There is No Simple Way to Build a Middle School Reading Program

Abstract

IN THE spring of 2001 the Atlanta Journal-Constitution featured an article on why students drop out of high school. Included in the commentary were current public high school graduation rates from the U.S. Department of Education.1 The figures clearly indicated that a significant number of students who entered high school were not earning regular diplomas four years later. The most recent figures (1999) for students not completing high school range from 13.7% in Nebraska to 49.6% in Georgia. An Atlanta high school science teacher quoted in the article said that, despite the fact that her ninth-grade science books are written at a sixth-grade level, her students can't read or comprehend the information in them. All these high school students having difficulty textbooks were once in the middle grades. This simple observation suggests that we need to provide instruction at the appropriate levels for all middle school students. New federal legislation calls for annual testing in mathematics and in grades 3 through 8. Obviously, there is a growing conviction that middle schools need to build strong programs. Yet there is no simple way to accomplish this task. The Nation's Report Card: Fourth-Grade Reading 2000 cites the fact that 37% of fourth-grade students read below the basic level.2 Unfortunately, as these youngsters move into middle schools, they may not have access to classes or trained teachers. As a result, they will have even fewer opportunities to improve their skills and increase their independent activities than they had in their elementary schools. In addition to basal series, elementary schools make a variety of programs available to their students. These include early intervention programs, such as Four Blocks, Reading Recovery, and Success for All. Why aren't there similar programs for middle school students? Comparing in elementary schools and middle schools is like comparing apples and oranges. Elementary school teachers are involved with early in their college classes. The majority of elementary teachers are responsible for instruction, especially those who teach in the primary grades. Thus programs such as Four Blocks are built on a strong foundation. Furthermore, elementary school libraries have high rates of book circulation. In contrast, the roots of middle school problems run deep. Academic licenses for middle school teachers have typically been restricted to the subject-matter disciplines of English, mathematics, science, and social studies. Many middle schools have either eliminated classes or offer such classes taught by teachers who lack the rigorous training required for a reading license. The rate of circulation of library books in middle schools -- an indicator of the level of independent -- is significantly below that of elementary schools.3 Given these circumstances, it is hardly surprising that many middle schools that seek to build a strong program must build on a weak foundation. Because achievement is the crucial link between middle school students and their future success, it is vital that middle schools provide the personnel, time, and resources needed to produce successful readers. Middle school students should have the support of teachers every day, just as they are also engaged each day with teachers of English, mathematics, science, and social studies. Moreover, special attention from teachers should be given to those students who read two or more grade levels below their expected level. And because the school library is the logical place for students to find materials with which to practice their reading, middle schools need to ensure that students have access to new books, along with support from librarians. …