FARMINGTON – Increased parent involvement and staff development is leading to improved scores in reading and writing assessments at the Mallett School, the principal told the district board Tuesday night.

W.G. Mallett School serves around 355 students in grades K-3, according to Principal Melvin Burnham.

Several years ago, a goal was set at the school to increase the number of students who meet or exceed the reading standards by the time they leave Mallett.

According to Developmental Reading Assessment results, 90 percent of Mallett kindergarten students were reading at or above grade level in 2003, which was a 39 percent improvement from 2001.

First-graders increased from 51 percent at or above grade level in 2001 to 61 percent in 2003. Second-graders were down a bit, from 79 percent in 2001 to 66 percent in 2003. Third-graders were up from 79 percent in 2001 to 86 percent in 2003.

Burnham attributed the results to a full-day kindergarten and the fact that Title 1A teachers and a literacy specialist at the school now work collaboratively with the classroom teachers in the kindergarten classrooms for at least an hour a day. There is also a literacy course taught to faculty.

“It’s a wonderful school with extremely dedicated, talented professionals who are doing a great job,” Burnham said.

It’s also because of the parents, he stressed.

The school has hosted several parent/volunteer workshops. Those have speakers and lessons for parents on how to get kids excited about reading and how to use the same language at home to talk about reading that that teachers use in school.

Mallett also distributes pamphlets to parents about what students will be studying at each grade level. That way parents can organize vacations or activities around places or concepts that students will be learning about.

“I think these are great,” board member Susan Roberts said about the pamphlets. “I would have loved to have these when I was a parent.”

Burnham said the school is also seeking grant money to purchase learning materials to be given out at kindergarten registration in April. That would help parents better prepare their children to enter kindergarten in the fall.

Meanwhile, Burnham said that although reading results are improving, he is still wants them to be better. He said that he hopes, with more education for staff and for parents, students will excel more.

Another concern at Mallett is the antiquated facilities, though the school is applying again for state renovation money.

“Our building is old,” he said, adding that plant problems do “hinder learning. It needs to be replaced.”

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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