Recently, the state of Iowa, along with 13 other states, passed legislation where if 3 grade students aren’t deemed proficient reading at least to a 3 grade level, those students are to go into a retention program where intervention must happen in order to be passed on to the 4th grade.

This has brought a lot of attention throughout Iowa school districts and Jefferson-Scranton and East Greene are taking reading proficiency seriously.  While both school districts don’t have specific reading policies in place, Jefferson-Scranton Superintendent Tim Christensen says that there are programs available to help students achieve their reading goals and they have specific personnel who is in charge of certain programs.

“We’ve put some things in place this year.  We’ve hired Julie Neal as our reading specialist for the district (Jefferson-Scranton).  She’s going to classrooms and working with teachers.  Karen Sandberg is Curriculum Director that she’s working with teachers and classrooms.  So we’re doing a lot with reading, but don’t have any specific policies.”

Christensen comments that at the high school level, they offer a reading program called Read 180.  Right now, its an optional program for students to take, but with further board discussions, this could be one of the programs that students are required to take, possibly during summer school as part of their retention program so they can go on to the next grade.

Christensen states that if students aren’t proficient in areas like reading and math, then they need to provide the tools to help them.