Gemar Mills is the chief academic officer of College Achieve Public Schools and executive director of College Achieve Public Schools Paterson in New Jersey.
Reading by the 3rd grade can change the trajectory of a child’s life. It’s linked to college and career readiness, social and emotional learning development, and economic growth.
Last month, President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union Address and stated a goal of wanting to “see every child learn to read by 3rd grade.” It’s part of his administration’s new K-12 education agenda, seeking to build on pandemic recovery efforts — and now schools are faced with the question of what this looks like in practice, because an increased focus on reading and writing is one of the most effective, yet overlooked, ways to close opportunity gaps.
We know that opportunity gaps have widened over the past few years, and we’re facing the repercussions of a painful truth. Born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, I’ve seen how if you can’t read, you’re more likely to face a life of crime. The declines in reading and writing over the past few years are sobering for all, but students who come from historically marginalized populations are most impacted, because if you’re unable to read by the 3rd grade, you’re more likely to fall significantly behind in lifetime pay.
It is on all of us to meet this challenge. At College Achieve Public Schools, which serves Black and Latinx students of color who fall below the poverty line, we’re taking it one step further. We’re ensuring every student is reading by the 3rd grade.
And it’s working.
In the second round of standardized tests since the pandemic, 3rd through 9th graders at CAPS Paterson made progress closing the achievement gap. Our students exceeded the state proficiency average in reading in every single grade — and in several grades by double-digit percentages.
What’s more, in English language arts, Latinx scholars met or outperformed both the state and their White peers in all grades. Black scholars met or outperformed the state in six out of seven tested grades.
How do we do it? I get this question all the time. Usually, folks expect a magic answer. But here’s how we’re improving literacy rates in practice.
Dedicated focus on curricula
If a school selects an off-the-shelf curriculum and does not assess the reading and writing gaps, they will miss the mark. Our approach tackles the gaps immediately to strengthen the curriculum selected and ensure students have an optimized experience with our materials — and we do not dilute the curriculum for students who may be struggling. We apply comprehensive critical thinking to all core disciplines.
It's also critical to focus on an individualized approach from an early age. We assess all students multiple times in the year to create personalized plans that address gaps through an extra class embedded into the school day, dedicated solely to focused intervention.
Supporting our teachers
While President Biden rightfully called for teacher pay raises, we also provide ample opportunities for training and collaboration so teachers can share best practices and improve their craft.
In fact, we have more than 50 professional development days during the year. With an 85% retention rate of our teachers, the secret ingredient is that these effective educators are teaching an effective curriculum. By raising the bar, they are keeping expectations high for students in every grade.
We agree with the president’s urgent call to improve reading levels, starting in 3rd grade. But that won’t happen if school leaders continue to select plays from the same playbook.
So how do we close the opportunity gap in New Jersey? A research-based academic model that focuses on reading and motivated teachers who believe in what they are teaching. It’s how we can break the school-to-prison pipeline in the long term.
We may not have all of the answers in ending systemic inequities, but our approach has proven successful on the most recent state testing. By replicating the CAPS model, we can ensure all students, regardless of their background, are empowered to excel in their next chapter.
