Authors say the crisis threatens the foundation of children’s future and that of the city.
Los Angeles, CA – A new report released by the nonprofit Families In Schools, titled “The Literacy Crisis in Los Angeles and Beyond: A Problem We Can and Must Collectively Solve,” provides an overview about the state of literacy in Los Angeles and offers recommendations for multiple stakeholders to intervene, including the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). According to the report, during the 2022-2023 school year, only 40% of LAUSD students met reading standards by the end of third grade. Just 39% percent of eighth-grade students and less than half (49%) of eleventh-grade students met reading standards, with Black and Latino students faring worse at each critical milestone in their academic journey.
With this data, the organization hopes to sound the alarm about the need for a “science-informed, coherent, and comprehensive state approach to teaching reading.” The report also addresses other key barriers to learning to read, including high levels of chronic absence in kindergarten and the need for greater assistance for families to support their children’s literacy starting at birth. They call on local and state leaders to urgently address this long-standing early literacy crisis and end decades of abysmal student achievement scores in English Language Arts (ELA) affecting children in Los Angeles and across California, particularly students of color and students from low-income communities.
“Despite the lack of a comprehensive state literacy policy, we are encouraged that LAUSD is systematically aligning literacy instruction to the science of reading – a critical component to addressing the literacy crisis,” said Yolie Flores, president and CEO of Families In Schools, a nonprofit committed to family and community engagement in education. “Families understand that if their children can’t read, it’s essentially game over. This is why we urge Superintendent Carvalho and the LAUSD board of education to deepen its efforts and stay the course until ALL students are reading on grade level,” added Flores.
Besides the lack of evidence-based literacy instruction, researchers say that California’s efforts to improve reading instruction are characterized by false starts and disjointed initiatives that leave district leaders fending for themselves. While LAUSD is taking steps to address the crisis and last year showed slight improvement, it remains that 72% of Black students, 67% of Latino students, and 91% of English learners are not reading on grade level by the end of third grade. Research shows that children who are not reading on grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school. The report outlines recommendations for LAUSD to ensure the district’s efforts reach scale and are sustained over time.
In California, where just over 4 in 10 students read on grade level by third grade, decades of research provide a clear solution and a path forward for how to teach children to read. The report calls on state leaders to pass legislation to mandate early literacy instruction materials, professional development, and teacher preparation programs that are based on science and evidence – an effort that aligns with newly-introduced legislation by California State Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-West Covina), Assembly Bill 2222, co-sponsored by Families In Schools, EdVoice, and Decoding Dyslexia CA.
In addition to ELA assessment data, the report includes the voices of parents and teachers who participated in surveys and open panels. Nearly 99% of the 655 parents who responded said reading is extremely or very important, but only 51% strongly agree that they have the tools needed to help their children learn to read at home. Only 15% of parents said they know the reading curriculum used at their children’s school, and just 27% said information about their school’s approach to reading is available to them.
“As a mom, I had to do a lot more work after school to find tools to help my son who is on the autism spectrum,” said Mary Lee, parent of a former LAUSD student. “My son struggled with reading comprehension from kindergarten through second grade. He graduated high school at grade level thanks to the extra work. I’m glad he didn’t lose interest in school,” added Lee.
Report findings show teachers understand literacy’s vital importance, and are eager for resources and training, particularly for English learners. Additionally, teachers point to the need for more real-time data, additional classroom aides, access to technology, literacy resources, and after-school interventions to support struggling students.
