AKRON, Ohio — There are now two areas Akron Public School leaders said they want to improve after the district’s report card results dropped.
“We feel so strongly that we have a responsibility to the students in our community to ensure that they have the knowledge and the skills they need to make their way in this world,” said Akron Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Wanda Lash.
Overall, Lash said the district received a three-star rating for meeting state standards, with a jump in graduation from two stars to three stars.
But she said the district received only two stars in achievement, which represents all the state tests students take, and then one star in early literacy.
K-12 English Language Arts Supervisor, Dr. Toan Dang-Nguyen, said there’s work to do, starting with strengthening its Enhanced Core Reading Instruction.
“It’s a layer built into core that puts everything in a sequential order how kids learn how to read with phonics, phonemic awareness and the foundational standards, so that’s where we are implementing the enhanced core reading instruction to strengthen the gaps,” said Nguyen.
Even Nguyen said a group of teachers is being trained to help students improve their reading scores.
“We have over 50 teachers that are obtaining, working towards earning their structured literacy license through the Center of Structured Literacy at the University of Akron,” said Nguyen.
Aside from those in the classroom, Lash said they’re making sure families are involved too through Paloma, a new web-based pilot program, which gives students extra reading practice at home.
As for achievement, Lash said the district is combining its early literacy efforts to help boost state test scores especially when it comes to young learners.
“As kids get older and they’re working with more complex subjects; those gaps widen if we don’t address them,” said Lash.
School leaders understand this won’t be an easy challenge.
But Lash and Akron Public Schools parent, Kenneth Foster, are hopeful.
“I think that they should implement different programs for kids outside of school hours to be able to come and kind of bring in the value of education and things like that, so I think like with them like building more, it will make them stronger in early literacy,” said Foster.
“Just looking at that progress measure component of the report card and our 4-star rating there that it lets us know that the things we are doing are making a difference,” said Lash.
