Why Is the NJ State Department of Education Allowing EPSD to Slide?

The following was submitted in the Englewood Report to the NJ State Board of Education dated August 31, 2007. These were identified as benchmarks to be followed in the development of a strong literacy program in the Englewood Public School District.

EPSD must:
Strengthen the use of reading and writing for learning across the curriculum to advance reading achievement and to advance achievement in all core academic areas. Implement the following literacy practices.

• Over the next three years, move incrementally toward requiring students from grades 6 through 12 to read the equivalent of 25 books a year across the curriculum.
• Have students in every course, in grades 6 through 12, complete an independent research paper each year. 
• Appoint a team of teachers to develop appropriate scoring guides to be used at different grade levels.

I find it very interesting and encouraging that the state feels our students should read a lot more than they are required to in EPSD. I find it discouraging that there is no evidence that the benchmarks above have received any attention. They have definitely NOT been met. My granddaughter has been required to read only 2 books in her 9th grade American Literature class.  Correction. 1 required book. She had already read one of them as part of the Summer Enrichment Program. How many books has your child read this year? Are the students in grades 6 - 12 completing an independent research paper each year? Again, how many books has your child read this year? How many books has your child read, period?

                                     How are the children?