This Fresno-area school turned reading scores around. How parents can help students
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Good morning!
It is Tuesday, Nov. 16.
Since schools returned to in-person learning, teachers have found new ways to help kids get back on track.
The Ed Lab’s Ashleigh Panoo recently sat down with students and teachers at Kingsburg Charter to find out more about how the tiny school managed to turn its reading scores around in just a few years.
In the 2014-2015 school year, only half of all students were reading at or above proficiency level, according to school data provided by the district. For low-income Hispanic students, that number was a dismal 39%.
The following school year, 2015-2016, the district’s overall score jumped to 61%, and the low-income Hispanic student group also rose by 10 percentage points to 41%. Scores continued to increase steadily, and as of 2018-2019, 66.39% of students were reading at or above proficiency,
The story was part of a recent collaboration between The Bee’s Education Lab and the Solutions Journalism Network and other education labs and news sources, including The Christian Science Monitor, The Hechinger Report, AL.com, The Dallas Morning News, and The Seattle Times.
The project focused on exploring different ways teachers and schools are helping kids strengthen their literacy skills.
You can check out all of our stories in the Reading Remedies: How some schools are reversing students’ achievement slump project page.
The collaboration has not only resulted in multiple stories but also an upcoming live event: Reading Remedies: What everyone should know about supporting struggling readers moderated by the Dallas Morning News Engagement Reporter Emily Donaldson.
The free webinar will include a classroom teacher and curriculum specialist from Texas, a Washington state district superintendent, and a key architect of Mississippi’s statewide reading plan.
Be sure to register for the live event taking place today at 4 p.m.
Panelists will discuss how systemic obstacles might be removed so teachers can better reach and teach struggling readers.
Closing the Central Valley’s Digital Divide
Fresno Unified recently unveiled their own private internet network for FUSD families. Closing the so-called “digital divide” is important for our families living in rural and lower-income areas who don’t have reliable internet access.
FUSD isn’t the only school district closing the Central Valley’s getting into the service-provider game. Madera Unified recently approved a contract with Tilson Technology to build cell towers for students living in dead zones.
Madera Unified has approximately 20,000 students. About 1,000 students live in “desert” areas, according to Joe Halford, director of Information Technology at Madera Unified.
The Ed Lab previously reported on the reliability of satellite internet vs. underground fibers.
Check out the full story by Report for America reporter Melissa Montalvo and Engagement Reporter Isabel Sophia Dieppa here.
School name changes and school boards
FUSD and Central Unified both have committees to create a policy for mascot and school name changes. Over the last year, FUSD has changed the Fresno High mascot and recently changed the name of Forkner Elementary to H. Roger Tatarian Elementary.
Changing names has caused a lot of commotion at school boards recently. The FUSD school board was inundated with public comments when they decided to change Fokrner and the Fresno High mascot. Not all public agree with the district’s decision to change a school’s mascot or name.
Despite public bullying, Clovis students speaks out again
A Buchanan senior from Clovis Unified, Rami Zwebti, returned to speak before their school board after adults booed them for speaking on the importance of mask mandates.
What are your thoughts on how school board meetings have panned out lately? Have you found yourself attending more meetings and getting more involved?
What are your thoughts? Let us know at edlab@fresnobee.com.
Join the Ed Lab Facebook Group
The Ed Lab Newsroom Facebook group is a virtual lab where reporters meet and interact with members of the Fresno-area community.
The purpose of this group is to create a hands-on space where we engage on education issues impacting children, parents, and teachers, and where we can learn more about educational needs in the San Joaquin Valley. We are excited to host live discussions and informative workshops to help inform and discuss education issues in the valley.
Join our group! Have any good news, grants, competitions, or call-outs? Let us know! We would love to highlight your work and exciting projects. You can submit projects, educational contests, or resources at edlab@fresnobee.com.
ASK THE ED LAB
Do you have an education question you’d like us to answer? Let us know! Contact the Ed Lab edlab@fresnobee.com.
This story was originally published November 16, 2021 at 9:39 AM.