SLPS, NAACP launch initiatives to improve low literacy rates

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - The St. Louis City and County NAACP chapters have launched campaigns to work with school districts to improve literacy rates around the same time Saint Louis Public Schools announced an initiative to increase reading scores.

The NAACP’s nationwide “Right to Read” campaign aims to improve test scores for, specifically, black and brown students, which has historically been lower than their white counterparts. The St. Louis chapters plan to get commitment from city and county schools to improve literacy scores by 2030.

On Thursday, Saint Louis Public Schools announced its initiative to improve scores as well. It’s called Literacy for the Lou.

Students and families will be assisted in building their own home libraries with several books being sent home to keep each school year for younger readers. Coaching will also be provided to families on how to teach through the “science of reading” and help young readers learn and improve.

“I will give literacy attainment across this nation a C,” said Dr. Keisha Scarlett, superintendent of Saint Louis Public Schools. “I just think about what is excellence. You don’t want to communicate that you have low expectations, but we also have to be realistic about where our current functioning is.”

According to stats by SLPS, 84% of the district’s students are black or Hispanic.

“For most of my students, music, poetry, hands-on arts and crafts, manipulatives--all of those different things--are the best thing for our students. All of them,” said Kenya Womack, A SLPS 4th grade reading teacher.

There will be a kickoff event on Saturday, January 27 at the St. Louis Public Library-Central Library, located at 1301 Olive Street. It will include food, prizes, reading workshops, author visits, and other activities for kids of any age from any type of school in the city.

Please click HERE to view the story on KMOV.COM.