The National Campaign for Grade-Level Reading has identified three factors that contribute to a student's ability to become reading proficient by third grade:

• That they enter kindergarten ready to learn.
• That they attend school regularly throughout the school year.
• That they continue learning throughout the summer months.

United Way Quad Cities' Born Learning Academies have been proved successful at helping low-income families prepare their children for kindergarten.

Quad Cities area data analysis show that students who are assessed as "Ready for Kindergarten" are twice as likely to be reading proficiently by 3rd grade.

FY22 Partners funded under ED Strategy 1 "Strong Start":

Child Abuse Council's "Healthy Family Prevention Education Services" strategy: home visits and instruction for new parents.

Community Action of Eastern Iowa's "Whole Family Literacy" initiative at their Head Start sites.

Davenport Community School District, Friendly House, Scott County Family YMCA, and YWCA of the Quad Cities: Wrap-around childcare services to make state preschool slots more practical for working families.

GiGi's Playhouse: Tutoring and speech therapy services for preschoolers with Down's Syndrome.

Hand in Hand: Creative Curriculum resources for children with disabilities.

SAL Family & Community Services: Financial supports to make preschool services more affordable for low-income families.

FY22 Partners funded under ED Strategy 2 "Academic Success":

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley's youth mentoring services

GiGi's Playhouse: One-to-one tutoring and speech therapy for students with Down's Syndrome

HELP Iowa Legal Aid: legal assistance for families to stabilize the home environment of struggling students.

Moline School Foundation: Funds for teachers to purchase of educational supplies for their students

Twin Torch Foundation: Annual father-son breakfast for at-risk students of color

Friendly House, Girl Scouts, Hand in Hand, Project Renewal, Scott County Family YMCA, Spring Forward Learning Center, Two Rivers YMCA, YouthHope, and YWCA of the Quad Cities: afterschool and summer programming

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The ability to read opens the door to essentially all opportunities for a child’s future education and career.  Open until third grade, a child is learning to read; after third grade, a child is reading to learn. 

Recent research indicates that:

* Students who are not reading by third grade are four more times likely to high school without graduating. 

* Students reading proficiently by the end of third grade are five times more successful at achieving college readiness as their non-proficient peers.

OPPORTUNITY GAPS

Three-quarters (73%) of white students in the Quad Cities are proficient in reading by third grade, compared with less than half of African American students (43%).  Only 57% of Hispanic third graders are proficient. 

CHALLENGES

• There are not a sufficient number of preschool slots to meet local early childhood education needs.
• Preschool services are too expensive and/or impractical for many families.  This disproportionally impacts low-income families.
• Parents lack the knowledge and resources necessary to better serve as their child's first, best teacher.  This disproportionally impacts low-income families.
• Students enter kindergarten without the skills they need to ensure academic success.  This dispropotionally impacts low-income and non-white students.
• Students who are absent more than 18 days each school year are less likely to advance in learning and skills acquisition.
• Students who are not mentally or experientially engaged during the summer months tend to lose learning by the start of the next school year.  This dispropotionally impacts low-income students.
• School districts are unable to provide struggling readers with sufficient one-to-one instruction and support to meet each student's individual needs.

OPPORTUNITIES

• United Way Quad Cities' Born Learning Academies have been proved successful at helping low-income families prepare their children for kindergarten.
• United Way Quad Cities has volunteer opportunities to facilitate reading and tutoring sessions for struggling students.