The California Reading Coalition, California Reading Report Card has ranked Bonita Unified in the San Gabriel Valley highest in the state of California for its strong number of high-need students that met or exceeded grade-level standards of reading during the 2021-22 school year.
The organization evaluates 285 of the most populous school districts based on the performance of their economically disadvantaged Hispanic/Latino students on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress third-grade English language arts test.
Serving the communities of San Dimas and La Verne, and part of Glendora, Bonita Unified boasted 64% of it’s high-needs students exceeded their grade level in reading.
“Today, half of California’s students do not read at grade level,” cited the California Reading Coalition in its report. “What’s worse, among low-income students of color, over 65% read below grade level. Few ever catch up.”
Despite the odds, the San Gabriel Valley is continues to make strides as Covina-Valley Unified was recognized as fifth in state and third in LA County — 53% out of 69% of students. This marks the second year in a row the campus has been recognized for top-performing elementary schools. Of the 22 LA County districts listed in the top 50 — 10 serve the San Gabriel Valley.
“Covina-Valley Unified’s California Reading Report Card ranking is a validation of the dedication and commitment of our outstanding elementary and preschool teachers and the terrific programming across our District,” Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Eminhizer said in a statement. “Reading is fundamental to the academic success of any student, and we have always been committed to providing a high-quality reading program.”
Founded in 2021, the California Reading Coaltion is composed of a group of educators, advocates, researchers and policymakers committed to improving reading outcomes for all California students. The organization hosts teacher workshops and an annual California Reading Summit to invite California state leadership to help chart the course to improving reading results.
“The clear message is that it is not the students themselves, or the level of resources, that drive student reading achievement – the primary drivers are district focus on reading, management practices, and curriculum and instruction choices,” cited the California Reading Coalition.
