Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

The Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (AR-GLR) is part of the National Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a collaborative effort by dozens of funders across the nation to:

• close the gap in reading achievement that separates many low-income students from their peers;

• raise the bar for reading proficiency so that all students are assessed by world-class standards; and

• ensure that all children, including and especially children from low-income families, have an equitable opportunity to meet those higher standards.  

Arkansas is currently ranked 35^th in the country in fourth grade reading proficiency. According to the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 71 percent of Arkansas fourth graders were struggling in reading. The National Reading Council suggests that a child’s likelihood of reaching high school graduation can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by gauging his or her reading skills at the end of third grade.

AR-GLR has adopted the goal of doubling the number of third graders reading at proficient levels by 2020.  AR-GLR will mobilize philanthropy, parents, educators, service providers and civic leaders to find and put in place solutions to three problems that are major obstacles to making progress on grade-level reading by the end of third grade:

• School readiness challenge: too many children showing up for school not ready for what school has to offer

• Chronic absence challenge: too many children missing too many days of school and too much instructional time

• Summer learning loss challenge: too many children losing too much ground academically during the summer months

AR-GLR promotes policies that lead to better coordination and alignment of services that help children reach the developmental and academic milestones essential to becoming good readers by the end of third grade. Along with our other partners we are also supporting community driven solutions to this problem.

Help share the message that today's readers become tomorrow's leaders and together we will ensure that all students are proficient in reading by the end of third grade.

Resources:

Strategies and Recommendations from the WRF Biennial Grantee Convening

WEBSITE: The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

VIDEO: Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Funders Network Highlights

ARTICLE: Money Rolls in for Arkansas Programs Helping Children Learn to Read

PODCAST: Coping with Chronic Absence

VIDEO: Summer Learning Loss

REPORT: Making Summer Count Report

ISSUE BRIEF: School Readiness: The 30 Million Word Gap

POLL: School Readiness

WORKING PAPER: Chronic Absenteeism