Are the Best Districts Really the Best?
The importance of student growth data; announcing the Evidence Advocacy Center, & more
For those of you who follow us on social media, you will have seen that we’ve posted a lot about the importance of student growth data in school districts, and how this is often overlooked in traditional school rankings.
When asked to list the “best" school districts in WNY, most people generally choose the wealthiest districts that also have the highest overall proficiency rates in ELA and math.
However, research shows that the differences in proficiency rates between districts are driven largely by differences in income/poverty levels, as opposed to the effectiveness of classroom instruction.
When stakeholders, including school boards, evaluate the effectiveness of classroom instruction by comparing proficiency rates across districts WITHOUT adjusting for differences in poverty rates, they conflate the impact of instruction with the impact of poverty.
Importantly, however, research shows that learning (ie student growth) is NOT a function of differences in socio-economic conditions.
What if stakeholders evaluated the effectiveness of classroom instruction, instead, by analyzing the change in proficiency rates from year-to-year for the same student cohorts when compared with other districts?
This is a better measure of instruction.
Interestingly enough, this approach to evaluating reading and writing instruction would suggest that the wealthiest districts are actually underperforming, as they have some of the lowest rates of student growth in WNY.
And, many of the districts with higher levels of poverty, particularly those that have prioritized early literacy and implemented evidence-based practices, are seeing above-average levels of student growth in reading & writing proficiency.
Fortunately, some of the wealthier school districts in WNY are shifting away from Units of Study and Fountas & Pinnell in an effort to improve reading instruction for ALL student groups and increase student growth rates.
However, a few school districts are doubling down on flawed curricula such as Units of Study despite their below-average levels of student growth and despite the concerns raised by literacy experts.
School boards in these districts are confusing the effectiveness of their ELA instruction with their below-average poverty rates. This explains why Governor Hochul is trying to change the way in which reading is taught in NYS.
Announcing the Evidence Advocacy Center
We have been asked to be part of the Parents & Family Advocacy Team (PFA) with the newly released Evidence Advocacy Center (EAC). This organization is a national effort intended to serve as a clearinghouse to connect states, districts, schools, higher education institutions, and parent advocates to trustworthy resources that are proven to have an impact. Here is the EAC website, and you can take a deeper look by going to the Flipbook/slide deck found under the 'Learn More' button. Others on the PFA team include advocacy champions across the nation, and we’re honored to be working with them. More to come on this important resource!
Iroquois CSD Will Present to WNY LIT On How They Are Shifting to Evidence-Based Reading Instruction!
Want to learn how another district is changing how they teach reading?
Teachers & Admin: you do NOT want to miss Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum at Iroquois CSD, Mary Jo Dudek, EdD, present on "How Iroquois CSD is Shifting to Evidence-Based Reading Instruction"!
Next month, “WNY LIT: Literacy Instructors Together” will be meeting in person at The Willow Room in Lockport on 4/11 at 6pm!
** Please note that this month is Thursday, and not our usual Wednesday.
Register here or scan QR code in image below.
Free Family Literacy Workshops!
Are you ready to champion literacy justice in your community? We are thrilled to share that the Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children has FREE DABC Family Literacy Workshops, tailored to empower families, educators, and leaders like you!
Available Workshops:
Literacy, Justice, and Advocacy
Empower families to recognize reading concerns, understand dyslexia, and advocate effectively for struggling readers.
Dyslexia and Reading Difficulties
Equip families with knowledge on dyslexia, signs of struggling readers, advocacy communication, and home support strategies.
Understanding Student Data
Decode reading assessment data and grasp how teachers utilize it to enhance reading instruction.
Bring these workshops to your community and ignite a passion for literacy justice and support!
What We’re Reading
These findings confirm that reading and vocabulary skills build upon one another across the primary years, and each is an important area of classroom instruction focus.
Is Lucy Calkins Really a Proponent of "Direct, Explicit Instruction"? - From Natalie Wexler’s substack Minding the Gap
Happy Spring Break to all who are off this week!
Yours in literacy,
Tarja