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AZ Data Snapshot: the Pandemic’s Impact on Early Literacy – Part 1

October 20, 2021

Data Analysis by Robert Vagi The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruptions in K-12 education. Data showing its effect on student learning are now becoming available, and some initial studies at …

Arizona Department of Education Releases Statewide Assessment Results from School Year 2020/2021

August 27, 2021

Office of Superintendent Kathy Hoffman Released August 27, 2021 PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) today released statewide assessment results, commonly known as AzM2 and MSAA, from school year 2020/2021. Arizona public schools test students in Grades …

Policy News: Arizona Invests in Accelerating Early Literacy

July 12, 2021

Read On Arizona applauds Governor Ducey and the Arizona legislature for prioritizing early literacy in the FY22 budget and legislation passed this month. SB1572 outlines significant steps for advancing early …

Arizona Announces Grant Awards to Improve Literacy for Underserved Children

May 21, 2021

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has selected 23 subgrantees for the $20 million federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant (CLSD) to improve reading skills for students most in need of additional supports. Continue reading

Read On Avondale, Read On Phoenix Recognized as Bright Spot Communities

May 12, 2021

Over the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the many inequities surrounding early childhood education. In Maricopa County, hundreds of thousands of children were forced to transition to learning from home without the proper technology and resources to succeed. Fortunately, Read On Avondale and Read On Phoenix were there to help. Continue reading

Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Recognizes Bright Spot Communities

April 29, 2021

2 Read On Communities recognized as bright spots by Campaign For Grade-Level Reading for their response to the COVID crisis last year:
• Read On Phoenix: Exemplary effort to mitigate learning loss by closing the digital divide during COVID (City of Phoenix investment of $6M), building educator capacity by training 48 early learning educators on Pre-K LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), Experience Corps Phx expanded virtual access to tutors at tarted school districts, and Mayor Gallegos did a Kinder enrollment PSA and launched a Mayor’s birthday book club.
• Read On Avondale: hosted virtual listening tours to better understand community needs during COVID, secured funding for community wifi so students continued to engage during remote learning, and are honoring teachers by hosting “Thank Your School Superhero Week: May 3-7”.
Continue reading

‘Take a book, share a book’: Little Free Libraries helps put books in the hands of kids

April 21, 2021

Shanti Lerner Arizona Republic Published Apr. 21, 2021 Sometimes the biggest changes start with the smallest gestures. In the case of the Little Free Libraries, a nonprofit that seeks to promote …

Here’s how schools adjusted to life under COVID-19

March 9, 2021

This month marks an entire year since Arizona schools first closed their doors, and educational organizations are still trying to find their way through COVID-19 restrictions. Gov. Doug Ducey issued …

AZ included in the Bipartisan Policy Center Report

February 2, 2021

Thanks to Read On Arizona’s MapLIT data tools and collaborative approach to data integration, Arizona is included in the Bipartisan Policy Center Report—Child Care in 25 States: What We Know …

Giant giveaway: 16,000 free books for Tempe families

January 27, 2021

Generous grant supports schools, nonprofits, city programs More children and families in Tempe are able to read and learn together thanks to the distribution of 16,000 new free books to …

Arizona State Budget Proposal Gov. Doug Ducey Released Friday

January 15, 2021

As Arizona enters the second year of a pandemic that has strained the public health system and sent the unemployment rate skyward, Gov. Doug Ducey has unveiled a budget proposal …

NEW: Gov. Ducey announces $19 million to help Arizona students impacted by pandemic

November 10, 2020

Funding Will Help Schools And Students Close The Achievement Gap Through Targeted Intervention Programs PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey, in partnership with Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman, today …

Arizona Awarded $20 Million Federal Grant to Improve Literacy

September 23, 2020

Office of Superintendent Kathy Hoffman September 23, 2020 The U.S. Department of Education awarded the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) a $20 million Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant (CLSD) to …

Early Literacy

September 15, 2020

Reading is vital to a child’s ability to learn and be successful in school. And the early literacy skills needed to be a good reader — like language and vocabulary …

What the Words Say: A Struggle with Reading

August 10, 2020

Many kids struggle with reading – and children of color are far less likely to get the help they need. A false assumption about what it takes to be a …

How to Reopen America’s Schools

June 6, 2020

Parents who have watched their children struggle with online learning since schools across the country were closed in March are painfully aware that virtual classes are no substitute for face-to-face …

ADE Released Guidance on Schools Re-Opening (New York Times)

June 1, 2020

Educators and school leaders now have a roadmap to reopen in the face of a global pandemic. The Arizona Department of Education on Monday unveiled guidance for schools to reopen. …

Improving Literacy in the US: Recommendations for Increasing Reading Success

May 28, 2020

Adult illiteracy directly affects an individual’s employment options, likelihood to live in poverty, likelihood to be incarcerated, access to adequate health care and health outcomes, and life expectancy. Generational illiteracy …

Blue Ridge is pilot site for rural family literacy services

November 27, 2019

The Family Resource Center offers a wide array of free services to Blue Ridge parents and is now functioning as a pilot site for the Arizona Statewide Family Engagement Center …

LaundryCares Foundation’s Free Laundry Day Event in Phoenix, AZ Plus Unveiling of New Laundromat Learning Space

November 6, 2019

On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, the LaundryCares Foundation will host a Free Laundry Day event at Local Laundry laundromat in Phoenix, AZ from 3 – 6 PM. Continue reading

A family-centric approach to education through Statewide Family Engagement Centers

October 10, 2019

To break the cycle of poverty in Arizona, the National Center for Families Learning in collaboration with Read On Arizona, Arizona Department of Education, Southwest Human Development, Make Way for …

Too many Arizona K-12 students are missing class. What can we do about it?

Opinion: It’s important to tell families why their kids should be in school. It’s another to get them there. Missing just two days a month from school, or at least …

Attendance Playbook: Smart Solutions for Reducing Chronic Absenteeism

September 9, 2019

The increased emphasis on chronic absenteeism at the federal and state levels has put a premium on effective strategies for getting students to attend school. Continue reading

Campaign For Grade-Level Reading Recognizes 32 Communities As Pacesetters

July 3, 2019

This year, 32 communities are Pacesetters for their work during 2018 to support early school success. Continue reading

Program Seeks to Close AZ Students’ ‘Achievement Gap’

March 29, 2019

A new grant program aims to close the “achievement gap” for low-income Arizona students by getting their families involved in their education.
Continue reading

Study: Poverty, Location Factors In Arizona Student Literacy

March 27, 2019

A study of literacy programs for Arizona third-graders found that children who live in poverty or attend rural schools are at a disadvantage in learning to read. Continue reading

‘Read On Arizona’ Aims to Boost Preschoolers’ Literacy Skills

March 8, 2019

Education experts say when preschoolers can’t read at an age-appropriate level, it can hamper their long-term success in the classroom. The program “Read On Arizona” aims to make sure every child in Arizona schools reads at the proper level by the time they finish third grade. Continue reading

AZ Child Advocates Warn Parents to Limit Toddlers’ Screen Time

February 26, 2019

Child-development experts say allowing your toddler or preschooler too much time in front of the TV or digital devices can delay their development of critical life skills. Continue reading

One Arizona district has found a way to keep truant kids in school

December 19, 2018

Drive until the yellow line on the paved road disappears.

Keep driving as the cement gives way to a dirt path. Pass the dumpster. Continue reading

Improving Reading Outcomes for Economically Disadvantaged Students

November 6, 2018

For an elementary school teacher who works with economically disadvantaged students, it can be discouraging to hear phrases like “significant achievement gap” or “30-million-word gap” in discussions of the reading and vocabulary development of our students. But research does bear those phrases out: There are clear trends of underachievement in academics for students of low socioeconomic status (SES). Continue reading