Tackling the Reading Crisis
The reading skills of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) have taken a significant hit since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Recent statistics reveal that only 43.1% of students met the state’s reading proficiency standards during the 2023-2024 academic year.
This figure represents a slight decline from the 44.1% who reached similar benchmarks in the 2018-2019 school year, before the pandemic altered the educational landscape.
In response to this pressing issue, Families in Schools, a local advocacy group, is taking proactive measures to improve literacy rates among Los Angeles students.
They have recently published a report that emphasizes the urgent necessity for LAUSD to adopt evidence-based practices supported by the science of reading.
Encouragingly, the district has started to integrate some of these recommended strategies into their curriculum.
Community Involvement
Part of this initiative includes the ReadLA program, led by Families in Schools, which focuses on enhancing reading proficiency across LAUSD schools.
In an interview with LA School Report, Olga Corona de la Cruz, the Senior Campaign Director for the ReadLA initiative, shed light on her work and outlined her vision for the district’s future literacy efforts.
Having navigated her own journey as a first-generation immigrant and an English language learner, Olga passionately advocates for the importance of family involvement and community backing in driving student success.
Growing up in Watsonville, California, she knows firsthand the vital role that families play in advocating for educational excellence, alongside the commitment of educators and school systems.
The Science of Reading
While Olga acknowledges that LAUSD has made strides by providing families with resources that clarify academic expectations and effective instructional practices, she insists that more needs to be done.
Engaging families in a meaningful way to develop programs tailored to the distinct needs of students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, is crucial.
At the heart of these efforts is the science of reading—a framework grounded in robust research about how reading skills are developed.
This approach stresses the importance of systematic instruction in key areas such as phonics and reading comprehension.
Successful case studies, like Mississippi’s impressive improvement in literacy rates after implementing scientific reading strategies, showcase the potential benefits that LAUSD could achieve.
Olga also champions the need for ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers, coupled with stronger partnerships between educators and families.
She concludes by reinforcing the notion that tackling the literacy crisis is a shared responsibility, one that calls for collaboration among parents, schools, and policymakers alike.
Source: The74million