Uncertain future for successful city reading program
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If Indiana has a reading problem, Indianapolis has a crisis. The city has a solution — but now it needs money for it.
Why it matters: The share of Marion County third graders who were proficient on last year's state reading exam is 11 points lower than the state average of 82.5%.
- At Indianapolis Public Schools, the county's largest district, it's 11 points lower than that — meaning the share of students who aren't proficient readers by the end of third grade is twice as high at IPS than it is statewide.
The big picture: The city deployed reading tutors at 10 schools last year in an effort to boost flagging literacy rates.
- By just about every measure, it was a success.
- Every student who completed the program improved.
Yes, but: The city's Office of Education Innovation paid for the first two years of the program with federal COVID relief money that will soon dry up.
- There's enough money to finish the current school year, but new funding sources are needed for the 2025-26 school year.
- "Our goal is to have a strong year two, with another strong year of results that we hope speak for themselves when it comes to why it's important to have the program continue," said Shaina Cavazos, the director for the Office of Education Innovation.
How it worked: Circle City Readers served more than 500 students last year in kindergarten through third grade at 10 schools across Marion County.
- It targeted students at the highest risk of not meeting grade level expectations.
- Community-based tutors were trained in the science of reading and paired with students identified by teachers for small group sessions three to four times per week.
What they found: At the end of the school year, third grade students in the program passed the state reading exam at a higher rate than IPS' overall passage rate.
- On a different reading exam, five times as many third grade students scored above the grade level benchmark at the end of the year than at the beginning.
- 2 in 5 students who started "well below" their grade level benchmark moved up at least one proficiency level, and 22% of them scored at their benchmark or above.
Zoom in: Results were particularly impressive for Hispanic and multilingual students, who outscored their peers in IPS and across Marion County.
- Black students and those whose family income was low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch also outperformed their peers in IPS.
What they're saying: "It's exciting to see the results, but it's not surprising," Cavazos said.
- "Kids are not struggling to read because they can't read," she said. "It's because they haven't always been provided the support they need to read on grade level."
What we're watching: Since the program isn't included in the city's 2025 budget proposal, the office is looking for philanthropic funding sources to keep it going past this school year.
The latest: About another 500 students are enrolled in the program now, and the city is still hiring paid part-time tutors to work with them.
- Learn more about the program and how to become a tutor online.