AAC Award « Grade Level reading

Featured Video

Summer Learning

Use this Horizons National video to illustrate the problem of summer learning loss.
Parent Engagement

This Reach Out and Read video makes a powerful case for parent engagement in early literacy.
The Value of Preschool

Here’s a video Georgia uses to promote the value of its universal preK program.
Early Learners

This video interview with Ellen Galinksy demonstrates how learning begins long before students start school.
Chronic Absence

Basketball great Magic Johnson urges chronically absent students to show up for school in this public service announcement.

AAC Award

Start Improving Grade-Level Reading Today–Join the GLR Network!

Communities that signaled their plans to apply for the 2012 All-America City Awards are now members of the Grade-Level Reading Network of Leading Cities, Counties, Districts, and States, or GLR Network. Network members will have priority access to:

Experts in each of the three community solutions areas
Funders with an interest in supporting local campaigns
Policymakers at the federal and state level through convenings, webinars and calls
Models of programs and practices with proven impact
Peers in other cities facing similar challenges
Media products that can be localized to help you spread the word
Opportunities to publicize and promote their work
Systems for common data collection and analysis

All communities will receive the technical assistance and support needed to develop effective and innovative strategies for significantly improving early school success. Already, communities across the country are effectively addressing such issues as school readiness, school attendance and summer learning loss to ensure that more children learn to read well by the end of third grade.

We’ve collected some of the best samples and resources materials that you can use and adapt for your community. Everything you need to get started is available here including background papers, meeting agendas, press releases and implementation plans.

Please feel free to customize these documents and tools to meet the specific needs of your community. Also, be sure to send us electronic copies of any documents that you develop that would be helpful to other sites.

Contact Ron Fairchild at 443-986-1275 or rfairchild@gradelevelreading.net if you would like assistance.

If you’re working in a participating community and would like to join our private online NING site, email pjordan@gradelevelreading.net with your name and the name your community. If you’re already signed up, log in at http://aacreading.ning.com/

How does my community apply for the All-America City Award?

The application deadline is March 12 and additional information will be available soon. More than 160 cities, counties and towns submitted letters of intent to apply, making their communities eligible for technical assistance from a growing national network of staff and consultants, funders and other cities involved in the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. The participating communities are now working to:

1. Develop plans to address:

School Readiness– too many young children show up for school not ready to learn
School Attendance– too many children in grades K-3 miss too many days of school
Summer Learning– too many children in the early grades lose ground over the summer months

2. Bring together a coalition of leaders representing public, private, civic, philanthropic and faith-based groups

3. Demonstrate a commitment to engage the full community, including such groups as parents, child care providers and educators

4. Develop data on levels of third grade reading proficiency and data-driven solutions to school readiness, attendance and summer learning

Managed by: The Hatcher Group