Literacy in DC Public Schools

[Anonymous]

What are your thoughts on DC Public Schools reading curriculum? They use a DCPS created curriculum called Units of Study for content and in grades K-3 Fundations and Heggerty for phonics instruction. I'm curious why DCPS refuses to adopt High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) when many neighboring districts have made this a priority. Our literacy rate is abysmal and nobody seems to care enough to change course at a pace that matters. 31% of students were reading at or above grade level according to PARCC data. Where is the outrage? Research tells us that 95% of students CAN read with high quality evidence aligned instruction. Do we not think our students can achieve this? I feel frustrated and I want to do something about it. Listen to Sold a Story and The Knowledge Matters podcast if you haven't already!

[Anonymous]

You seem to have your own thoughts very firmly established so I'm not sure why you are asking for anyone else's.

[Anonymous]

Are you a salesperson for a company selling "HQIM"? Because that's what you sound like.

[Anonymous]

As the parent of a child with dyslexia - I have had many of these conversations with DCPS. It is like screaming at a wall.

Their strategy is wear you down and keep on keeping on.
There is no oversight - DC has a chancellor who reports to the mayor.
The mayor only cares about optics (New football stadium / BLM Way) She does not bring solutions that fix anything.

[Anonymous]

DCPS principals have some choice in their curriculum and they don't all use Heggerty or Fundations. If this is a concern of yours, I would suggest you get involved at your school because that's where you can make change most easily.

I would suggest first of all that you calm down. There's a lot to be outraged about in DCPS and you'll wear yourself out if you get worked up over everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are your thoughts on DC Public Schools reading curriculum? They use a DCPS created curriculum called Units of Study for content and in grades K-3 Fundations and Heggerty for phonics instruction. I'm curious why DCPS refuses to adopt High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) when many neighboring districts have made this a priority. Our literacy rate is abysmal and nobody seems to care enough to change course at a pace that matters. 31% of students were reading at or above grade level according to PARCC data. Where is the outrage? Research tells us that 95% of students CAN read with high quality evidence aligned instruction. Do we not think our students can achieve this? I feel frustrated and I want to do something about it. Listen to Sold a Story and The Knowledge Matters podcast if you haven't already!

And I bet that 20 out of that 31% reading at or above grade level are the kids in ward 6. Rest of the city is much, much lower if you take out ward 6.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are your thoughts on DC Public Schools reading curriculum? They use a DCPS created curriculum called Units of Study for content and in grades K-3 Fundations and Heggerty for phonics instruction. I'm curious why DCPS refuses to adopt High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) when many neighboring districts have made this a priority. Our literacy rate is abysmal and nobody seems to care enough to change course at a pace that matters. 31% of students were reading at or above grade level according to PARCC data. Where is the outrage? Research tells us that 95% of students CAN read with high quality evidence aligned instruction. Do we not think our students can achieve this? I feel frustrated and I want to do something about it. Listen to Sold a Story and The Knowledge Matters podcast if you haven't already!

And I bet that 20 out of that 31% reading at or above grade level are the kids in ward 6. Rest of the city is much, much lower if you take out ward 6.

Sorry meant ward 3

[Anonymous]

I don't know the solution to the poor PARCC schools but my kid is in 1st at a DCPS and the reading instruction has been phenomenal -- DC is reading short chapter books before even starting 1st grade. And yes, there is some natural aptitude there (I think DC was going to be an early-ish reader no matter what) but I'd also say the instruction has been excellent. Phonics instruction was the focus of K and was comprehensive -- I was very happy with Fundations and Heggerty. We also had a great classroom teacher who supplemented beyond this for the more advanced students in class.

So I guess for me there's no outrage because our experience has been good. And I don't know enough about reading pedagogy to tell you why it's not working for more students in DC.

[Anonymous]

I’m more concerned with the middle school curriculum which is absolutely terrible.

[Anonymous]

DCPS has recently switched from guided reading to a science of reading approach for small group literacy instruction in the past few years so there has been a change in methods that should hopefully produce better results in the next few years. The Units of study that you refer to are the close reading and writing curriculum and are more focused on comprehension skills than decoding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know the solution to the poor PARCC schools but my kid is in 1st at a DCPS and the reading instruction has been phenomenal -- DC is reading short chapter books before even starting 1st grade. And yes, there is some natural aptitude there (I think DC was going to be an early-ish reader no matter what) but I'd also say the instruction has been excellent. Phonics instruction was the focus of K and was comprehensive -- I was very happy with Fundations and Heggerty. We also had a great classroom teacher who supplemented beyond this for the more advanced students in class.

So I guess for me there's no outrage because our experience has been good. And I don't know enough about reading pedagogy to tell you why it's not working for more students in DC.

Which DCPS school is your kid attending? My kid’s teacher wasn’t so great, so I’d like to move to your school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m more concerned with the middle school curriculum which is absolutely terrible.

What is being used in middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know the solution to the poor PARCC schools but my kid is in 1st at a DCPS and the reading instruction has been phenomenal -- DC is reading short chapter books before even starting 1st grade. And yes, there is some natural aptitude there (I think DC was going to be an early-ish reader no matter what) but I'd also say the instruction has been excellent. Phonics instruction was the focus of K and was comprehensive -- I was very happy with Fundations and Heggerty. We also had a great classroom teacher who supplemented beyond this for the more advanced students in class.

So I guess for me there's no outrage because our experience has been good. And I don't know enough about reading pedagogy to tell you why it's not working for more students in DC.

This. My kid learned to read just fine in a Title I DCPS preschool with Fundations. She loved it. Yes, she would have learned to read with any number of curriculum choices, but it really seemed fine to me, for all the kids. So that's why I'm not outraged.

There are so many reasons for DCPS' low performance. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that one curriculum rather than another will fix it. Research changes over time, trends in education come and go. DC parents are often insisting that we have to do whatever Maryland does. But it's not like Maryland schools are really that great either, outside of wealthy areas of MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Fundations is a Science of Reading-aligned curriculum that the Sold a Story podcast would support, FYI. It is explicit phonics instruction intended to be used on a whole class basis — exactly the sort of thing the podcast talks about going on in the Florida classroom she fawns over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m more concerned with the middle school curriculum which is absolutely terrible.

What is being used in middle school?

They read excerpts of a few books but only whole books if the kids choose to do so. The teachers have next to no input in what is chosen. Downtown picks the list so it is standardized across schools.