Literacy is the foundation for school success. A student’s ability to read impacts every aspect of academic achievement across all subjects, including science and math. Research shows that reading proficiency at the end of third grade is a strong predictor of high school graduation and college attendance. But less than half of Arizona’s third graders are proficient readers, and long-standing achievement gaps persist, especially among economically-disadvantaged students.
Literacy powers learning.
STATEWIDE INITIATIVE
Demonstrating our commitment to fostering collaboration to address the urgent, fundamental needs of our communities and our state, Piper Trust is a founding partner and lead funder of Read On Arizona.
Launched in 2013, partners in Read On Arizona take a collaborative approach to improving language and literacy outcomes for Arizona’s children from birth to age 8, with strategic focus on school readiness and third grade reading proficiency.
Terri Clark was appointed Arizona Literacy Director and leads the work of Read On Arizona.
The Read On Arizona collaboration provides leadership at the state level through an advisory board consisting of members from its founding partners, philanthropic organizations, community stakeholders, and several other key agencies. It also supports local literacy efforts through a network of Read On Communities.
IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS
More than a decade since its inception, Read On Arizona stands as a uniquely successful collective impact initiative, having produced significant, demonstrable results for our state.
- From 2013 to 2022, Arizona was one of only six states to make gains in fourth grade reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), improving from 45th to 28th in the nation.
- Read On Arizona’s collaborative efforts have yielded more than $175 million of additional federal, state, and philanthropic investments and resources for early literacy in our state and communities.
- Partners are aligned around shared priorities and evidence-based strategies to drive improved reading outcomes.