A report being presented at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board meeting Tuesday shows the district remains a long way from meeting reading goals for Latino third-graders.
The board is trying to get half of all Black and Hispanic third-graders reading at a level that puts them on track for future success by the end of the next school year. The latest progress report on Latino third-graders shows that only 2.3% of them had hit the “college and career ready” mark at the start of the year, the lowest starting point in the last six years.
Last year 3% had hit the mark at the start of the year, rising to 12.6% by the end of the year. The goal for the end of this school year is 36%. It goes to 50% in 2024.
The report says Latino students faced huge setbacks when classes were disrupted during the pandemic — especially those who are still learning English.
The data reports are part of the board’s new approach to pushing its top academic goals. They’re designed to hold the superintendent accountable for having strategies to drive measurable improvements in such subjects as third grade reading and high school math.
At this point leadership is in flux. Superintendent Earnest Winston was fired in April, in part because the board said it saw too little progress. Hugh Hattabaugh signed a 14-month contract as interim superintendent, then announced he would leave at the end of this month, about halfway through that term.
The report says staff will closely track data and provide support to students who need help.
Part of this process also involves the board doing quarterly reports on its own progress. The current members gave themselves high marks for setting goals but low ones for unity, trust and collaboration, and no credit for actually making improvements for students. Five new members will be sworn in at the start of the meeting.
