Grade-Level Reading

The What

• More than 70 foundations and donors in 25 states

• More than 50 sector-leading organizations and programs

• (United Way Worldwide, National League of Cities, National Civic League, U.S. Conference of Mayors, America’s Promise, Mission:Readiness)

Campaign Update

• By 2020, increase by 50 percent in at least a dozen states the number of low-income children reading at grade level in 3rd grade.

• By 2015, significant progress on the leading indicators in at least two dozen key cities and school districts

Campaign goals

• Quality teaching of the whole child for every child in every setting every day.

• Community solutions for improving school readiness, attendance and summer learning.

• A more seamless and accountable system of care, services, and family supports for children during the early years and the early grades.

Three assurances

The Why

We know what it takes:

• graduate from high school

• get and keep a job

• delay pregnancy until age 25 or marriage

(Haskins, R., and Sawhill, I. (2009). Creating a an Opportunity Society Brookings Institution Press)

Disrupting Persistent and Intergenerational Poverty

• High school graduation is the doorway to opportunity and to a successful future in – Post-secondary education – The skilled workforce and careers– Military service and law

enforcement

What We Know

• Third grade is a critical juncture on the road to high school graduation. It is the pivot point -- 74 percent of students who fail to read on grade level by the end of third grade will never catch up.

What We Know

• Four out of five (83%) low-income children miss this critical milestone and do not read proficiently by the end of third grade

Low-income kids are the casualties

• The result? By the time they enter fourth grade, more than half of the nation’s low income children are off-track for on time high school graduation and the opportunities for them and for the nation.

Low-income kids are the casualties

• Enshrine poverty into the next generation

• Impede competitiveness in the global economy

• Compromise national security

These statistics portend dire consequences for our nation

The How

• Education & Child Development (schools and early care, education and development programs)

• Policy Arena (federal, state and local level)

• Civic space (the informal groups and organizations serving children and families in communities)

Working in three arenas

• Building a big tent of stakeholders and champions

• Advancing more impact-oriented philanthropic decision making and practice

• Investing in promising places to accelerate change, create “proof points” and provide inspiration

Three key strategies

• Priority challenge: Community mobilization to find solutions to three major contributors to the achievement gap

– School readiness: too many children coming to school too far behind

– Chronic absence: too many children missing too many days of school

– Summer learning loss: too many kids losing ground over the summer months

Community solutions

• Priority challenge: Bridge-building across the entrenched divides

– Early childhood vs K-12

– Zero to 3 vs 3 to 5/pre-K

– Cognitive development vs social emotional development

Quality teaching

• Priority challenge: Enabling parents and caregivers to become effective in their roles as first teacher, best coach and most effective advocate so their children are assured– Regular health and development

screenings and assessment– Timely and appropriate treatment

and intervention– Quality teaching and equitable

opportunities to learn

A more seamless and accountable system of care, services and supports through from 0-8

All Children . . .– Born healthy– Thriving at Three– Ready at Five– Reading in 3rd grade– Achieving on grade level– Graduating from high school

prepared for career, college and life

Success: What does it look like?

Cities can help lead the way

Thank you!