn't agree more), but where on earth did he get the idea that retention is the answer? Because there is overwhelming evidence that retaining a child has the same negative effects as the ones he claims to be trying to avoid! This is why this law has brought out the "mama bear" in so many parents in an effort to protect their children. I know, there are a lot of people out there that would say we can't just keep passing on kids who can't read. I agree. We should allow the teachers and parents who know the child make this decision instead of leaving it to high-stakes testing and politicians. Dr. Atkinson had a wonderful suggestion when she said to give students who are below grade level extra help while still being promoted. Since Senator Berger brought it up, what I find "disturbing" is that our state cut instructional assistants, making teachers' jobs of meeting the wide range of student needs many times more difficult, particularly in the grades Read to Achieve is supposedly aiming to help (K-3).
I would love for North Carolina to do something revolutionary with ensuring our students all excel in reading to the very best of their abilities. Failing students does not even come close to achieving such a goal. Using my child as a pawn in a political game is not okay. When placing blame, I place the overall cause on lawmakers for putting this misguided program in place. I sincerely hope they will reverse this decision, begin to show some trust in our state's teachers, and do something that really matters.
Yes, there is plenty of fault to go around. But in the end, I care about getting this fixed much more
than I care about who is to blame. My hope as a parent is that both lawmakers and NCDPI will stop pointing fingers and do the right thing for our children.
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