Across the country, communities in the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network are working to put more young people on a path to economic mobility by addressing barriers to equitable outcomes. StriveTogether’s seven cradle-to-career outcome areas are critical milestones that shape a child’s educational journey and future success. Each post in this series will provide an in-depth look at one of these key areas, highlighting the challenges, opportunities and impactful strategies that can drive positive change.
National statistics reveal that 32% of fourth graders score proficiently in grade-level reading. Disparities persist, with Black and Latine students, along with those experiencing poverty, exhibiting lower rates of reading proficiency compared to their white counterparts. Early grade reading is crucial for academic and future success, with studies showing that students who read at or above grade level by third grade are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college and ultimately achieve economic mobility. The Annie E. Casey Foundation reports that the average annual income of adults proficient in literacy is nearly $63,000, significantly higher than the average of almost $48,000 earned by adults who score just below proficiency.
For these reasons, Cradle to Career Network members lead work locally to improve early grade reading proficiency for all students. Keep reading for stories of progress from three communities within our Network.
Cradle to Career Partnership | Pima County, Ariz.
Cradle to Career Partnership collaborated closely with school districts to implement data-driven strategies, engaging educators in monthly meetings focused on continuous improvement using student-level assessments. By visualizing data in actionable ways and fostering a data culture among teachers, they’ve effectively identified and supported students needing additional assistance. Scaling these initiatives across districts has had a significant impact, benefiting thousands of students and teachers.
Encouragingly, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, there has been a noteworthy increase in third grade reading proficiency rates, with scores in Pima County rising from 34% in 2021 to 40% in 2023. Moreover, all racial and ethnic groups have seen improvements, underscoring the effectiveness of their efforts in improving early literacy outcomes across diverse student populations.
The success of these effort has driven the school district to scale the work — this year, 68 educators are working with Cradle to Career Partnership to improve reading for 936 students in kindergarten to fourth grade. Additionally, 202 teachers are receiving data support from the partnership to improve reading for more than 3,500 students in kindergarten to third grade.
Northfield Promise | Northfield, Minn.
Northfield Promise has seen notable progress in advancing early reading outcomes, with third grade reading proficiency rising to 68%, up from 59% the previous year, defying statewide declines. Particularly encouraging is the continued improvement for English language learner, Hispanic and free or reduced lunch-eligible students, indicating a positive trend despite challenges posed by the pandemic.
Northfield Promise emphasizes family engagement, collaborating with families to develop tailored learning plans. The partnership empowers Family Engagement Navigators, including parents of color, to support students and address concerns. Additionally, investments in teacher training programs like LETRS aim to enhance literacy instruction, ensuring culturally responsive approaches for diverse learners and contributing to sustained improvements in reading proficiency.
Spartanburg Academic Movement | Spartanburg, S.C.
Spartanburg Academic Movement’s (SAM) set an ambitious goal to improve third grade reading proficiency in four schools experiencing high levels of poverty from a collective 15% proficiency rate in 2016 to 30% by 2021. The team’s implementation of continuous improvement methodologies led to progress by October 2019, with an increasing number of students meeting or exceeding proficiency levels. Despite pandemic setbacks, the four schools surpassed their target, achieving a 32% reading proficiency rate by 2022. Disparities were notably reduced for students experiencing poverty.
Significant improvements were seen at Cleveland Academy of Leadership, previously labeled low-performing, and Jesse Bobo Elementary, where personalized instruction plans driven by data analysis contributed to positive outcomes. Building on these achievements, SAM’s pilot program is expanding to include 10 high-poverty schools, with funding support and ongoing coaching to sustain and amplify these gains.
Early grade reading is one of the seven key outcome areas addressed by the Network — all critical steps on the path to economic mobility. Read additional stories of early grade reading progress in our 2023 annual report, here. Learn more about the importance of early grade reading in the StriveTogether cradle-to-career outcome guide, here.