MARIETTA, Ga. — One group of students in Cobb County is getting high-fives and high recognition before the school year even starts. That's because their reading literacy scores have significantly increased since the pandemic -- some even in the double digits.
Marietta City Schools spent the last two years focused on the "science of reading," and now its third-grade students are the cream of the crop in the Peach State.
Superintendent for Marietta City Schools Grant Rivera said data showed that students in their district outpaced the state and metro Atlanta by five times relative to the means scale for the third grade in the Georgia Milestones testing.
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Rivera said the improvement was not the result of luck, but learning, and the culmination of two years of well-spent reading between the lines - with financial investment and staffing.
He added the district even saw significant gains in subgroups like minority students, those with disabilities and new English learners. The district didn't see the same growth though amongst older students.
Rivera credited the teachers who work with the kids in their classrooms throughout the year for the overall success.
"They’ve worked for the last two years to really understand how kids learn to read, and they’ve made the necessary changes in their classroom. They’ve had the necessary resources," he said.
Rivera called the success "unprecedented," adding that the district is "so excited" to not only launch this upcoming school year but also celebrate those successes and continue the work.