The Achievement Gap and Reading Scores

I recently read an article about how Big City School Students Outpace Public Schools Nationally in Reading. This article discusses the achievement gap and reading scores for grades 4 and 8 specifically from 2003-2009. The one similarity between this article and my educational background is that reading scores were equally valued when I was in school. We were tested frequently and not just in specific grades; we were tested in EVERY grade. If there was a reading issue, a child received remedial help without the parents having to jump through hoops to get the proper remediation for the child. Some children repeated a grade if they struggled too much and couldn’t move on successfully. 

Once we went to high school some students who were falling behind wound up in a vocational track. They still learned academics but also learned a vocational skill or trade. Money for education was much more available than it is now so there were a variety of programs offered to keep kids in school and help them succeed. We read (and wrote) in every subject, except math—the only reading we did in math was word problems. Books surrounded me at home and my mother and grandmother often read to me. I also spent a great deal of time in the school and public libraries. 

In my home state education was monitored under the Board of Regents, so by high school we began taking the regents exams. They did not prep us throughout the school year as they do with the FCATs. The gave us a sort of don’t worry about it attitude. Study hard and do your best. I remember being told that you have been working, studying and preparing all year. This exam is something you either know or don’t. Review your notes and do the best you can. So I guess one major difference is the way my education process addressed standardize tests. Another issue is that we had phenomenal curriculum and many opportunities for art, music, and extracurricular activities because there was a lot more money for our education. I, of course, did not realize at the time that I had wonderful educational opportunities. However, I not only know it today, but I also appreciate the opportunity.