The Central Elementary School fifth-grade class of teacher West Walker has proven its dedication to reading, becoming the first class in San Joaquin County to win an Accelerated Reader Model Classroom Certification.

The Wisconsin-based technology education company Renaissance Learning announced the award Feb. 13, signifying that Walker’s students achieved 80 percent or higher in their reading comprehension after 18 weeks of in-class reading and testing.

“My kids read over 2,000 books,” Walker said Monday, March 11. “They wanted to prove that they could do it. It was a goal for them.”

After reading 35 minutes per day during class, the students took online quizzes monitored by Renaissance.

According to Nicole Lehmann, Renaissance Educator Certification program specialist, Walker’s class is the first in the county to be certified.

“It is a big deal,” she said. “It’s showing those students are reading and comprehending what they read.”

Each of Walker’s students was awarded a T-shirt, and the class as a whole was given a plaque and a pendant to commemorate the achievement.

“It’s all about bringing reading levels up,” Walker said. “We have many students, about one-third students, who are about two to three years behind their reading level. Now they’re all making progress. That is what it is about — building a foundation for the future.”

• Contact Denise Ellen Rizzo at 835-3030 or drizzo@tracypress.com.