More than half of New York City students in grades 3-8 are not reading proficiently, a challenge that contributes to higher dropout rates in later grades. To address this early, we support Read Alliance, which provides early literacy intervention to K-2nd graders in public and charter schools and community-based organizations in all five boroughs in NYC through our School Year and Summer Reading Programs.
Read Alliance’s model produces measurable gains in early reading while creating meaningful paid work opportunities for New York City teens. The program partners with middle and high schools to recruit academically strong students – primarily from low-income communities – who are trained and paid to serve as reading tutors. These tutors receive instruction in phonics-based curriculum, data collection, and classroom-management techniques, and then work one-on-one with early elementary students in under-resourced neighborhoods, including hard-to-reach areas such as East New York.
Results are strong: recent program data show that students make significant literacy gains, averaging nearly one reading level over the course of the intervention.
We also supported Read Alliance in developing a pathway for its teen tutors to pursue college and careers in education, with a particular focus on increasing the number of young men of color entering the teaching profession.
To learn more, click here for a video clip from the “Kelly Clarkson” show.