Reading Levels: Meeting Street Schools Working in CCSD?

Why are so many Charleston County students unable to read to learn in the fourth grade? Let's stop blaming teachers and look at reality. The reality is poverty and poor parenting. No amount of curriculum tweaking will overcome it.

If a child is not on reading level in the third grade, disaster awaits with the rest of his or her educational career. With social promotion that child falls farther and farther behind, finally dropping out or graduating without the literacy needed for a job that doesn't consist of physical labor alone.

Is there any path to the Charleston County School District's replicating the results of Meeting Street Schools outside of Meeting Street Schools?

Gerry Katz's recent Letter to the Editor pointed out the following:

"Children who enter MSS preschool education system at 3 years in pre-K and graduate MSS elementary school in fifth grade have Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) scores in the top 5 percent nationally, and have been accepted into high-achieving public and private middle schools."

"Using nationally recognized MAP education standards to determine student academic preparedness, third-grade MSS students are shown to achieve competency in the 98th percentile in reading. By comparison, third graders in North Charleston Title 1 schools have MAP reading scores in the 20th percentile."

"On the basis of MAP testing, the MSS model for under-resourced children is five times more effective than the Charleston County School District model for educating under-resourced children to read proficiently on grade level at the end of third grade."

"Under-resourced children: a) Do not have a literacy-rich home environment; b) Do not have parents who can support their educational needs; and c) Do not have systems to neutralize the negative home drivers that prevent under-resourced children from learning. Under-resourced children cannot respond positively to first-grade instruction." Sad but true.

Does CCSD now have enough data to drive a decision on securing the future of its most at-risk students?