Reading By 3rd Grade Matters
- van: RTSB Literacy Coalition and The Buffalo Public Schools
- ontvanger: National Civic League (NCL)
Take just a minute to sign the petition and together we can show the nation that the City of Buffalo is serious about all our children reading by the end of 3rd grade.
The pivot point in a child's academic success is as early as 3rd grade, the exact time when a child is expected to make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Children who are successful by 3rd grade are less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to go on to higher education. 74% of children who are not reading on grade level by that time will never catch up to graduate with their class.
In case you don't think high school graduation rates impact you, consider that high school failure costs taxpayers between $320 billion and $350 billion a year in lost wages, taxable income, health, welfare and incarceration costs, among others. Support from individuals, local businesses and community groups will send a strong message that improving early childhood education is not only good for kids, it is fundamental to growing our local economy.
The National Civic League, National League of Cities, United States Conference of Mayors, United Way Worldwide and 80 national foundations have partnered to create the All America City (AAC) Grade Level Reading Award. More than 150 communities, including Buffalo, are now competing for the award. The AAC Grade Level Reading Award will be given to 10 communities that demonstrate a commitment to creating a comprehensive, practical plan to increase 3rd grade reading success.
We are now calling on you to spread the message that a community-wide priority on early childhood literacy is a critical component to the success of our children and Buffalo's economic future.
Commit to making 3rd grade literacy a priority for our children. We know that too many of our children now arrive at school without the basic skills they need to succeed; over 40% of Kindergartners and 1st grade students in Buffalo miss 18 or more days of schools and too many children lose ground over the summer months when there are few meaningful opportunities for learning.
As a community we are committed to a comprehensive plan that focuses on school readiness, summer learning opportunities and attendance in the early grades. The solutions for these challenges will involve parents drenching their children in words, spoken and written and strong preschool experiences that align with the elementary curricula, and quality summer experienced and all children attend school everyday.
We support the goals envisioned by Buffalo's ACC subcommittees, led by RTSB Literacy Coalition and the Buffalo Public Schools, and know that through community support we can raise the education bar and close the achievement gap for our most at risk students.
School Readiness
Goal 1: Create and implement a community-wide strategy for families as their children's first literacy teacher.
Goal 2: Improved quality of early learning classrooms (e.g. Head Start and universal Pre-K programs, community and home day care centers, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd) with intentional explicit literacy supports and environments.
Goal 3: Aligned assessments and teaching strategies from birth through 3rd grade, creating a comprehensive and replicable local early learning network focused on the explicit learning and development of children birth through age 8.
Summer Learning Loss
Goal 1: Enhanced family awareness of literacy rich summer programming and home based literacy activities.
Goal 2: Increased student participation in high quality, literacy rich summer programming.
Goal 3: System change that aligns and respects the needs of the district, community-based organizations, and families as it relates to early childhood literacy.
School Attendance
Goal 1: Community-wide culture of attendance in Pre-K through third grade for families and the community.
Goal 2: Alignment of district policies and procedures to reduce barriers associated with low registration and chronic absenteeism.
Goal 3:Seamless, high quality transition from preschool/Pre-K to Kindergarten.
Through this city wide commitment to school readiness, school attendance and summer learning I am confident, that we as community will increase our children's grade-level reading proficiency by 3rd grade.
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