Hamilton school joins record high reading test scores in the state
HAMILTON, Miss. (WCBI) – The end of the school year is state testing time, and one of the most important is the so-called 3rd Grade reading gate.
This test determines if third graders will move on to the fourth grade.
Across the state, the results for the first try have been good this year.
With the school year ending, educators received some welcome news about the annual reading assessment.
The Mississippi Department of Education reports 77% of 3rd graders passed their reading test on the first try, which is a record high.
At Hamilton Attendance Center, that passing rate was 94%, the highest in Monroe County.
Hamilton Elementary School Principal Rebekah Hunter wasn’t surprised.
She knows how much dedication her teachers and students put in, leading up to the test.
“I’m very proud of them for all their hard work. They have worked really, really hard this year, so I was really excited for them to get to see those scores and be the highest in Monroe County, so they can celebrate that. Because they definitely put in the work for that. That was their goal from the beginning, and they have worked hard all year to accomplish that goal.”
And, it’s not just this year. Hamilton has a solid track record on the test.
Reading teacher Karen West said having the kids work together helps boost their comprehension skills.
“I’m a big fan of group work,” West said. “I can explain things in one way but their friends can tell them things in a slightly different way and it clicks. It can get to be a little organized chaos but you have to have great classroom manners to pull that off. But as they work together, they have their score together and they do learn from one another.”
Hunter and West said this doesn’t happen in one year. Hamilton’s 3rd graders are building on a solid foundation that starts early.
“It is definitely a team effort here,” Hunter said. “Our kindergarten through second grade teachers, they work to build that reading skill to give them all those pillars of reading so that when they get to Mrs. West they are ready for that comprehension piece and to continue building on that.”
“Unfortunately, being in a small town they might not get many opportunities to travel and see the world but they can through books,” West said. “I do encourage that love of reading.”
Third graders have two more chances to take the test if they didn’t pass on the first try.
