Louisiana K-3 public school students showed a ten-percent improvement in reading scores from the start of the last school year to the end. The results were higher even higher for kindergarteners and first graders. Deputy Superintendent of Education Dr. Jenna Chaisson says the state used a literacy screener to test the reading levels of their youngest students.
“This is our first year of implementing a statewide literacy screener,” Chaisson said. “Students in kindergarten through third grade were administered this screener at the beginning of the school year, in the middled of the school year, and then again end of the school year.”
Chaisson says the overall improvement reflects the effectiveness of the state’s literacy plan, which includes phonics instruction and teacher training. She emphasized the need for continued improvement.
“We have a long road ahead, Chaisson said. “We have a lot of students who still aren’t able to read on grade level. We know that what we are currently doing is working and we need to keep up that work.”
The state department of education says Louisiana has made considerable progress since launching its comprehensive literacy plan in 2021. The Education Recovery Scorecast found that Louisiana is one of only three states where average reading achievement in 2023 was above 2019 levels.
Comments