Reading achievement in the United States has stagnated. In 2009, only 33 percent of Fourth Graders were proficient or above in reading—a mere two percentage points higher than in 1998. At the same time, double-digit achievement gaps between African American and Latino/ Hispanic students and their white counterparts have changed little in nearly two decades. More troubling, there are few examples of system-wide success stories—school districts that have improved equity and overall student achievement. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland is one such example. Geoff Marietta documents MCPS and its PreK-3rd approach in this case study, Lessons for PreK-3rd from Montgomery County Public Schools.
