48 COMMUNITIES RECOGNIZED FOR ACHIEVING MEASURABLE PROGRESS IN ADVANCING EARLY LITERACY
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 29, 2017 – The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading today announced its 5th Annual Pacesetter Honors. Forty-eight communities across the nation have been recognized as Pacesetters for “leading by example” to solve one or more of the challenges that can undermine early literacy — school readiness, school attendance and summer learning.
“Recognizing the Pacesetters is our way of applauding the civic leaders, organizations and agencies that have joined forces to build brighter futures for the children in their communities,” said Ralph Smith, managing director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. “We are learning with them and from them what it takes to move the needle and close the gap.”
This year’s Pacesetter Honorees include:
Arizona
- Phoenix
Arkansas
- Marvell
- Springdale
California
- Fresno
- Stockton-°©San Joaquin County
- Tahoe Truckee
Colorado
- Denver
Connecticut
- Hartford
- New Britain
Florida
- Broward County
- Delray Beach
- Indian River County
- Suncoast (Sarasota & Manatee Counties
Georgia
- Colquitt County
- Seminole County
- Whitfield County
Iowa
- Ames
- Cedar Rapids
- Council Bluffs
- Des Moines
- Dubuque
- Dyersvile
- Quad Cities
Kansas
- Topeka
Kentucky
- Louisville
Massachusetts
- Springfield
- Worcester
Michigan
- Flint
Mississippi
- Gulfport
Missouri
- Kansas City
New Jersey
- Camden
New York
- Syracuse
- New York City
- Rochester
North Carolina
- Mecklenburg County/Charlotte
- Wake County
Ohio
- Dayton
Oregon
- Portland – Earl Boyles
- Lane County
- Wallowa County
Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia
Rhode Island
- Newport
Texas
- Dallas
- San Antonio
Utah
- Salt Lake (Clearfield, Kearns,
- Park City and South Salt Lake)
Virginia
- Roanoke
Washington
- Tacoma
West Virginia
- Hancock County
“Mobilized communities — like these Pacesetters — are essential to closing the achievement gap,” Smith added.
Pacesetters are part of a nationwide network of more than 300 GLR Campaign communities, representing 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Campaign communities are dedicated to narrowing the achievement gap between children from low-income families and their more affluent peers. According to the U.S. Department of Education, that gap has widened significantly in recent years, with 80 percent of children from low-income families failing to read proficiently in fourth grade compared with 49 percent of their more affluent peers. Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a milestone on a child’s path to high school graduation and career success because it marks the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Students who have not mastered reading by that time are more likely to drop out of high school and struggle throughout their lives.
The 2016 Pacesetter communities will be formally honored at the Funder Huddle held June 13-14, 2017, during Grade-Level Reading Week in Denver, Colorado. Pacesetters will receive a certificate and special recognition banner to showcase their award throughout their communities. To learn more about the Pacesetter criteria and to view profiles for each Pacesetter Honoree, visit gradelevelreading.net/pacesetter.
About the Campaign for Grade-ˇLevel Reading
Launched in 2010, the Campaign for Grade-°©Level Reading is a collaborative effort of funders, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities across the nation to ensure that many more children from low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career and active citizenship. Since its launch, the GLR Campaign has grown to include more than 300 communities, representing 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with 3,800 local organizations and 250 state and local funders (including 168 United Ways). To learn more, visit gradelevelreading.net and follow the movement on Twitter @readingby3rd.