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Report finds state's 4th-graders lacking in reading comprehension

E-mail|Link|Comments () May 18, 2010 04:02 PM

By James Vaznis, Globe staff

Massachusetts fourth-graders outscored their peers in all other states on a national reading test last fall, but too many of the Bay State students lack understanding of what they are reading, according to a report released today by a national charitable organization devoted to children's issues.

Some 53 percent of Massachusetts fourth-graders did not meet a national standard of “proficiency,” the ability to gain meaning while reading. Nationally, 68 percent of fourth-graders fell below the proficiency standard on the National Assessment of Educational Program's reading test, according to the “Kids Count” report released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

National and state policymakers have set a goal of having all students enter fourth grade with the ability to comprehend what they are reading. That would allow students to tackle more sophisticated subjects, such as science, in greater depth. Students who fail to read at this level tend to encounter academic difficulties for the rest of their school careers, prompting some to quit school.

“To have kids reading proficiently by the end of grade 3 is not mission impossible,” said Jetta Bernier, executive director of Massachusetts Citizens for Children, a private child advocacy organization and site of the state’s Kids Count Data Center. “We can do this, and we have to do it as a state priority.”

Data revealed a wide achievement gap among students of different socioeconomic backgrounds. In Massachusetts, 77 percent of African-American students and 80 percent of Hispanic students scored below proficiency, compared to 44 percent of white students.

The report also found that 69 percent of students in Massachusetts cities scored below proficiency, compared to 49 percent of students in the suburbs.

The failure of thousands of students to demonstrate they understand what they are reading has been a source of concern in Massachusetts. For the last several years, elementary school scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System have largely been stagnant, prompting state officials to urge local districts to re-emphasize the teaching of reading.

Jonathan Palumbo, a spokesman for the state's Executive Office of Education, said Massachusetts is working on several new joint programs to "ensure that children have access to high quality teaching and learning. The ability to read and read well is a key skill in the development of students and sets the foundation for future educational achievement.”