CMS academic measures show correlation with Summer Reading
Charlotte, NC – Month Day, 2016 – Shortly after the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library launched its new “Summer Break” program for 2016, updated test results released by CMS showed a promising correlation between students who participated in the Library’s 2015 Summer Reading program and higher test scores. Specifically, students who completed 2015 Summer Reading showed greater growth in reading proficiency from Spring to Fall 2015 than did students who did not participate.
“There are many studies that have shown that Summer Reading programs support academic growth,” says Library CEO Lee Keesler. “But what makes this so exciting is that it’s specific to our community and our students.”
“The Library/CMS partnership is extraordinary, and we know it yields many benefits for our students,” says CMS Superintendent Ann Clark. “What’s helpful about this data is that it allows the Library and CMS to see the correlation between our shared efforts to support student reading improvement.”
“The Library is continually evolving its summer offerings to support increases in reading proficiency,” adds Director of Libraries David Singleton. “This kind of impact data helps us to further align our literacy offerings with CMS goals.”
CMS looked at aggregate scores for the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) tests given to students in Spring 2015 and Fall 2015. MAP assessments are scored by RIT or “Rausch Unit.” Scores of students who completed Summer Reading were 6.7 RIT points higher than those of students who did not participate. This growth assessment is based on the sum of RIT scores.
The RIT scale is consistent, like a ruler. Because of that, it can be used to accurately measure a student’s growth over a period of time. For example, a student who grows from 165 to 170 shows the same amount of instructional growth as a student who goes from 280 to 285 – 5 RIT points of growth.
CMS provided this further analysis of the Fall 2015 results that showed that 85% of Summer Reading completers were Grade Level Proficient, compared to 62% of non-participants. In addition, students who completed the summer reading program show higher RIT scores across all grade levels than do students who did not participate in the summer reading program.
How can students in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County ensure they are reading enough during the summer? A good first step is to join the Library's FREE summer reading program, Summer Break, at http://summerbreak.cmlibrary.org. The revamped program offers incentives for reading and doing other educational activities all summer long.
About the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library:
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is one of America’s leading urban public libraries, serving a community of more than one million citizens in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Through 20 locations, targeted outreach and online, the Library delivers exceptional services and programs, with a mission to create a community of readers and empower individuals with free access to information and the universe of ideas. For more, visit cmlibrary.org.
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Media Contact: Cordelia AndersonDirector of Marketing & CommunicationsCharlotte Mecklenburg Library704-416-0712canderson@cmlibrary.org
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Link to news release with images: http://news.cision.com/charlotte-mecklenburg-library
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