Reading Score Progress

     Despite efforts over the past few years to improve the reading skills of students little progress has been made. There was barely an improvement in reading abilities from last year compared with 2007. This was in both students overall and minorities. Likewise, achievement gaps between white, African-American, and Hispanic students changed only slightly since 2007 with only a six point increase since 1992. In 2002, Congress invested $6 billion into the Reading First program in an effort to improve children's basic reading skills. With this amount of money invested, Americans should not be satisfied with the results we've seen. The test providing these results are given every two years serving as an audit for state standards.
      Reading is essential for everyone to learn. As a future educator, I am no satisfied knowing that our teaching is not improving the knowledge concepts of our students. However, I also feel that with such an emphasis on reading these past few years students math and science concepts are also dwendelling. With that said, not only has our reading barely improved, students are lacking in other subjects as well. I believe that the state should reevaluate the standards as well as the emphasis it places on reading with the students. I can remeber my school participating in the STARS program while I was in both elementary and middle school. I also remember that because of this program I lost my interest in reading. With the pressure to read and take so many test to obtain points students stop enjoying the literature. It begins to feel more like a chore to them. I do not see how this is a positive impact on the students and it is obviously not improving the basic reading skills.

Resource:

Toppo, Greg. U.S. Students' Reading Scores Show Little Progress. http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-03-24-reading-scores_N.htm