The Cochise County Board of Supervisors has approved a $260,000 grant agreement between the Cochise and Coconino county school superintendents to provide kindergarten through fifth grade literacy certification training for kindergarten through fifth grade teachers. assisted in receiving
According to Cochise County Superintendent of Education Dr. Jackie Cray, less than 50% of third grade students in Arizona read at grade level.
“Currently, in Arizona, only 41% of students can read at the 3rd grade level,” Clay said at a conference last week. “He’s 37% in Cochise County. To combat this, we will deliberately and resolutely implement reading training for teachers.”
According to data from the Arizona Center for the Future, Cochise County’s 3rd grade reading ability is low in 2021, with only 29% of 3rd grade students in the county reading at the grade level. [https://www.arizonafuture.org/progress-meters/education/third-grade-reading/]is a non-profit organization that provides data on education, civics, and workforce development in Arizona.
According to the agenda, third-grade reading levels are often used as an indicator of how well a student will perform academically in high school, and are also a predictor of whether they will go on to higher education.
According to the Arizona Department of Education website [https://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/k-5literacyendorsement] Literacy K-5 Endorsement training requires approved training of three semesters of college coursework or 45 hours of instructional reading to include structured phonics.
This training includes three semester hours in college coursework or approved reading instruction in assessments, educational practices, and interventions to improve reading comprehension in students with reading difficulties, including students with dyslexia. 45 hours of training required.
Clay says this training is mandated by the state and the grant agreement will cover the cost of obtaining the training for teachers.
The statewide goal is for 72% of all third graders to read at grade level, and currently, according to Arizona’s Center for the Future, only 41% of Arizona’s third graders meet that goal.
Under the agreement, the 2022-2024 Literacy Grant was awarded to the Coconino County Superintendent by the Arizona Department of Education.
The Coconino County Department of Educational Services manages grant finance and reimburses the cost of training to the Cochise County Department of Educational Services.
Pursuant to the agreement, Coconino County will reimburse Cochise County within a maximum of 30 days of receipt of the invoice.
Cochise County’s share of the grant totals $260,056.30. Clay said she and the county superintendents of schools in Coconino and Yavapai counties wrote the grant. He added that he plans to submit.
Vote unanimously in favor of approval of the grant agreement.
