Read 90 - Part 1

Completed on September 20, 2011

The 2011-2012 school year marks the year that the Nome Public Schools sets off on a journey in which it will implement a resolution adopted by the local Board of Education on February 22, 2011. This resolution states that Nome Public Schools officially adopted the following Reading Goal: “90% of our third graders will read at or above grade level by the end of 3rd grade within three years (2014), as measured by the 40th percentile on Measures of Academic Progress (MAP).” This important journey will take place mainly at the Nome Elementary School (NES) where Kindergarten through 3rd grade students will be taught Reading based on their current reading skill level. This effort has been named the Read 90 Program. To understand a little about this program, it is important to know the source of the basic program material. It is also helpful to get a basic comparison of schools that have initiated a similar program as the Read 90 Program. This basic introduction of the Read 90 Program is provided in order to help more understand this important work hoping many will join NES on this journey of helping 3rd graders read at or above grade level.

The basic source material for the Read 90 Program comes from what has become known locally in Nome as the “Green Book”. This book, written by Fielding, Kerr and Rosier, (2007)1, is based on a Reading program implemented by the Kennewick School District in Kennewick, Washington. This school district had thirteen elementary schools who, from 1996 to 2006, worked to meet the same Reading Goal as that adopted by Nome Public Schools. Beginning with 57% of their 3rd grade students reading at or above grade level in 1996, after implementing their local Reading Program, in 2006 89.89% of their 3rd grade students were reading at or above grade level. The Green Book has been used to help design the Read 90 Program implemented at NES. It will continue to serve as a guiding document in the years of implementation to come.

It is heartening to consider a basic comparison of the elementary schools in the Kennewick School District and NES. The elementary schools in the Kennewick School District had an average of 57% of students completing 3rd grade reading at or above grade level when they implemented their Reading Program. Nome Schools used the same assessment as the Kennewick School District used to determine the Reading Level of 3rd grade students. It was found that 61% of 3rd grade students at NES were reading at or above grade level. This is good news. NES will start at a place slightly ahead of the schools in Kennewick who implemented the model NES will follow. Additionally, it is even better to be able to implement a model where the lessons learned from successful schools have been clearly identified. Considering the success of the schools in the Kennewick District is certainly encouraging compared to the starting point of NES.

This basic introduction to the Read 90 Program has been provided in hopes it will bring more understanding to those who have a chance to consider it. Nome Schools has set out on an important journey. The goal is to help students reach or exceed their grade’s Reading Level by the time they complete 3rd grade. It is my sincere hope many will join us on this journey.

1. Fielding, L., Kerr, N., Rosier, P. (2007). Annual growth for all students, catch-up growth for those who are behind. Kennewick: The New Foundation Press.