FAST FACTS:
danya.bacchus@wreg.com
(Memphis 06/10/2009) 8,000 students enter Kindergarten in Memphis City Schools each year.
By the time they make it to third grade, nearly half have been held back. The numbers were staggering to Superintendent Kriner Cash. He saw a dire need and decided to start the Memphis Literacy Corps program.
"The eligibility for the Memphis Literacy Program included students who were over age for grade, who had been retained at least once and who are struggling for reading and when we looked at that criteria there were over 4,000 students, said Tequilla Banks, Coordinator for MCS Office of Evaluation.
In January, 2500 third through fifth graders who fit that criteria were paired with tutors. They worked specifically on reading and by the end of the school year administrators saw major results.
"We wanted to look at where the students started out and look and where they ended up and when we looked at the data 82% of the students showed improvement in which we thought was significant for a ten week intervention program," said Banks.
Now, they're taking that program a step farther. 1200 elementary aged kids are working hard to get back to their right grade level.through a summer reading clinic. It's an intensive summer school focused on reading, science, and math. Students have individual learning plans and when it's over will take Benchmark Test for the grade their supposed to be in and with 82% already showing improvement, administrators are positive they'll see good results.
"We're hoping that with these interventions we see similar or better results but we'll know once those data are available," said Banks.
Teachers also had to go through some pretty intense training to work with the students. They took a reading clinicians course at the University of Memphis. The U of M also helped to design this summer program.
- A Third of MCS Students Are Over Age For Grade Level
- MCS Started Literacy Corps
- Aiming To Get Elementary Students Back On Track
danya.bacchus@wreg.com
(Memphis 06/10/2009) 8,000 students enter Kindergarten in Memphis City Schools each year.
By the time they make it to third grade, nearly half have been held back. The numbers were staggering to Superintendent Kriner Cash. He saw a dire need and decided to start the Memphis Literacy Corps program.
"The eligibility for the Memphis Literacy Program included students who were over age for grade, who had been retained at least once and who are struggling for reading and when we looked at that criteria there were over 4,000 students, said Tequilla Banks, Coordinator for MCS Office of Evaluation.
In January, 2500 third through fifth graders who fit that criteria were paired with tutors. They worked specifically on reading and by the end of the school year administrators saw major results.
"We wanted to look at where the students started out and look and where they ended up and when we looked at the data 82% of the students showed improvement in which we thought was significant for a ten week intervention program," said Banks.
Now, they're taking that program a step farther. 1200 elementary aged kids are working hard to get back to their right grade level.through a summer reading clinic. It's an intensive summer school focused on reading, science, and math. Students have individual learning plans and when it's over will take Benchmark Test for the grade their supposed to be in and with 82% already showing improvement, administrators are positive they'll see good results.
"We're hoping that with these interventions we see similar or better results but we'll know once those data are available," said Banks.
Teachers also had to go through some pretty intense training to work with the students. They took a reading clinicians course at the University of Memphis. The U of M also helped to design this summer program.
