As we began this school year, the elementary and middle school returned to a program once used in the district, Lexia Reading. Besides Lexia Reading, we added Power Up for 6th through 8th grades. We believed that one of the ways to improve reading was to address the reading skills of our students, and we believed this program did that.
After one semester of implementing Lexia Reading and Power Up, I couldn’t be happier with the results! At the K-5 levels, the building averaged an increase in reading skills that was over a year of growth in a half year. Our students are moving rapidly through reading skill levels. Students can tell you what level they are at and where they need to get too. As the superintendent of schools, I couldn’t be happier with the efforts the elementary and middle school staff have put into this program.
The following are some of the gains our students have made.
- The K-5 grade levels began the year with 2% of their students above grade level with their reading skills, and now we are at 37% above grade level.
- There were 42% of the students at grade level or above with their reading skills at the start of the school year, at semester the K through 5 students are now 72% at grade level or above.
- The building averaged slightly over one year's growth in reading skills this first semester.
- The improvement in reading skills isn’t just isolated at the K-5 grade levels. We see good improvement at the middle school level as well. We have no students in the foundational levels in the areas of word study, grammar, or comprehension at the 6th and 7th-grade levels. Where we had few students in the advanced levels in all areas at the beginning of the year, now these numbers are improving significantly, especially in word study and comprehension skills.
I’m happy to report that the use of Lexia will begin this second semester at the PK level. Hopefully, this introduction will allow our students some solid base as they begin the reading process.
As always, it a great day to be a Wildcat!