Grant Proposal : Get Graphic!

- Target Audience Piece by Catherine Peyton Clowes A study of state assessment results in reading at grades 3-11 reveals startling statistics on reading achievement gaps within key subgroups in the student population of Woodstock District 200. The first achievment gap is noted between boys and girls at all grade levels. Next, there is a significant decline in reading scores between 8th grade and 11th grade for both boys and girls regardless of ethnicity. Additionally, students who are English language deficient show markedly lower achievement scores at all grade levels. Finally, low income students of all ethnicities have profoundly lower reading scores regardless of grade level. These subgroups all have one common nickname among librarians: reluctant readers. That boys tend to be reluctant readers is a commonly accepted notion among most librarians, teachers and academics. The statistics representing District 200s 6,304 students of both sexes demonstrates support of this idea. At all tested grade levels, boys score significantly lower than girls on state assessments through the grades. Note that the gap seems to be widest at third grade, fifth grade and eighth grade. Closing the gender gap in District 200 will affect approximately half of all our D200 students. This amounts to around 3,100 students potentially benefitting from a grant program that targets this gender achievement gap. Chart 1:

Boys vs Girls : Percent Meeting or Exceeding State Standards by Grade Level

percent meeting or exceeding state standards

100 80 60 40 20 0 3 4 5 6 grade level 7 8 11 Boys Girls

Chart 1 is also indicative of drooping readership over the course of the upper teen years during high school, another anecdotally observed trend among librarians and teachers that statistics bear out in District 200. This is highlighted in Chart 2, where all student readers, regardless of category, show the lowest percentage of students meeting or exceeding state standards at grade 11. Also, in Chart 3 the statistics broken down by ethnic group show this same decline, demonstrating that all ethnic groups have this issue. The number of High school students who would be targeted by a grant focused on enticing high school students to independently read, is about 2,100.

Chart 2:
100

All students meeting or exceeding state standards in reading

percent meeting or exceeding

80 60 Total Meets 40 20 0 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 11th grade level

Chart 3

students meeting or exceeding state standards in reading by ethnic group

percent meeting or exceeding state standards

100 80 60 40 20 0 3 4 5 6 7 8 11 grade level Hispanic ethnic White

It makes sense that students struggling to learn a second language might have trouble achieving in reading in English at the same levels expected for native language readers. Since most of the LEP ( Limited English Proficiency ) program enrolled students in District 200 are Hispanic, these numbers will overlap somewhat with statistics for the Hispanic ethnic group as a whole and therefore skew the results. Whether the significant factor is the language status or the ethnic status might be resoved by noting that Hispanics as an ethnic group scored much higher than those enrolled in LEP, hinting at a skewing downward of the ethnic statistics as a direct result of language issues. Both charts are included for reference. Note that statistics are available on participants in the LEP program only up to grade 8. The LEP participant statistics, as depicted in Chart 4, show LEP students having significantly lower scores than either White or Hispanic ethnic groupings. Students benefiting from a grant targeting the needs of the LEP population in District 200 would constitute 11.2 percent of the total student population, or about 690 students. Refer back to chart 3 for statistics up to grade 11 just by ethnic group. Ethnic Hispanic students also targeted by the grant will amount to 25.9 percent of the total student population which includes approximately 1,638 students in the district.

Chart 4

Percent Meeting or Exceeding State Reading Standards by Ethnic Group and Language Proficiency
100 80 60 40 20 0 3 4 5 6 7 8 grade level

percentage meeting and exceeding

Hispanic ethnic LEP White

Low income level is defined by participation in the free and reduced lunch program, families receiveing public aid, foster care or other institutional care status of students. A look at statistics on low income students compared with non low income students reveals severe deficiencies in achievement by students from low income families. These are students who may most benefit from the addition of high interest enticing library literature as they are the least likely to have a home library or any access to high interest literature purchases. Chart 5 illustrates this achievement gap. It seems the gap is very wide at the lowest grade level tested and then again at the highest grade level tested. This suggest that the years in school make a difference for awhile and the gap does narrow in the pre high school school years where reading achievement is often allowed to be a hard and narrow focus of instruction. Once these students reach the high school curriculum level, they no longer have the access to this intensity of focus on reading. Perhaps due in part to an ongoing lack of independent reading time, they fall behind when the direct instruction time in reading declines. See Chart 5 on below for reference. Low income students constitute 32.8 percent of the total student population. A grant targeting this population will reach about 2,700 students within the district.

Percentage of Students Meeting or Exceeding State Reading Standards by Income Level

Percent meeting or exceeding standards
100 80 60 40 20 0 3 4 5 6 7 8 11 Grade tested Low Income Non Low Income

The age, gender, ethnic and economic subgroups identified above by standardized testing as sub achievers are groups where independent reading time is most likely to be lagging. Low achievement scores on standardized tests are well known to be attributable to reluctant readers of all ages, ethnicities, and income levels. The grant we are proposing will target all District 200 reluctant readers regardless of age, gender or socioeconomic status. The potential number of students standing to benefit from this grant overlaps by groups, but is most strongly represented by the gender gap group, which affects about 3,100 of all district students. Mending the gap

between visual media addicted students, also known as reluctant readers, and the literature they shun, is the goal of this grant. Using an abundance and array of graphic novels available in the libraries for check out, district librarians will provide these students a bridge to increased literacy. Needs Assessment At this time, there are no significant collections of graphic novels reported by librarians within any building outside of the libraries. Most district libraries are just now trying to build and maintain these collections. However, they take second seat along with many other high interest books in the fight for budget dollars. Collection development priority must go first to books that support direct classroom curriculum needs. Therefore, collections are growing much too slowly for the intense demand reported by librarians across the district. In addition to limited funds for purchasing, librarians constantly fight wear and tear which erodes already tiny collections measurably every month. These books are constantly checked out, well read and well loved. As a result they quickly progress from new books to dog earred and taped relics that all too soon must be discarded. As an average, there are perhaps anywhere from 4 to 10 graphic novels per student in the district schools at any given time. Given the level of demand within all buildings for these books, the number available is dreadfully below what is needed to impact our reluctant readers. To get a snapshot of the graphc novel phenomenom across the district, an analysis of a representative school was done. An elementary school best represents trends for both older students as well as the youngest students. The particular school chosen to be the representative is one of the best overall schools to reflect the percentages of socioeconomic groups as a district. This allows a presentation of an examination of trends in check out, without getting bogged down in too many statistics that say the same thing. The snapshot analysis reveals an intense demand among by students for graphic novels. The statistics gathered for comparison focused on books typically chosen by reluctant readers. These are books that are typically not used for research or required by classroom teachers. These are universally acknowleged reluctant reader choices across grade levels and socio economic levels. They include: Cryptids ( ie Bigfoot) and Aliens, Record Books, Animals, Vehicles, Pets, Graphic Novels, and Sports. Of these choices, graphic novels are far and away the top choice for check out even when stacked up against the most popular books among reluctant readers. These books literally do not stay on the shelf. Demand far outweighs supply. See Chart 5, 6 below.

Reluctant Reader Favorites

number of check outs
1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Checked out 9/08-4/09 7 month check out period sports 796 pets 636 animals 590-599 vehicles 629 aliens and cryptids 001 records 031 graphic novels 741

Note: the numbers next to the categories are Dewey Call numbers

number of check outs per volume - reluctant reader's favorites

number check outs per volume
15 sports 796 10 5 0 by type volume description pets 636 animals 590-599 vehicles 629 graphic novels 741 records 031 aliens and cryptids 001

The intense demand for these books, above that for other well known reluctant reader favorites, provides strong evidence for the power of graphic novels to hook library patrons of all categories. Therefore, it can be argued that the purchase of a plentiful array of graphic novels to meet this burgeoning demand is perhaps the number one strategy for librarians to employ in helping to bridge the gap between readers and non readers in an increasingly visual and media orientated world. The power of these books is reflected best in the words of one reluctant reader met in library today, Can you PLEASE save Bone for me? I check every week and it is NEVER HERE! When reluctant reader students are begging librians to put holds on books, something is going right with selection and with reading services! We hope this grant will allow our libraries to prevent students from waiting weeks to get the reading material they want and need, today.