Richmond's early literacy rates rebound to surpass pre-pandemic levels

The overall reading scores for Richmond Public Schools students in kindergarten through second grade surpassed pre-pandemic levels this year.

Why it matters: RPS became a national representation for how COVID and school closures affected learning, and especially reading abilities, for kids in majority-Black or Latino school districts with high poverty rates. The data shows the potential for a comeback.

The big picture: Early literacy has been linked to long-term student success.

• And RPS (and the state) measures academic progress for K-2 students through a reading assessment called PALS that tests students' literacy fundamentals, like word recognition, spelling and letter sounds.

By the numbers: In spring 2019, 64.8% of K-2 students were passing, per a presentation to the School Board this week.

• Spring 2021: 41.4%.
• Spring 2023: 58.6%.
• Spring 2024: 65.4%.

Plus: More RPS kids from all demographics — which includes Black students, English learners and students with disabilities — passed this spring compared to last year.

• Second graders, Black students and those considered "economically disadvantaged" had the biggest increases — all seeing around a 9% jump.
• Of 26 elementary schools, only four — Henry Marsh, Westover Hills, Blackwell and Southampton — did not improve.

Zoom in: The data also shows an early success story in RPS' pilot program that moved two elementary schools, Fairfield Court and Cardinal, to a year-round calendar, reports the Times-Dispatch.

• Within RPS, Fairfield Court had the greatest gain from fall to spring on PALS this year with a 30.6% jump (51.2% to nearly 82%).

• Cardinal, which is mostly English learners, increased from 53% last spring to almost 58% this year.

Between the lines: There's still a significant gap among different groups.

• About 94% of white K-2 students passed the literacy assessment this year compared to about 49% of Latino students and 65% of Black students.

What's next: "I don't think we do a good enough job of pausing and celebrating," Superintendent Jason Kamras said in this week's School Board meeting.

• "So I'm excited to see all the work that's happening … [and] how that's going to carry its way through third, fourth, fifth and beyond."