skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Report: 3rd Grade Reading Skills Predict High School Graduation

play audio
Play

Wednesday, April 20, 2011   

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina children who struggle with reading in third grade are more likely to miss out on a high school diploma, according to a new study which followed thousands of students nationwide through their school years.

Those not reading at grade level are four times more likely not to graduate, the study found, and chances of failure are even higher for children living in poverty and minorities.

Report author Donald Hernandez, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Childhood Development, says reading skill must be addressed even before a child enters kindergarten.

"Research has found that high-quality early education makes a big difference in terms of third-grade reading scores and success through high school."

In North Carolina, Smart Start helps thousands of children get a jump on reading skills through its early-childhood education programs, although some of its funding is in jeopardy as the state considers budget cuts.

Jack McCarthy, managing director of the AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation in Washington, D.C., provides an example of how high-quality preschool pays off. He says preliminary research funded by the U.S. Department of Education shows that students who attend preschool programs have stronger literacy skills when they reach grade school, even if they live in poverty.

"We see these as really strong indicators that a high-quality preschool experience, that involves pre-literacy skills and social-emotional skills, really translates into better performance in the early years."

Another underlying issue for reading success in the third grade is educational stability. Hernandez says students who move often, whether because of housing issues or foster care, face additional challenges.

"This creates difficulties, partly because we don't have curricula that are standard across schools, even within the same school district. And so children transferring from one school to the next can't pick up where they left off."

The full report, "Double Jeopardy: How Poverty & Third Grade Reading Skills Influence High School Graduation," was commissioned by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and is online at http://ht.ly/4xNNK


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021