Anthony Cloud

Staff Writer

Representing the Elgin Initiative, educator Mitch Bailey addressed the Bell County Board of Education with good news involving reading efforts in the district.

According to Bailey, the percentage of students who read at benchmark level in the district increased by 6 percent to 46 percent from fall to winter.

The percentage of students over the entire Elgin initiative as a whole, including counties from around Kentucky and Tennessee, only increased by 4 percent.

Each school in the district increased its percentage of students reading at benchmark, with the exception of Lone Jack which decreased by 1 percent.

Right Fork had the biggest increase with a 20 percent increase from 24 percent to 44 percent, said Bailey.

Bell Central had a 7 percent increase, while Frakes and Yellow Creek both had a 6 percent increase in students reading at benchmark.

Page School Center had a 5 percent increase.

At the kindergarten level, the district increased by 6 percent from fall to winter. Each school increased in percentages except Lone Jack and Page, decreasing by 18 percent and 4 percent respectively.

Frakes had the largest increase at the kindergarten level with a 51 percent increase in students reading at benchmark.

At the first grade level, three schools in the district decreased in percentage of students reading at benchmark. Yellow Creek decreased by 12 percent, Frakes decreased by 11 percent and Page decreased by 3 percent.

The other schools increased in percentage.

The district as a whole dropped 4 percent at the first grade level.

Bailey explained the children are getting used to a new way of taking the reading test at this level. The children are taking the test on the computer and have to read it on their own.

The district increased at the second and third grade level as well. In the second grade, the district increased by 14 percent, with Frakes being the only school that decreased.

All the schools increased once again at the third grade level, with the exception of Lone Jack and Bell Central. Lone Jack decreased 11 percent while Bell Central decreased by only 1 percent.

Anthony Cloud can be reached via email at acloud@civitasmedia.com or by phone at 606-248-1010, ext. 208.