April 21, 2023 -- On Thursday, April 20, Columbus City Schools (CCS) and Avondale Elementary had the honor of hosting the U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
Interim Superintendent/CEO Dr. Angela Chapman and Principal April Knight guided Secretary Cardona on Pre-K, kindergarten, and first-grade classroom tours showcasing early childhood education initiatives in the District.
“It was amazing having the Secretary here and seeing his passion for early [childhood] education,” said Knight.
Within CCS, the mission of the early childhood education program is to provide a solid foundation for all children. This foundation prepares each student for the next level of learning and beyond.
While the Ohio Department of Education does not require children to attend early childhood programs, CCS offers free pre-kindergarten for more than 1,800 children across Columbus.
“Without that foundation, students are not going to be successful,” said Knight. “It’s all about helping them succeed.”
During the 2020-2021 school year, CCS introduced a district-wide curriculum shift focusing on the Science of Reading. The Science of Reading provides students with an interactive learning experience to grow essential skills. Elementary teachers work with students daily on the five elements of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Since the curriculum shift in 2021, CCS has distributed over 23,000 customized literacy kits to students in grades K-3 across the District. Each kit contained books, learning activities, and resources families could use to support learning in their homes.
“Our teachers work together so that they can stay focused on the basic needs of the students,” Knight added. “They’re really able to get down to the nitty-gritty of what we need to do to establish those foundational skills.”
While many schools across the nation experienced a “Summer Slide” entering the 2022-2023 school year, CCS saw promising results in test scores. Last fall, test scores were 8% higher than spring scores collectively for grades 1-6, showing that the District’s early childhood investments are paying off.
“I’m confident he knows about the great work that’s happening in our school District, in our community, and the collaborative partnerships that make this work happen,” said Dr. Chapman.
Secretary Cardona witnessed students and staff in action as students actively learned their subject matter, practiced their phonics, and partook in reading.
“I hope that the Secretary of Education understands and takes away the value of early education. In a city of our size, and a District of our size, we should be able to offer early childhood programming to every student in our city,” said Dr. Chapman.
