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Sarasota County's summer reading program is helping elementary-age children retain reading skills. Sarasota County is emphasizing third grade reading skills. Here, County Commissioner Carolyn Mason reads to third graders recently at Alta Vista Elementary School. 

By Shelby Webb

SARASOTA - A national early literacy campaign has named Sarasota County as one of 30 “Pacesetter” communities nationwide that are making progress in increasing elementary student achievement.

The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading announced the awards Friday and said Sarasota County has done a particularly good job in slowing summer learning loss. Summer learning loss refers to how much knowledge students lose during the season's two-and-a-half-month-long school hiatus.

John Annis, vice president of community investment with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, which has been the campaign's primary non-profit partner in Sarasota, said the only thing better than the recognition is the initiative's effect on students and families.

“The excitement is to watch kids who were struggling with reading but now enjoy reading. To see a school increase 20 points in FCAT reading in one year, it's the kids. They're amazing,” Annis said, referring to the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Sarasota County joined the program about three years ago. The national initiative highlights the importance of being able to read at grade level by 3rd grade — a pivotal year that can predict a child's academic future, the campaign says.

Students who are not reading-proficient by third grade are four times less likely to graduate from high school on time, according to an Annie E. Casey Foundation national study. Thirty-five percent of students who are poor and are not reading proficiently during third grade will not graduate on time.

Sarasota County's work with the campaign has been concentrated at four schools: Alta Vista Elementary, Gocio Elementary, Emma E. Booker Elementary and Tuttle Elementary.

At Alta Vista, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County helped found Eagle Academy to address school readiness and summer learning loss.

In 2014, 112 Alta Vista Elementary first grade students were tested using the Florida Assessment for Instruction in Reading.

When comparing reading comprehension proficiency of students leaving kindergarten and entering first grade, students enrolled in the Eagle Academy summer program exhibited no summer learning loss in reading, increasing proficiency from 77 percent to 79 percent. Students who did not attend the summer program experienced significant summer learning loss in reading, decreasing proficiency from 71 percent to 49 percent.

Last year, the Community Foundation started another summer learning program called the Great Futures Academy through the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota. Reports showed that 100 percent of the 60 students who participated in this 11-week summer program did not experience any summer learning loss.

Bill Sadlo, President and CEO Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County, said all but four students in last year's pilot program made learning gains.

He said the award shows potential for what can happen when the community comes together to tackle a problem.

“I think people realizing now how ciritcal this issue is,” Sadlo said. “We've heard through Boys & Girls Clubs of America that some communities are basing new prison bed numbers on the third grade reading level. It is critical.”

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