Lawmakers Hear Promising Numbers On Childhood Literacy Efforts

The state’s youngest students are making progress in reading and math according to Sonya White, deputy superintendent for the state Department of Education.

White told an interim meeting of the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability Monday that close to 6% fewer kindergarteners needed individualized intervention at the end of last year than at the start.

“Things are moving in the right direction, and that’s what we’re seeing,” White said. “More of our counties are improving than staying behind, and we’re just very pleased with that. We’re making those gains that we want to make.”

The Third Grade Success Act – HB 3035 passed in 2023 – requires benchmarks in English Language Arts, dyslexia, and mathematics for Kindergarten through 3rd grade students to be given in the first 30 days of the school year, then repeated at mid-year and end-of-year.

White gave some context for a portion of the data, pointing out that due to repeated weather closures in the winter, the second and third benchmarks were administered very close together.

“We had to keep extending the winter benchmark because of snow days,” she said. “So there may not have been a lot of change, because they may have been fairly close together when they were given.”

Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, the Third Grade Success Act will require retention in the third grade in certain circumstances. Monday morning lawmakers including Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, asked if the numbers showed how many students would need to be held back next year.

“It could run anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 students statewide,” White said. “It would be without the parent, you know, waivers and that sort of thing. But that’s generally what the data looks like.”

“And do we have anything in place?” Oliverio asked. “I know we’re still working hard, we have things out there. But that’s a lot of students to be retained.”

White told the commission that the state Department of Education is finalizing guidance on student retention for schools to review.

“We should really be working with those second graders, because they’re going to be the ones that will be impacted next year,” she said. “Just start getting parents ready for that conversation, getting them the extra help they need. So we’re being proactive.”

White also said the department will share more data at the state Board of Education meeting Wednesday. However the planned monthly meeting of the board was cancelled Monday afternoon.