Written by Andrew Melin, Superintendent
Last week, the Valparaiso Community Schools received results from the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination assessment administered to all of the state's third-grade students, and we are happy to report more than 95 percent of our third-grade students passed the assessment.
The purpose of the IREAD-3 assessment is to measure foundational reading standards through grade three. The assessment was authorized by Indiana legislators in March 2010 to assure all Indiana children demonstrate the ability to read at least at a third-grade level by the end of their third-grade school year.
Public Law 109 places a focus on the importance of literacy to the future success of every Indiana student because a student's ability to read proficiently by the end of his/her third-grade year will reduce the need for future remedial education and will help Indiana develop a highly skilled workforce.
Students who did not take or did not pass IREAD-3 will be given one more opportunity to take the assessment in June. Failure to take or pass the assessment at that time may result in a student being retained in third grade.
We are very proud of our students and greatly appreciate the commitment of our staff in assuring our students were fully prepared to be successful on the IREAD-3 assessment. Commitment to the state-mandated 90-minute reading block for all elementary students and use of collaboration time to review individual student assessment data and to determine appropriate instructional interventions for students in need of reading support are two key areas we think benefited our students in regard to their IREAD-3 performance.
Results of those students who were not fortunate enough to pass the assessment will be reviewed in order to determine the next course of action. Those students who did not pass will be given the opportunity to attend summer school to receive the reading support necessary for success on the June assessment. Because the state legislation allows some exceptions for those special education students and English as a Second Language students who did not pass the assessment, staff members will meet in the near future to evaluate the appropriate course of action for each of those students.
The positive results on the IREAD-3 assessment are indicative of the quality education VCS is committed to providing its students. This high level of performance assures our third-graders are properly prepared to read to learn throughout the rest of their lives.