Read Alliance Inc

WORK TO ACCELERATE THE EDUCATIONAL TRAJECTORY OF EARLY ELEMENTARY STUDENTS THROUGH THE POWER OF TEENS WHO PROVIDE ONE-TO-ONE LITERACY TUTORING IN UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES.

TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM- TEEN LEADERS ARE ENGAGED IN MEANINGFUL AFTER SCHOOL EMPLOYMENT FOR 90 MINUTES A DAY, FOR A MINIMUM OF THREE DAYS A WEEK, AT A NEARBY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, EARNING AN AVERAGE OF BETWEEN 600-1,000 OVER 45 SESSIONS. TEEN LEADERS ARE NOT ONLY TRAINED TO DELIVER THE RESEARCH-BASED READING CURRICULUM ONE-ON-ONE TO YOUNG CHILDREN, BUT THEY ARE ALSO TRAINED IN BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT AND DATA COLLECTION THAT IS CRUCIAL TO PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION, REFLECTION AND ANALYSIS. TEEN LEADERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE TO SENIOR TEEN LEADER, A POSITION WITH ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY PROVIDING SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE FOR THE TEEN LEADERS, PEER TO PEER DEVELOPMENT, AND SUPERVISION. WHEN READ DEVELOPED ITS VIRTUAL PROGRAM, IT ALSO ADDED ANOTHER MORE SENIOR ROLE OF READ TECHNICIAN, FOR WHICH EXPERIENCED TEEN LEADERS APPLIED AND IF SELECTED WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE ZOOM SESSIONS. IN AN EFFORT TO SUPPORT EXPANSION, READ ADDED THE ROLE OF SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM ASSISTANT DURING THE SUMMER OF FY22 SPECIFICALLY FOR EXPERIENCED TEEN LEADERS WHO WERE HOME FROM COLLEGE TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT AND SUPPORT TO PROGRAM SITES IF A PROGRAM MANAGER WAS UNABLE TO BE THERE IN PERSON EVERY DAY.

EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM- READ'S UNIQUE EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM IS 45 SESSIONS, AND PROVIDES 90 MINUTES OF PROGRAMMING PER DAY IN TWO PARTS: 1) A 45-MINUTE SESSION OF ONE-TO-ONE, INDIVIDUALIZED LITERACY INTERVENTION USING A LEVELLED, A PHONICS-BASED CURRICULUM DELIVERED TO THE YOUNGER READ STUDENTS BY PAID READ TEEN LEADERS, AND 2) A 45-MINUTE GROUP WORK SESSION LED BY A READ TEACHER, EITHER HOMEWORK HELP OR COMPLEMENTARY LITERACY ACTIVITIES. DURING THE ONE-TO-ONE TUTORING SESSION, STUDENTS READ OUT LOUD TO THEIR TEEN LEADERS A BOOK THEY HAVE ALREADY MASTERED, AND THEN THE TEEN LEADER PROVIDES EXPLICIT ONE-TO-ONE READING INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE. AT THE END OF EACH SESSION, STUDENTS ARE GIVEN A BOOK FROM OUR LENDING LIBRARY FOR CONTINUED PRACTICE AT HOME. READ ALLIANCE TARGETS ITS EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM TO KINDERGARTEN, FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS WHO ARE READING AT LEAST HALF A GRADE LEVEL BEHIND. THE INDIVIDUALIZED, PHONICS- BASED INSTRUCTION USES A LEVELED CURRICULUM TO ADVANCE READING SKILL IMPROVEMENT OF AN AVERAGE OF AT LEAST ONE READING LEVEL IN JUST 30 SESSIONS. MORE THAN 85 PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETE THE READ PROGRAM ADVANCE THEIR READING SKILL IMPROVEMENT AN AVERAGE OF AT LEAST ONE READING LEVEL. IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WHICH INTERRUPTED IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING, READ MOVED ITS UNIQUE DUAL-IMPACT PROGRAM MODEL ONLINE. READ STAYED TRUE TO THE PROGRAM MODEL OF PAIRING TRAINED TEEN LEADERS ONE-ON-ONE WITH STRUGGLING EARLY READERS, SUPERVISED BY LICENSED TEACHERS AND PROFESSIONAL READ STAFF IN A VIRTUAL SETTING. IN FY22,READ IMPLEMENTED PROGRAMMING VIRTUALLY FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEN IN PERSON FOR THE SUMMER SERVING A TOTAL OF 749 READERS AND 441 UNIQUE TEEN LEADERS WHO WORKED IN 649 POSITIONS.