An international comparison of reading comprehension and performance indicated that juniors and seniors in the United States scored significantly lower than students in Brazil, Indonesia and other developing countries. Approximately 38% of high school seniors are reading at what is considered below basic levels, which indicates that there is a need for literacy programs in schools.
Many teachers were not surprised at these findings. They said it confirmed that even students who read well enough in the lower primary grades may encounter some trouble with reading later. In both middle schools and high schools, teachers usually consider themselves to be “content specialists” and believe that elementary school teachers are the ones who should be helping children to improve reading skills. One method of turning that around is to secure ongoing development by working with a literacy specialist who will coach the teachers on the best way of infusing literacy instruction while teaching.
There has been some movement in the right direction, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, which was signed into law in 2002. In general it says that states must develop and administer assessments in the basic literacy skills if they wish to continue to receive federal funding. These exams are given to students in certain grades in order to evaluate and measure improved skills. In addition, many states require high school seniors to pass an exit test if they want to graduate.
If you need further proof that a standardized literacy program is needed for students, then consider the fallout from poor writing and reading abilities in post secondary circles as well, as 73% of employers have rated the reading and writing abilities of recent graduates as “fair” or “poor.” Over a third of the undergraduates needed remedial writing and reading courses during the first year or two in college.
Gaining insights into the reading process helps students to read for recreation, as well as providing a way to help them with their problem solving abilities. After going over the current research that is available on the reading process, school officials decided that students were not being provided with enough tools to successfully complete their reading goals. In the high school literacy programs, the teachers are encouraged to make the reading portion of their lessons more interactive. To see if these programs have merit, all you have to do is read some of the personal testimonies that are given by both students and teachers.
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According to one study, over 50% of college students who were close to graduation were tested on different literacy skills, and it was found they lacked the skills necessary to complete certain tasks, including understanding a newspaper editorial article. Of the students that attended four year programs, over 50% of them were unable to perform more complex tasks, such as summarizing the results of surveys on parental involvement in schools. Of the students attending a two year school program, over 75% of them were unable to compare credit cards with different fees and annual percentage rates.
The main areas of this particular study included analyzing stories in the news and other writings, comprehending documents and utilizing the math skills necessary for checkbooks and even restaurant tips. One of the researchers may have understated the feeling of most when he said that it was a “little disturbing” that at this level of higher education students could not perform basic tasks.
On the brighter side, a majority of the students at four year schools and community colleges did demonstrate some intermediate skills, meaning that they were able to perform some moderately challenging tasks. Some examples of the tasks that our college students were able to perform included finding the cost of office supplies ordered, consulting a reference guide in order to find out what vitamins are in different foods and identifying locations on a map.
There is a brighter side; the overall average literacy level of university students is actually higher than the average level of adult literacy nationwide. However, even though it sounds encouraging, experts claim it is not exactly surprising given the fact that the group of adults tested included those who had significantly less education.
College students, when compared with like levels of education in others, showed superior skills when searching and using information that has been gathered from texts and documents. Many of the students performed very poorly with problems that involved math and that 20% of those students who were going for a four year degree possessed the most basic of quantitative skills. For example, they were not able to estimate whether or not a car had adequate fuel to make it to a gas station and about 30% of them following a two year path had only the basic mathematical skills.
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The Improving America’s Schools Act of 1993 was the largest contribution to the Kindergarten through grade 12 educational process by the federal government. This act was to ensure that all students in the United States would have the chance to develop the knowledge and skills necessary, which at one time was only offered to “top students.” Support was offered in an effort to make the national education goals a reality in every school, but especially for kids living in poverty. By using professional development, increasing the level of instruction and demanding accountability, and combining those concepts with high standards and federal money, teachers are able to help move all students towards a higher education.
The success or failure of this will make a world of difference. For the children it may mean the difference between finding doors open or closed to them as adults. For the nation it may affect economic prosperity, democracy and world leadership, or it might mean an overall decline in the US standard of living and influence around the world.
All of this has, of course, been mentioned and suggested before; however, experts are beginning to consider that perhaps it was not specific enough, that the resources have not been focused on implementing a good literacy program. So, ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) have broken it down into what they feel are the five most important educational areas.
The traditional add-on type programs are not powerful enough to succeed. Leadership and support for world literacy will help all communities to prosper; therefore, all families and schools must do everything they can to enable their children to reach higher levels of literacy standards.
According to the experts, the first educational area that needs improvement is standards, as higher standards need to be set for all children. Following this is ensuring that improved teaching methods and learning are a priority in every school. Thirdly, the government needs to offer flexibility in order to stimulate local initiatives that are partnered with responsibility for student performance. Students, parents and communities need to work together to meet the higher education goals. Many believe that more federal funds should go where it is needed the most, such as the poorer communities and schools.
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