TO WARM BACK UP. IT LOOKS LIKE BIG TIME HEADING INTO NEXT WEEK. LOOK AT EXACT TRACK 40
COMING UP.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: IN ABOUT 10
MINUTES. ALL RIGHT, DAVID,
THANK YOU SO MUCH. 3RD GRADE.
IT IS A CRITICAL TIME WHEN IT
COMES TO EVALUATING LITERACY
AND STUDENTS YET ONLY 47%. A
3RD GRADE STUDENTS IN DUVAL
COUNTY RECEIVED A PROFICIENCY
SCORE. AND THE RECENT FLORIDA
STANDARDS ASSESSMENT TEST.
ALSO JUST THIS WEEK, THE
NATION’S REPORT CARD REVEALED
MATH AND READING SCORES FOR
SOME AGE GROUPS ARE AT THEIR
LOWEST POINT IN DECADES, HAS
VERY DISTURBING DOCTOR SHANNON
VARGA, THE DIRECTOR OF DATA
AND RESEARCH WITH THE
JACKSONVILLE PUBLIC EDUCATION
FUND, J P F JOINS US VIA ZOOM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
IN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR
LOCAL NUMBERS ARE PRETTY
CONSISTENT WITH THE NUMBERS
THAT WE’RE SEEING NATIONWIDE.
THAT’S DISTURBING. ARE YOU
SURPRISED BY THIS?
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MILES.
SO GREAT TO BE HERE TODAY. I’M
NOT NECESSARILY SURPRISED BY
YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THE PANDEMIC
HAS AFFECTED OUR CHILDREN BY
DISRUPTING THEIR LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS AND ROUTINES. AND
YOU REALLY HAVE TO ALSO LOOK
AT WHAT’S HAPPENING TO OUTSIDE
OF THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT. SO
THE PANDEMIC EXACERBATED MANY
SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUES WITH
ACCESS TO EXISTING RESOURCES.
STUDENTS MAY HAVE LOST CLOSE.
FAMILY MEMBERS ARE CARE TAKERS
THERE’S A LOT THAT’S BEEN
HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOLS
THAT IMPACTS LEARNING IN THE
CLASSROOM. AND THIS REPORT
CARD AND THE SCORES ARE ARE
REALLY A FLAG TO LET US KNOW
THAT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION
TO THAT, PROVIDE SUPPORTS TO
STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES AS
WELL. YOU KNOW, I THINK THE
KEY WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING
DIFFERENTLY AS WHAT WERE YOU
HEARING?
>>MELANIE LAWSON: THERE ARE A
LOT OF REASONS, AS YOU JUST
MENTIONED FOR THE DROP. YOU
KNOW, ONE THAT CAUGHT MY EYE
STUDENTS NOT READING ON GRADE
LEVEL. SO MAYBE THEY’RE
READING. BUT THE BOOKS THEY
READ, IT MAY BE FOR A SECOND
GRADER, A FIRST GRADER. SO HOW
CAN PARENTS REALLY HELP THEIR
KIDS LEVEL UP?
>> A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT
CONTRIBUTE, YOU KNOW, TO
SCORES THAT WE’RE SEEING.
ATTENDANCE IS A BIG ONE, BUT
ALSO WITH CONTINUITY OF BEING
IN THE SAME LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT AND WITH THE SAME
SCHOOL PERSONNEL. AND AGAIN,
WE KNOW THE PANDEMIC REALLY
DISRUPT ALL OF THAT. SO IT’S
GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOLS
AND FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES
AND NONPROFITS AND OTHER
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
TO REALLY MAKE A LARGE IMPACT.
AND SO THAT’S WHY THE
COMMUNITY WIDE HENRI JAX
INITIATIVE WAS STARTED WITH
THE LEADERSHIP KIDS, HOPE
ALLIANCE. SCHOOL DISTRICT TAPE
OF THE MANY OTHER PARTNERS,
INCLUDING REALLY READ USA TO
HELP ALL STUDENTS ACHIEVE
EARLY LITERACY AND SO REJECTS
IS REALLY PUSHING THE MESSAGE
FOR PARENTS OF 20 MINUTES OF
READING A DAY BECAUSE
ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG KIDS, 20
MINUTES A DAY IS REALLY ALL IT
TAKES TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT
DIFFERENCE. AND WE KNOW THAT
READING COMPREHENSION IS
FOUNDATIONAL TO SUCCESS EVERY
SUBJECT, INCLUDING MATH AND
SCIENCE. SO IF WE IMPROVE THE
AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE’RE
READING EVERY DAY, THEN WILL
HOPEFULLY TURN THIS AROUND AND
WE KNOW THAT OUR RESEARCH
SHOWS THAT PARENTS DO KNOW HOW
IMPORTANT READING IS AND
READING EVERY DAY IS THAT THE
CHALLENGE IS REALLY FINDING
THE TIME TO 20. SO WE’RE ALSO
ENCOURAGING PARENTS CAREGIVERS
TO FIND WAYS TO READ TO THEIR
CHILDREN ON THE GO THINGS AS
SIMPLE AS HONESTLY, JUST
READING STREET SIGNS AND
BILLBOARDS CAN REALLY MAKE A
DIFFERENCE OF DONE DAILY,
ESPECIALLY GET KIDS FROM AGES.
0, 2, 2, 5, AND THINGS LIKE
THAT. YOU KNOW, REAL EARLY AND
ALSO WE’RE ENCOURAGING
BUSINESSES AND OF ALL KINDS
FROM A LITERACY, THEIR SPACES
WHERE PARENTS MAY FREQUENT,
YOU KNOW, BY CREATING READING
CORNERS, ARE VOLUNTEERING
THEIR TIME WITH ONE OF THE
MANY REJECTS ORYX. ALL RIGHT.
WE KNOW OUR LIBRARIES ARE
GREAT RESOURCES. THERE ARE
SOME GREAT PROGRAMS THAT ARE
OUT RIGHT NOW TO ENCOURAGE
THAT 20 MINUTES.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: WE ONLY HAVE
ABOUT 20 SECONDS, BUT JUST
TALK TO ME ABOUT THE QUALITY
OF BOOKS. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT
TO CHOOSE BOOKS THAT ARE AGE
APPROPRIATE OR DOES THAT EVEN
MATTER LIKE WHAT YOU’RE
SAYING? EVEN READING A STREET
SIGN IS HELPFUL.
>> AGAIN, ALL READING IS
READING. AND SO WE JUST WANT
MORE FAMILIES READING TOGETHER
BALK 21 PUBLIC LIBRARY
BRANCHES THAT OFFER MANY
SUMMER PROGRAMS AND STUDENTS
CAN USE THEIR SCHOOL ID AS A
PASSED. AND SO JUST SO
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT’S NOT A
DOUBLE BARRIER FOR THEM SO
THEY CAN REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THESE RESOURCES TODAY.
AGAIN, AS CAN ALL READING IS
READING. DOCTOR VARGA, THANK
YOU SO MUCH. I MEAN, I WHAT I
WHAT I REALLY HOPE PARENTS ARE
HEARING AND GUARDIANS ARE
HEARING DON’T BE INTIMIDATED
BY READING, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT
A GREAT READER JUST READ
SOMETHING AND EVERYONE GETS
BETTER. SO JUST DO IT TODAY