Swift, dramatic improvement requires an encounter with the “brutal facts”—those awkward, unpleasant truths that organizations prefer not to address—or even talk about.You must retain faith that you can prevail to greatness in the end, while retaining the discipline to confront the brutal facts of your current reality.  -Jim Collins- Good to Great

Facing the hard facts is difficult for any organization or association, and our field is no exception.  The autopsy MUST happen without blame. We have seen time and time again, when confronted with the  brutal facts of students reading achievement, one of the most nonproductive and damaging effects occur when we search for people to blame for the outcomes:

• “If the kids just came to us reading, we could do our job…"
• “If the elementary teachers would have just taught the basics, kids would be better off…"
• “If the parents would just learn how to help their children, then…”
• “If the teacher last year would have really taught reading, then I…”

Constant and pervasive statements such as these only move us farther away from the solution. We can learn from successful companies and instead of seeking blame, we can instead “autopsy” the data; attempting to understand what has actually happened, is happening, and needs to happen.  Only from this place of honest objectivity, are we then able to face the facts with hope and find the resolve to change the facts with that goal in mind.

If making the move from good to great requires taking an honest look current realities, the following represents a glimpse of what is happening and what needs to happen as it relates to what our readers need to know and do to be successful in a society that demands so very much.  So, here we go….

Consider the following: WHERE WE ARE

• Although, students are reading at the basic level more than anytime in history, the facts are clear that students reading competencies and capabilities are only a fraction of what shy need to be.  Fewer and fewer students show that they are able to reader critically or writhed effectively (Allington, 2001, Graff, 2000) 
• Today, more children achieve, “basic” literacy level as set on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) than at any other point in U. S. history (Perie, Grigg, and Donahue, 2005). But the number of students who achieve the “proficient level of literacy on the NAEP has barely moved 
• Statistics show that more than eight million students in grades 4-12 read below grade level. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005)     
•  High school students’ ability to read complex texts is strongly predictive of their performance in college courses. (ACT, 2006)   
•  Lack of academic preparation, not financial need, is the chief reason for college failure(Haycock, 2005)  
• The 25 most emerging professions have greater than average literacy demands, while the fastest-declining professions have lower than average literacy demands. (Barton, 2000)  
•  Nearly 40 percent of high school graduates lack the literacy skills employers seek. (Achieve 2005).   
• Approximately 1.2 million students fail to graduate from high school each year (Education Week, 2006).  
•  32 percent of “college-bound students are academically prepared for College (Cavanaugh, 2004, p. 1)   
•  40% of high school graduates lack the reading and writing skills that employer’s value and nearly 30% of high school graduates who enroll in colleges and universities require remedial assistance (Greene & Winters, 2005).   
• About 75 percent of state prison inmates dropped out from high school (Harlow 2003). A five percent increase in male high school graduation rates would save the nation almost $5 billion in costs associated with incarceration (Lochner and Moretti, 2001; Alliance for Excellent Education, 2006). 

These observations and more recent “brutal facts”  clearly show that far too many students, capable of “great” reading are not ready for the college, workplace, and life demands necessary to be successful in 21st century world.

Where We Need to Be: 21st Century Reading Realities

The reading and literacy skills and competencies that an individual must possess that allow that individual to participate fully as engaged citizens in the society in which they live and work in.  To begin to understand exactly what that entails, it is important for us to examine patterns, trends, and developments in the actual life of today’s 21st century reader; I offer these questions for your reflection:

1. What are the most important qualities in a 21st century reader?
2. What percentage of your students possess these qualities and traits?
3. In what ways does your classroom instruction mirror the practices most demanded from a 21st century world?
4. What are the ramifications for your students are if these competencies are not developed when they leave your classroom?

I look forward to this ongoing conversation in the next series of posts as I try to explore these issues from multiple perspectives. I welcome the dialogue on your blog or mine!