High School Literacy Programs
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 action taken to improve these scores, including the No Child Left Behind Act that requires states to develop and administer assessments in the basic literacy skills. If the school wants to continue to receive federal funding they are required to give the test to all students in certain grades. There are several states that now require high school seniors to pass an exam in order 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.
Literacy programs encourage students to gain insights into the reading processes and to read for recreation. In the high school programs, teachers are encouraged to make the reading process more visible, or interactive, when teaching. School officials have been studying assessments and current research on reading and have decided that you can’t ask the students to “read to learn” if you do not provide them with the proper tools needed to do so successfully. Many pilot literacy programs have been launched and include a secondary literacy specialist who divides their time between classroom teaching and mentoring other teachers. While the student’s progress is monitored on an ongoing basis, the most compelling proof is in the personal testimonies given by both students and teachers.
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