Results

We are seeing strong results from our initiatives to help prepare children for Kindergarten. At Read to Succeed Buffalo we believe that every child is born with the tools they need to learn. We also believe that all parents want a better life for their children than their own.  With that in mind, we seek to provide the resources for children and their families that will provide the foundation for success in school and success in life.
 

Literacy Coaching Model (Formerly Early Reading First)

Significant improvement in Kindergarten readiness has been made in the Literacy Coaching Program (Formerly Early Reading First or ERF), a partnership of Read to Succeed Buffalo, Bethel Head Start, the Child Care Resource Network and the Buffalo Public Schools.

We have been able to close the achievement gap in the gains made by four-year olds in oral language development in the ERF program.  Our results show that children entering the program are typically five months behind developmentally in language and literacy skills.  After 18 months, these children exceed the national standard for all four-year olds in Kindergarten readiness - regardless of income level!  (See chart below)

A highly-competitive three-year grant of $4.1 million from the U.S. Department of Education (one of two awarded in the State of New York and one of 32 awarded nationally), allowed Read to Succeed to create the local model that has focused on Kindergarten readiness for more than 900 three- and four-year old children in Bethel Head Start programs in the Read to Succeed Buffalo Literacy Zone.

The Literacy Coaching Program, which infuses literacy skills throughout the children's activities, focuses on increased adult/child interaction to improve vocabulary, and encourages parental involvement to continue learning at home. The teachers benefit from working in teams, coaching and increased resources for their students.

Professional development is the heart of the Literacy Coaching Program.  Five literacy coaches work intensely with the instructional staff to build the skills necessary for teachers to infuse literacy into the classroom.  By "teaching the teachers" the program can be sustained beyond the current class of children.

Now in its fourth year, results for each class of children entering school has shown significant improvement in reaching benchmark criteria for entering school.

Key Result to Date:

Three-year olds improved significantly in three of four key measures with an average of 82 percent meeting benchmarks for Kindergarten Readiness.

Eighty-four percent or better of all four-year olds enrolled in the program reached benchmark standards or higher on all four measures of pre-kindergarten literacy.

 

Project CARE

Project CARE (Community Action for Reading Excellence) prepares children for school from birth through pre-kindergarten by providing assistance to licensed home-based child care providers in the designated Literacy Zone. We serve approximately 150 - 175 children in 14 unique home-based child care sites and one group child care center, primarily located in our designated Literacy Zone.

By providing training and other resources to childcare providers, we are able expand the reach into the community for more children as the childcare providers care for additional children each year and integrate language and literacy skills into their curriculum.

The program was made possible by an initial $400,000 grant from the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation. The United Way of Buffalo and Erie County has committed funding to continue the program for 2011 and 2012.

Six Read to Succeed Buffalo coalition partners have collaborated to increase the number of quality childcare providers in the literacy zone. They have created a literacy-rich environment for pre-school children, preparing them for Kindergarten.

Key Results to Date:

Evaluation is a critical component of Project CARE and assessments of the children's progress are conducted three times a year.  Our results to date have shown significant outcomes.

Less than half of the children in Project CARE began the program meeting overall literacy targets. By the end of their first year, 85% of the children were meeting these targets (see chart below).

In addition to the progress made by the children enrolled in the program, parents have also embraced the culture of literacy provided in the childcare setting. They are reporting an increase in activity in the home that reinforces language and literacy skills for their children. Surveyed parents reported that:

•    93% are talking with their child more
•    73% are reading to (or with) their child more
•    93% said their children are more interested in listening to stories
•    100% of parents observed that their child seemed more confident.

Our partners are:

•    The United Way of Buffalo & Erie County
•    Child Care Resource Network
•    Every Person Influences Children (EPIC)
•    WNED-TV
•    Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo & Erie County
•    Buffalo & Erie County Public Library