Santa Fe's Ready to Read: May Center's Role in Collective Impact
Currently, 26% of third graders in Santa Fe Public Schools read at proficient levels. This is well below the national average of 67%. All of the research demonstrates:
Reading proficiently by the end of third grade is a sentinel indicator of early education, health and social success. It is also a strong predictor of future academic success.
Major disparities in reading proficiency exist by socioeconomic status and race. (Child and Family Policy Center)
May Center is proud to be part of a collaborative effort to turn the curve for third grade reading proficiency in Santa Fe. As part of Opportunity Santa Fe, May Center Executive Director Amy Miller and SFSAS Executive Director Perli Cunanan co-chair The Reading Group, a collaborative working group made up of representatives from Santa Fe Public Schools, Santa Fe Public Libraries, Communities in Schools, and other local non-profits devoted to improving literacy outcomes. In pursuit of this goal, The Reading Group launched Santa Fe's Ready to Read last fall with a carnival held at the Santa Fe Railyard and parent tip sheet for building a strong foundation for reading. Since then, the collaborative group has been busy, with summer programs planned with The Food Depot's Lunch Box Express and the Community Educator's Network. In addition to our current work with Communities in Schools, bringing May Center tutors into Aspen Community School during the school day, plans are in the works for May Center to partner with Reading Quest, which offers free after school reading tutoring, and SFSAS's Reading is Magic, to bring a pilot reading program to Sweeney Elementary. This pilot program will provide wrap-around support to a cohort of low-income second and third grade students identified as being below proficiency in reading. Through teacher training, school-day tutoring, after school tutoring, early identification of students with learning differences and summer programming, Santa Fe's Ready to Read aims to empower these students to reach their literacy potential. If you are interested in supporting Santa Fe's Ready to Read or any of May Center's outreach efforts, please contact us or donate on our website today. Together, we can change lives and make a better future for Santa Fe.