News Articles

NYS Investment in High Impact Tutoring

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:32:38 +0000

As parents of four grown children, all with children of their own, we know that literacy is vital to a person’s academic, social emotional, and personal success. But we also know that learning to read doesn’t come naturally, so we have been intentionally supporting language and literacy development in our children and our grandchildren from birth.

As business and community leaders in WNY we know that a literate community in which people live, work, and raise their family is critical to our company’s success and the success of everyone who calls Buffalo and the Niagara region home. But a literate community does not come naturally either.

Far too many of our community’s children are failing to read at grade-level by the end of 3^rd grade: 73% in Buffalo and 78% in Niagara Falls are failing. Across the State 2/3^rds of 4^th graders are failing. This failure to read proficiently makes it statistically more likely these children, hundreds of our children in this region, will not graduate from high school career or college ready and will not find employment that pays a living wage.

High-impact tutoring is uniquely positioned to help children learn the mechanics of reading, so they have the skills they need to read to learn in 4^th grade and beyond. Over 150 randomized controlled trials – systematic studies of program effects that isolate the true effect of the program on student learning – point to the effectiveness of tutoring. Studies show that high-impact tutoring can lead to significant learning gains for a wide range of students, including those whose education was disrupted by the pandemic or who missed early learning opportunities and are now struggling in the early grades.

Fortunately, we have Read to Succeed Buffalo. RTSB provides high impact tutoring for hundreds of Buffalo’s youngest students and is expanding tutoring to Niagara County in the fall. But expansion requires investment from New York State, and the time is now.

Please join us in advocating for Assembly Bill A. 2625 (S.1820) that will deliver the funding necessary to ensure high impact tutoring can reach more students in WNY. Reach out to your local State legislator and Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Buffalo’s own and the second highest ranking member in the Assembly, to make sure that the final state budget includes an investment to mitigate learning loss through this proven, research-backed intervention.

We all want and frankly need the children of our community to succeed. But schools and parents cannot do it alone – especially if a young child is already behind in their literacy development for whatever the reason.

High impact tutoring, provided by RTSB, is so much more than homework help or reading aloud to children. While those are important supports, high impact tutoring, based on the science of how children learn to read and provided one-on-one to struggling students, is the game changer required to help every child, and our community, reach its full potential.

Peter Hunt is CEO and chairman of Hunt Real Estate Corp, and Mary Jo Hunt is a board member of Read to Succeed.

Imagination Library Book Program set to Deliver 3,456 Books to Children Across Region

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:05:13 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) in partnership with Erie County today announced that 3,456 children from across Erie County will be receiving their first book from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in the coming weeks.

Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to registered children from birth until their fifth birthday, with a goal of increasing literacy rates through increased exposure to print, through read-alouds at home. RTSB previously implemented the program in the city of Buffalo from 2012-2019, but funding issues forced the program to cease operations.

“Now, in partnership with other organizations, the Imagination Library is County-wide with RTSB covering nearly 60% of eligible infants, toddlers and preschoolers in the County’s most economically challenged zip codes,” said Anne Ryan, executive director of RTSB.

Other community partners include New York State Assemblyman Jonathan Rivera, the Town of Akron, Frontier Central Schools and United Way have also committed to launching Imagination Library programs. “The support throughout the community has been incredible,” Ryan added.

Imagination Library can have a far-ranging and positive impact on children’s pre-literacy skills and school readiness. In re-launching the program RTSB and Erie County Deputy County Executive Lisa Chimera had a goal of serving those communities that had the highest number of eligible children but whose families may be struggling the most economically.

“Getting children exposed to language and print as infants and toddlers is incredibly important,” stated Deputy County Executive Chimera. “As a former reading teacher, I could always tell the difference between a child that was read and spoken with a lot at home verses a child who wasn’t exposed to books and language at an early age. Imagination Library is an incredible opportunity to bring high quality, age-appropriate books into the home.”

RTSB, through this program, will be mailing a free, age-appropriate picture book to registered children until their 5th birthday. The books, mailed monthly, are personally addressed to each child. Each age-appropriate book has a note from Dolly Parton encouraging caregivers to read with their child and reading tips that help to foster conversation, vocabulary development, social emotional development and learning in infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

Erie County’s investment in Imagination Library is a game changer but it cannot sustain the program. RTSB, along with many organizations throughout the State, are advocating for funding to support the program in perpetuity.

“Reading aloud to children is an essential factor in early childhood brain development and one of the building blocks of cognitive functions and growth. But, according to Zero to Three, only 37% of parents read to their children daily,” continued Ryan. “Each book a child receives is an opportunity for their caregivers to bond with their children while building their brains through reading together.”

Visit https://www.readtosucceedbuffalo.org/imagination-library to learn more about the program and to sign up a child today.

New York State Must Help Finish What Erie County has Started Let’s Work Together to Ensure Every Child Has Access to Imagination Library

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 14:12:20 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo believes that through exposure to high quality, intentional literacy instruction and language-rich environments, from birth through 3rd Grade, all children, regardless of economic or social challenges, can achieve success. We seek to accomplish this by providing evidence based literacy coaching supports in child care and preschool settings and high impact tutoring in elementary settings.

From birth to age three, the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, 85% of the brain develops, producing more than a million neural connections every second and setting the stage for all future learning, health, and behavior. And substantial research shows that reading aloud to children from birth is a key factor in healthy brain development and a building block for cognition, executive functions, and social intelligence. But, according to Zero to Three, only 37% of parents read to their babies every day.

For this, and so many other important reasons RTSB is thrilled to be partnering with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Deputy Executive Lisa Chimera to reintroduce Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to 27,000 eligible infants, toddlers and preschoolers throughout the County.

RTSB, through this program, will be mailing a free, age-appropriate picture book to registered children until their 5^th birthday. The books, mailed monthly, are personally addressed to each child. Each age-appropriate book has a note from Dolly Parton encouraging caregivers to read with their child and reading tips that help to foster conversation, vocabulary development, social emotional development and learning in infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

Erie County’s investment in Imagination Library is a game changer but it cannot sustain the program. This is why Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed $7 million in her 2025-2026 state budget, which would make New York an official Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library State and help ensure that RTSB will continue to serve the areas we have identified as having the most children under the age of five in Erie County.

Senator Jeremy Cooney, from the Rochester region, has also introduced legislation investing in Imagination Library and local State Assemblymember Jonathan Rivera has funded the initiative here in Buffalo. The Imagination Library operates in all 50 states and has implemented successful individual programs throughout New York, including Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse where it is county-wide.

RTSB applauds the Governor’s funding proposal and this legislation and urges our western New York delegation to support it as well. Getting high-quality, age-appropriate books into the hands of caregivers is a simple but critically important strategy to close the low-income literacy gap before children enter Kindergarten. RTSB’s goal, in partnership with Erie County and other Imagination Library partners including United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, Town of Akron and Frontier Central Schools, is to respect science of reading by getting every child introduced to language through print at our earliest opportunity! Let’s expand the tent and work together to get 100% of parents and caregivers reading to their infant, toddler or preschooler today!

Anne Ryan is the Executive Director of Read to Succeed Buffalo which works to develop models for improving literacy skills of children in childcare, Head Start and the Buffalo schools.

Erie County Awards $105,000 to Read to Succeed Buffalo for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Book Program

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 15:00:40 +0000

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced that Erie County has awarded Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) $105,000 over three years to restart Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five. The announcement was made at Puddle Jumpers Child Care in Buffalo.

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The Imagination Library mails more than three million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month from birth to their 5^th birthday.

“Reading is essential to a successful, healthy life and we need to do all we can to instill a love of reading in the young people in our lives,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “By working with partners such as Read to Succeed Buffalo we are able to bring the Imagination Library to Erie County, expanding our literacy reach and providing quality books to eager young minds.”

“Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library complements the continuum of RTSB programs that have delivered intentional instruction and exposure to developmentally appropriate, literacy-rich environments for children from birth through 3^rd Grade; wherever they are including child care, preschool and the early elementary grades across Buffalo,” said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan. “We applaud the County Executive for recognizing how important it is to expose children, right from birth to written language and high-quality books in the home.”

The grant from Erie County follows an announcement of a plan by New York State Governor Hochul to include $7 million in her proposed 2025-2026 state budget which would make New York an official Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library State.

RTSB previously implemented Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library from 2012–2018, mailing nearly 100,000 books to 5,000 infants, toddlers and preschoolers in the city of Buffalo, but funding issues forced the program to end.

The impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has been widely researched, and the results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/.

“Erie County is proud to partner with Read to Succeed on the expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. With this program, we will put books in the hands of children across the county. We know that children who are exposed to literature at a young age are more likely to succeed academically. By providing engaging, age-appropriate books to families, we help to ensure that children are on track to achieve success in the classroom,” said Erie County Deputy Executive Lisa Chimera.

In addition to the costs for the books, other costs include postage, return postage for non-deliverable books, recruitment of participating newborns to 55 months, and maintenance of the mailing list.

This initiative will serve 28 zip codes across Erie County. The locations were strategically selected focusing on communities with high numbers of children under age five according to the 2020 Census. In addition, 11 more zip codes are being served by other Imagination Library sponsors in Erie County.

Read to Succeed Buffalo Adds Early Literacy Intervention Specialist to Support Literacy Programs

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 15:25:49 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) today announced the addition of Karen Van Alstine as an Early Literacy Intervention Specialist. In collaboration with Say Yes Buffalo and the Little Scholars program, Van Alstine will enhance language and literacy skills for three-year-old children.

Karen will implement RTSB's embedded literacy coaching and assessment model, Community Alignment for Reading Excellence (CARE) Preschool in three Say Yes Little Scholar classrooms serving three-year-old children. In her role as an Early Literacy Intervention Specialist, Karen will be responsible for coaching and training Little Scholar teaching teams with the goal of creating high-quality, literacy-rich environments and interactions that research shows are critical for young children on their journey to 3rd-grade reading proficiency.

“Read to Succeed Buffalo believes that through exposure to high quality, intentional literacy instruction and language-rich environments from birth through 3^rd Grade, all children, regardless of economic or social challenges, can achieve success. We are so grateful for the opportunity to partner with Say Yes and its Little Scholars program as it plays such a critical role in the continuum of a child’s developmental journey,” said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan.

Prior to joining RTSB, Karen was a lead teacher with Head Start for six years and served as a site director for nine years. She earned a master's degree from Canisius University and holds a New York state certification in Childhood Education 1^st – 6^th Grade and Deaf Education.

Karen will be responsible for providing day-to-day embedded professional development through data-informed coaching support for teachers and teaching assistants across three Little Scholar classrooms.

She currently resides in Kenmore.

Read to Succeed Buffalo, Inc. (RTSB) Supports New York State Path Forward Team Action Plan

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 21:11:21 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo, Inc. (RTSB) is thrilled to support the New York State Path Forward Team Action Plan to Transform Literacy Instruction.

Since 2009 RTSB has been promoting scientifically based reading research and evidence-based practices that support children's reading skill development. RTSB's literacy coaching model, supporting teachers and caregivers of children from birth through 3rd Grade, is based on the 1997 National Reading Panel's research (1997) that identified five critical components requiring systematic and effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, oral reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

“It feels like RTSB’s work and advocacy on behalf of evidence-based supports for our most at risk infants, toddlers, preschoolers and elementary school students is paying off! Stated Anne Ryan, Executive Director of Read to Succeed Bufalo. “The post-Covid world is recognizing that students are being left behind by well-meaning practices that are not based in the science of reading, teaching and learning.”

Find the Action Plan at New York State Action Plan The Path Forward.pdf - Google Drive

For more information regarding the National Reading Panel go to: National Reading Panel Publications | NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

51 Read to Succeed Buffalo Experience Corps Volunteers Earn President's Volunteer Service Award

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 20:30:53 +0000

51 Read to Succeed Buffalo Experience Corps Volunteer Literacy Tutor/Mentors have been awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award by President Joseph Biden.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is in recognition and appreciation of volunteers across the country who demonstrate their commitment to strengthening our nation and our communities through volunteer service. To be eligible a person must have volunteered between 100-249 hours in 2023. Read to Succeed Buffalo Experience Corps Volunteer Tutor/Mentors combined to provide more than 8,000 hours of 1:1 literacy tutoring support to 287 Buffalo Pre-K-3^rd Grade students.

In his letter to each recipient President Biden stated: “Throughout our country’s history, the American story has been strengthened by those who combine an optimism about what can be with the resilience to turn that vision into reality. I know I am not alone in recognizing that those who are willing to step up and volunteer in service of community and country are essential to the ongoing work of forming our more perfect union…We are living in a moment that calls for hope, light, and love. Hope for our futures, light to see our way forward, and love for one another. Through your service, you are providing all three.”

“Our Buffalo Volunteers are absolutely providing ‘hope for our futures’ and the futures of the students they are dedicated to tutor/mentoring.” said Anne Ryan, Executive Director of RTSB. “The incredible work these individuals do, two or three times a week, every week of the school year, has a significant and measurable impact on students’ vocabulary and fluency skills. Every one of our Volunteers is so deserving of this Presidential recognition!” She continued. “Read to Succeed Buffalo is honored to host this national high impact tutoring program and fortunate to have such incredible Buffalo residents providing science-based literacy tutoring to our students.”

Cullen Foundation Awards Three Year Grant to Read to Succeed Buffalo's Experience Corps Volunteer Program

Thu, 23 May 2024 16:17:30 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) announced today that the organization has been awarded a three-year grant from the Cullen Foundation funding RTSB’s Experience Corps program. The Cullen Foundation’s support will ensure that nearly 700 Buffalo students have access to high impact tutoring through 200 trained Experience Corps Literacy tutor/mentors by 2026.

RTSB’s Experience Corps Program is an intergenerational, evidence-based tutoring/mentoring program of the AARP Foundation harnessing the social capital of older adults ages 50+ by training and deploying them to tutor/mentor PreK - 3rd-grade students who are below grade level in reading utilizing an evidence-based structured session model.

The Experience Corps Buffalo 30-minute structured tutoring session is focused on building vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension skills in 1st-3rd Grade students through repetition and 1:1 practice and phonological and phonemic awareness and alphabetic principle and phonics in Pre-K and K students through 1:1 practice using literacy games and models of fluent reading.

In the 2022-23 school year 64 Experience Corps Buffalo volunteers provided nearly 4,000 hours of 1:1 tutor/mentoring to 206 students. The program’s current capacity features 87 tutor/mentors serving nearly 300 students at 10 Buffalo schools. RTSB aims to recruit an additional 60 volunteer tutor/mentors for the 2024-2025 school year.

“The Cullen Foundation recognizes the critical supports that high impact tutoring provides economically disadvantaged, underperforming students who were unduly impacted by COVID school closings and remote instruction,” said Anne Ryan, Executive Director. “RTSB’s trained and well supported tutor/mentors administer a 1:1 literacy tutoring model, two times per week that demonstrably helps close the low-income achievement gap among these students. Experience Corps, along with the continuum of RTSB literacy coaching programs in child care and Head Start, has created an environment dedicated to quality, interactive, and intentional literacy instruction,” she continued.

The Cullen Foundation is an independent, private foundation that is dedicated to the enhancement of educational tools for residents of Erie County. The organization has partnered with Read to Succeed previously, including the launch of a pilot Intensive Tutoring Corps program this year. Intensive Tutoring Corps is designed to provide higher intensity support to well below grade level students.

“Our dedicated volunteers undergo rigorous training, and are continuously supported by dual certified literacy coaches on site at the schools in which they are working; yielding data-driven results that demonstrate significant reading proficiency gains for students enrolled in Experience Corps,” concluded Ryan.

Read to Succeed Seeks to Recruit 60 Additional Volunteer Tutor Mentors for the 2024-2025 School Year

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 15:40:14 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) is once again expanding its AARP Foundation Experience Corps Volunteer Program. Since 2016 RTSB has been recruiting and training older adult volunteers as literacy tutor/mentors for students, Pre-K – 3^rd Grade, in the Buffalo Public Schools.

This latest Experience Corps tutor/mentor recruitment campaign has a goal of recruiting and training a total of 135 volunteers, over the age of 50, as literacy tutors serving nearly 500 below grade-level students. About 60 of these volunteers will be new to the program.

“This volunteer recruitment campaign comes at a critical time in our community as nearly 76 percent of Buffalo’s 3^rd Graders are not reading with proficiency according to 2023 NY State ELA test results” stated Anne Ryan, RTSB Executive Director.

“We are steadfast in our partnership with Buffalo schools in its goal to get all students reading at grade-level by the end of 3^rd Grade” continued Ryan. “No other intervention has been shown to be as effective in helping children learn critical, foundational, literacy skills than 1:1 tutoring with a dedicated, well trained, consistent adult. In the words of US Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona, ‘Experience Corps is a game-changer for students."

Experience Corps Buffalo tutor/mentors meet individually with each student two-three times per week for 30 minutes per session, every week of the school year. Sessions are very structured and focus on building fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills in students in 1^st-3^rd grade through repeated reading practice and models of fluent reading. Pre-K and K tutor/mentors are trained to focus on developing preliteracy skills such as alphabet knowledge, phonics, and phonemic awareness. Experience Corps strategies and materials are all based on the Science of Reading and all tutor/mentors receive significant training and school-based support.

Although AARP Experience Corps is targeted to support reading proficiency for students, there are many benefits for the volunteer tutor/mentor as well which is why AARP Foundation supports the program so completely.

“Our volunteer tutors have reported mental and physical benefits throughout the year-long program,” added Ryan. “According to AARP Foundation, 98 percent of volunteers nationally reported that participating in Experience Corps helped them stay physically and mentally active, and 96 percent of volunteers reported that the program increased their sense of purpose in life.”

The only requirement to becoming a volunteer tutor/mentor with Read to Succeed Buffalo is that you are 50 years of age or older and have a desire to share your experience and your love of reading with students who need it the most. Your time and talents can change a child’s life – the experience may even change your own!

Please visit readtosucceedbuffalo.org to find out more or email ryana@rtsb.org!

Read to Succeed Buffalo Awarded $172,000 From AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation Fund

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 17:24:03 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) announced today that the organization has been awarded funding from the AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation Fund as a sub-grantee of the AARP Foundation Experience Corps program.

RTSB’s Experience Corps Buffalo program recruits and trains adults 50+ to provide individualized tutor/mentoring to Buffalo students. Program participants are Pre-K – 3^rd grade students who test below grade-level on literacy assessments. At the program's current capacity, 87 tutor/mentors serve nearly 300 students at 10 Buffalo schools.

The AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation Fund awarded a renewable grant of $172,000 for a minimum of three years. This funding will be used to recruit, train, manage, and support new volunteers with a goal of 40-50 new volunteer tutor/mentors this fall.

The Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) focuses on investments in volunteer management practices that strengthen nonprofit organizations and other entities abilities to increase recruitment and retention of volunteers to meet critical community needs through service.

“Experience Corps Buffalo has made a measurable impact on student performance since it was brought to Buffalo in 2016. This funding enables RTSB to increase its volunteer recruitment efforts and serve more students with this high-impact tutoring model,” said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan.

Primary Hall Preparatory Charter School and the Cullen Foundation to Pilot Intensive Tutoring Corps Program with Read to Succeed Buffalo

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 15:18:24 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) is partnering with Primary Hall Preparatory Charter School and the Cullen Foundation to pilot an Intensive Tutoring Corps program. Intensive Tutoring Corps is a high-impact tutoring model designed to provide data-driven, individualized reading skills, and practice for students testing well-below grade-level on literacy assessments.

Intensive Tutoring Corps is built from RTSB’s successful Experience Corps Volunteer Tutor/Mentor program that works 1:1 with students in Pre-K-3rd Grade. Demand for a more intensive tutoring program, appropriate for higher need students, has been increasing from our school partners in response to pandemic learning losses.

Experience Corps Buffalo is an intergenerational, evidence-based program of the AARP Foundation that recruits, trains and professionally coaches, mature volunteers over age 50 to tutor/mentor students who are testing just below grade-level.

Intensive Tutoring Corps will use more experienced volunteers to target students testing well below in their reading skills in 2^nd Grade. Tutoring will be provided utilizing mCLASS Activity Materials that are generated directly from the targeted students’ school-based assessments.

The Cullen Foundation agreed to support the development of the Intensive Tutoring Corps in response to the large numbers of students in early grades who, post pandemic, are testing well below grade-level specific to foundational literacy skills – particularly decoding skills.

RTSB has recruited, trained, and is currently supporting five volunteer tutors working in person three times per week with two students per 30-minute session at Primary Hall during the school day. Tutors will receive a small stipend for their commitment.

“Our Intensive Tutoring Corps programming is designated for the most vulnerable students who require specific academic intervention to make certain they develop the emergent literacy skills science shows they must possess to get to grade-level proficiency,” said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan. “Primary Hall Preparatory Charter School and the Cullen Foundation have remained committed partners in this work, ensuring that every resource is brought to help their students close the learning gap.”

Statement by Anne Ryan, Executive Director, Read to Succeed Buffalo, Regarding Governor's Literacy Initiative

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 20:40:25 +0000

“Read to Succeed Buffalo enthusiastically supports New York State Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to improve reading proficiency by 3rd Grade with a ‘back-to-basics’ plan to ensure the use of evidence-based literacy instructional practices.

“Read to Succeed Buffalo has been implementing science-based reading strategies and training childcare, Head Start and elementary practitioners in these strategies since 2009 and since 2016, with the support of the AARP Foundation Experience Corps, RTSB has also been training older adult volunteers to tutor and mentor struggling readers, Pre-K – 3rd Grade in 10 Buffalo Schools, with incredible results.

“The Governor’s proposal comes at a critical time as nearly 80 percent of Buffalo’s 3rd Graders are still not reading with proficiency according to 2022 NY State ELA test results. The Governor’s commitment to and investment in providing all teachers access to evidence-based strategies will help take to scale the work RTSB has started. It also will lend tremendous support to fulfilling Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams’ goal of all BPS students reading proficiently by the end of 3rd Grade.

“If a student is not able to read at grade level by 4th Grade, they are four times less likely to graduate from high school. Our experience is that 1:1 high impact tutoring and other evidence-based early literacy interventions by highly trained and supported practitioners, are proven to help close the low-income achievement gap impacting not only Buffalo students but students throughout New York as well.

“Read to Succeed Buffalo applauds the Governor’s initiative and stands ready to support it in any way we can, including expanding on the success of our efforts in implementing evidence-based literacy tutor/mentoring in more Pre-K through 3rd Grade classrooms throughout Erie County.”

Read to Succeed Buffalo’s VISTA Enhances Professional Skills at National Meeting

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 18:57:42 +0000

Anna Parlato, Read to Succeed Buffalo’s AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer In Service to America), recently had the opportunity to attend the annual AmeriCorps VISTA conference in Dallas, Texas.

Joined by nearly 200 VISTA colleagues from across the country, Anna was exposed to several training sessions, the highlight of which was a session on conscious and subconscious bias and their impact on achieving equity for all.

The leader of this workshop, Ryan Fewins-Bliss, stated, “The system is not broken. The system is working; It was designed this way”.

Ms. Parlato brought this learning back to her role here at Read to Succeed Buffalo and hopes that her work supporting our Experience Corps program will help mitigate some of the systemic barriers impacting grade-level reading proficiency in Buffalo.

She shared, “We, as individuals, may do our best to eradicate systemic disadvantage, but without the collective aspiration to promote equity, it is difficult to be heard. Having an opportunity to meet and collaborate with 200 of my fellow volunteers was an honor and taught me many valuable lessons – especially how important it is to keep an open mind.”

Read to Succeed Buffalo Announces $109,600 in Grants

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 15:22:28 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) announced today that the organization has been awarded grants totaling $109,600 from The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation and the James H. Cummings Foundation.

Both these capacity-building grants will benefit RTSB in its implementation of the organization’s strategic plan; specifically, its number one priority area of Improving student achievement by establishing an effective continuum of evidence-based, developmentally appropriate literacy and child development practices for Buffalo’s children from birth through age eight.

The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation awarded $100,000 to RTSB to support program expansion and the James H. Cummings Foundation awarded a $9,600 grant to RTSB for the purchase of equipment and advanced technology that will be utilized to support the expansion of literacy coaching services in child care, Head Start and the Buffalo City Schools.

“Read to Succeed Buffalo believes that through exposure to high quality, intentional literacy instruction and language-rich environments from birth through 3rd Grade, all children, regardless of economic or social challenges, can achieve success,” said Anne Ryan, Executive Director. “RTSB programs have proven outcomes, and we are grateful to The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation and the James H. Cummings Foundation for their faith in RTSB’s ability to increase childhood literacy and 3rd-grade reading scores in Buffalo.”

RTSB’s continuum of evidence-based literacy support starts with an early literacy intervention specialist providing embedded professional development support to licensed child care providers serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in Buffalo neighborhoods. Its next level of support provides an early literacy intervention specialist to Head Start teachers serving three- and four-year-olds in Buffalo’s East Ferry neighborhood. RTSB’s largest program is Experience Corps Buffalo. Experience Corps is an intergenerational, evidence-based tutoring/mentoring program of the AARP Foundation that harnesses the social capital of older adults (retirees 50+) by training and deploying them as tutor/mentors for students PreK - 3rd-grade who are below grade level in reading. The RTSB literacy coaching model supports nearly 100 volunteer tutor/mentors across 10 Buffalo schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, these programs are serving nearly 500 children from birth to age eight.

Read to Succeed Buffalo Expands Literacy Tutor Mentoring Program

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:25:30 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo today announced the addition of Victoria D’Amaro, Bridget Fitzpatrick, and Silvia Steele as AARP Foundation Experience Corps literacy coaches and Anna Parlato as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America). These positions will each support the expansion of the Experience Corps Literacy Tutoring and Mentoring program in Buffalo Public Schools.

“Victoria, Bridget, Silvia, and Anna will be instrumental in our expansion to 11 Buffalo City Schools this fall. With the expansion, we are doubling the number of volunteers who will be providing 1:1 literacy practice to more than 330 PreK-3^rd grade students who are below grade level in reading. These new team members will join our existing coaching staff in providing volunteers with training and on-site coaching supports that ensure this evidence-based practice is administered with fidelity and will result in increased reading scores in the children we serve,” said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan.

Literacy coaches have the primary responsibility to guide, monitor, and assist Experience Corps tutor/mentors in adapting instructional strategies using data and materials for students who demonstrate risk of reading difficulty and who require more intentional instructional intervention to meet grade-level goals.

D’Amaro has experience as an elementary teacher, literacy specialist, and instructional coach. She has both a master's degree in literacy and a bachelor's degree in childhood education from Buffalo State University.

Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in literacy at Canisius University and has prior experience as a literacy specialist for K – 4^th grade students.

Steele has a master’s degree in special education from Syracuse University with a New York State certification in special education Pre-K through 12^th grade. Prior to joining the RTSB team, Silvia was a special education teacher, mental health & disabilities coordinator, and an access & inclusion specialist.

Parlato is in the process of attaining her bachelor’s degree in history. Her primary responsibilities include optimizing policies, procedures, and technological components of the AARP Foundation Experience Corps program to streamline operations and better position Read to Succeed for program growth.

The AmeriCorps VISTA program supports not-for-profit organizations like Read to Succeed Buffalo with volunteers who are compensated for their time through a federal living allowance and tuition stipend. The goal of the program is to assist small NFPs with support staff to help make sustainable changes in areas that affect poverty, including education, public health, climate, access to benefits, and more.

“We look forward to experiencing the impact our new staff and our VISTA will have on our organization and the Experience Corps Program,” concluded Ryan.

Read to Succeed Buffalo and Community Action Organization of WNY Renew Partnership

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:21:44 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) is renewing its partnership with Community Action Organization of Western New York (CAO) to deliver its CARE Preschool literacy infusion quality improvement program at its East Ferry Head Start site serving three- and four-year-old children.

CAO aids low-income individuals, families, and communities by providing access to resources they need to succeed. CAO is the largest provider of Head Start services in Erie County. Read to Succeed Buffalo’s CARE Preschool provides an early literacy intervention specialist who works in partnership with CAO’s Head Start teachers and administrators to measurably improve classroom environments and student literacy skill development.

“As the largest provider of Head Start services in our area, Community Action Organization is a leader in the early care and education community,” said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan. “During our pilot implementation last year, CAO instructors were very receptive to the CARE Preschool literacy coaching model. Everyone at the East Ferry site is focused on being the best they can be for our youngest learners – they know that they are providing the critical foundation for a lifetime of learning for these children.”

CARE Preschool was created from an Early Reading First initiative that embeds a dual-certified, early care and education specialist in classrooms to model best practices, observe and assess students and partner with the teaching teams to ensure high-quality, evidence-based instruction at all levels.

"After a successful pilot program during the past school year, the decision to renew and expand our partnership with Read to Succeed Buffalo was an obvious choice," stated Thomas Kim, CEO of Community Action Organization of WNY. "The ability to read is a crucial skill, and Head Start plays a fundamental role in providing the necessary foundation for these children to achieve future success both academically and beyond. We have witnessed significant growth in our classrooms and among our students. In an end-of-year survey, one of our teachers expressed, 'Read to Succeed has empowered me to delve deeper when planning lessons and activities for our children. I have never felt such strong support, which enables me to bring out the best in my teaching methods and ensure the growth and development of our students.'"

Read to Succeed Buffalo Tutor Mentors Recognized as President Volunteer Service Award Winners

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:28:30 +0000

Eighteen literacy tutor/mentors from Read to Succeed Buffalo recently received the President’s Volunteer Service Award at the AARP Foundation National Experience Corps Conference in Washington, DC. This prestigious award was created in 2003 and is administered by Points of Light to recognize outstanding volunteer service efforts throughout the United States. These 18 awardees logged nearly 2,000 hours of volunteer service with Read to Succeed Buffalo in the 2021-22 school year.

The following volunteer tutor/mentors were recognized at the AARP Foundation National Experience Corps Conference in Washington, DC:

Alice Joseffer – Williamsville
Beth Wilk – Hamburg
Diane Pfeifer – Tonawanda
Diane Trzaska - Lancaster
Donna Tarbania – Buffalo

Gene Kaderbeck - Amherst
Irene Melson – Buffalo
Iris Skoog – Williamsville
Janet Goodsell – Grand Island
Karen Downing – Orchard Park
Kay Patterson – Buffalo
Linda Day – Buffalo
Lucille DiFiglia – Buffalo
Mary Wagner – West Seneca
Norina Malachowski – Hamburg
Pam Cuddihy – Hamburg
Pat Dietrich – West Seneca
Susan Beich – Grand Island

“These individuals went above and beyond the requirements of serving as an AARP Experience Corps Volunteer. While every one of our volunteer tutor/mentors are extremely dedicated to the students they work with every week; these 18 individuals donated extra hours to serve even more students than required” said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan. “Experience Corps Buffalo 1:1 tutor/mentoring has been a game changer for students, Pre-K through 3^rd Grade, who are struggling to learn how to read, and it is all because of the strong volunteers Read to Succeed Buffalo supports through its literacy coaching model. The success of the AARP Experience Corps Buffalo program is the direct result of the hard work and passion of our volunteers” Concluded Ryan.

In 2003, the AARP President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role volunteers play in preserving America’s strength and national identity. The award recognizes individuals who have dedicated a significant amount of time to serving their communities and whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to act, too.

In 2022 the Buffalo Public Schools awarded Read to Succeed Buffalo a three-year contract supporting the implementation of this evidence-based tutoring and mentoring program. This funding, combined with resources from the Cullen Foundation, Health Foundation of Western & Central NY, US Department of Justice, AmeriCorps, AARP Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, United Way of Buffalo & Erie County and The Carol & Carl Montante Family Fund will enable Experience Corps Buffalo to expand to 11 schools and nearly 400 students in the 2023-2024 school year.

CPCU Society of Buffalo Partners with Read to Succeed Buffalo for 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 17:07:37 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) and the Buffalo Chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) Society are partnering once again for the 9^th annual golf tournament. The tournament will be held August 14, 2023, at Transit Valley Country Club.

Proceeds from the tournament benefit the CPCU Scholarship as well as Read to Succeed Buffalo. RTSB believes that through exposure to high quality, intentional literacy instruction and language-rich environments from birth through 3rd Grade, all children, regardless of economic or social challenges, can achieve success. RTSB accomplishes this mission by providing literacy coaching and quality improvement support to practitioners in child care, Head Start and grades Pre-K through 3^rd in Buffalo City Schools.

This year’s event kicks off at 11:30 a.m. with lunch for registered golfers before the 1:00 p.m. shotgun start for the tournament, which is a four-person scramble. At the conclusion of the tournament, golfers and guests are invited to enjoy a cocktail hour and dinner. There will be basket raffles and a silent auction open for bidding throughout the day featuring a signed Thurman Thomas jersey. Gently used or new children’s books will also be collected to donate to participating RTSB programs.

Interested participants can register as an individual golfer for $200; an individual golfer who is part of a foursome for $200; or as a complete foursome for $800. Included in the registration fee are 18 holes of golf with cart, a hole-in-one contest, as well as lunch before the event, cocktails and dinner following.

There are varying levels of sponsorship still available, ranging from $100 to $2,000. Sponsors to date include Life Storage, HUNT Insurance, Roosevelt & Cross Inc, SAN Group, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, USI, and Towne Auto.

“This tournament is RTSB’s biggest fundraiser of the year and we are so very grateful to the incredible members of the CPCU Society who work so hard to make this event so successful – it is truly a fantastic day!” continued Ryan. “100 percent of the proceeds of this event go to funding scholarships and the programs of RTSB.”

“We couldn’t ask for a more deserving charity partner for our tournament than RTSB,” said Will Pekrul, chair of the CPCU Society golf tournament committee. “Thanks to the generous contributions by our corporate and individual sponsors, we are proud to continue our support of RTSB and its invaluable promotion of early childhood education in the Buffalo community.”

To register as a golfer or a sponsor, to donate, or for more information, visit buffalocpcugolf.com.

Read to Succeed Buffalo Seeks to Hire Experience Corps Literacy Coaches

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:55:55 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) is seeking to hire three AARP Foundation Experience Corps literacy coaches for the 2023-2024 school year. Through data-informed coaching strategies, literacy coaches provide day-to-day embedded support for AARP Foundation Experience Corps Tutor/Mentors in elementary classrooms Pre-K-3^rd grade.

“Our Experience Corp Volunteer Program is expanding to 11 Buffalo City Schools with 100 volunteer tutor/mentors serving 300 students who are below grade level in reading. An Experience Corps literacy coach is responsible for supporting and training these dedicated volunteers in the implementation of our evidence-based literacy structured session model,” said Read to Succeed Buffalo Executive Director Anne Ryan. “These volunteers are an instrumental component of the Read to Succeed organization as they provide 1:1 tutoring and mentoring to hundreds of students who really benefit from the individualized support. With the support of these highly trained volunteers, 92 percent of below grade level students reached benchmark in oral reading accuracy according to District assessment in 2022,” concluded Ryan.

RTSB literacy coaches are the secret to this program’s success as they supervise Experience Corps Tutor/Mentors in evidence-based tutoring strategies as they work toward year-end literacy goals under the direction of the Director of Program for RTSB. This position is an integral part of the educational team at each target school, working collaboratively with the volunteers, teachers, and school staff under the direction of Read to Succeed Buffalo, Inc.

Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in education, early childhood literacy is preferred. Additional courses and experience in the areas of early childhood, reading, research-based instruction strategies, coaching adult learners and/or assessment are a plus. To apply, please visit https://www.readtosucceedbuffalo.org/content/AARP%20ECLC%20I%20%205%202023.pdf or contact Anne Ryan at 716-843-8895 or ryana@rtsb.org. The deadline to apply is August 1, 2023.

Read to Succeed Buffalo Partners With Say Yes Buffalo Summer Camp to Offer Free Tutoring Services

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:49:51 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) is partnering with Say Yes Buffalo’s Summer Camp initiative to offer continued 1:1 tutoring to AARP Experience Corp program participants throughout the summer break. The summer camp will run from July 10^th – August 18^th, Monday through Friday with limited space available.

Students will have an opportunity to continue their 1:1 literacy tutoring with a trained Experience Corps Buffalo volunteer who will implement the same structured fluency-focused reading session that they benefited from throughout the school year. While Say Yes will have 27 Summer Camp sites, only two locations will be funded by The John R. Oishei Foundation to partner with Read to Succeed Buffalo: The Parker Academy site at 49 Indian Church Road in South Buffalo and the BestSelf Building Brighter Futures at Renovation at 567 Hertel Ave in Black Rock/North Buffalo.

“This partnership provides more opportunity to build on the reading progress of our Experience Corps students, “said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan. “I am so grateful to the ten volunteers who stepped up to continue tutoring throughout the summer! They know the research and they know that the more practice and examples of fluent reading children are exposed to before 3^rd grade, the more they will grow and achieve age-appropriate comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency skills: Practice does make permanent!”

Students will be provided up to three, 1:1, thirty-minute structured tutoring sessions per week by one of 10 trained and supported volunteer Experience Corps Tutor/Mentors. The goal of the pilot is to provide 180 hours of individualized reading instruction to 30 below-grade-level students over the six weeks of the summer program.

Say Yes Buffalo’s mission is to remove barriers to educational attainment, workforce participation, and economic mobility for students in public and charter schools in Buffalo, NY. The organization hosts year-round supportive programs for current BPS students and graduates. The Say Yes Summer Camp initiative helps create equitable access to high-quality summer camp experiences for students in Buffalo. Built upon a Positive Youth Development framework, programs are safe spaces that are fun, enriching, enhance academic growth, and promote health and wellness.

“Since 2015, our Summer Camps have helped students improve their reading, math, and social-emotional skills, while giving them safe places to be in the care of responsible adults,” said Say Yes Buffalo CEO David Rust. “Reading is a fundamental skill and puts students on a trajectory of success. We look forward to incorporating RTSB and their evidence-based tutoring and mentoring program into Summer Camp this year.”

Student enrollment closes on June 20^th. Prospective students can sign up for the program online at www.sayyesbuffalo.org/summer or complete a paper application in-person at Say Yes Buffalo at 1166 Jefferson Ave, Suite A, Buffalo, NY 14208.

Read to Succeed Buffalo Honored by Buffalo Public Schools at Annual Summit

Wed, 31 May 2023 14:16:12 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) has been awarded the Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Honor Award and the School-Community Partnership Award at the 2023 Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Summit hosted by the Buffalo Public Schools.

“Buffalo Public Schools has been an instrumental partner in our efforts to enhance early childhood literacy throughout the city of Buffalo,” said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan. “These awards demonstrate the effectiveness of our AARP Experience Corp Volunteer program and why we will be expanding our program to more students in additional schools in the school system for the 2023-2024 school year.”

The School-Community Partnership Award recognizes an organization or group that exemplifies outstanding efforts in partnering with the school, students, and their families to further the mission of the Buffalo Public Schools.

Superintendent Dr. Tonja M. Williams selected Read to Succeed to receive this special recognition because of their outstanding community partnership at this year's Buffalo Public Schools Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Summit. Read to Succeed Buffalo was originally nominated by Dr. Lydia T. Wright School (PS #89) to receive this honor.

“The Read to Succeed Buffalo team works to guarantee that all children, regardless of their family's financial situation or social issues learn how to read and ultimately succeed in the classroom,” Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Tonja M. Williams said. “As part of our 5 by 2025 strategy, we want to ensure that all children have access to high-quality instruction that is sensitive to their cultural and linguistic backgrounds in all of the schools that make up the Buffalo Public Schools. Our collaboration with Read to Succeed has been crucial in attaining this objective.”

RTSB recently announced that the Buffalo Public Schools also awarded Experience Corps Buffalo a three-year contract supporting the implementation of this evidence-based tutoring and mentoring program.

Read to Succeed Buffalo Seeks to Recruit 65 New Volunteer Tutor Mentors for the 2023-2024 School Year

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 13:18:09 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) is expanding its AARP Experience Corps Volunteer Program to serve more students throughout the Buffalo Public Schools (BPS). The organization’s goal is to expand the program to a total of 125 tutor/mentors which will require the addition of up to 65 new volunteers. This expansion will enable RTSB to provide individualized literacy support to nearly 400 below grade-level students.

The recruitment initiative is part of the three-year contract awarded to RTSB from Buffalo Public Schools to expand the implementation of its Experience Corps Buffalo program. RTSB will receive $50,000 per year to provide this evidence-based 1:1 tutor/mentoring model to below grade-level students in PreK-3^rd grade. This funding comes at a critical time as nearly 80 percent of Buffalo’s 3^rd Graders are not reading with proficiency according to 2022 NY State ELA test results.

“This is an important step towards fulfilling Superintendent Williams’ goal of all students reading proficiently by the end of 3^rd grade,” said Anne Ryan, Executive Director of RTSB. “If a student is not able to read at grade level by fourth grade, they are four times more likely not to graduate from high school. 1:1 high impact tutoring is one of the only interventions that has proven benefits for students; resulting in statistically significant growth in their reading skills.”

Experience Corps Tutor/Mentors meet individually with each student two-three times per week for 30 minutes per session, during the school day. Sessions are very structured and focus on building fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills in students in 1-3^rd grade through repeated reading practice and models of fluent reading. PreK and kindergarten tutor/mentors work on preliteracy skill development.

Although AARP Experience Corps is targeted to support reading proficiency for students, there are many benefits for the volunteer tutor/mentor as well.

“Volunteer tutors can connect with the community and make an impact while experiencing mental and physical benefits throughout the year-long program’, added Ryan. “According to AARP Foundation, 98 percent of volunteers nationally reported that participating in Experience Corps helped them stay physically and mentally active, and 96 percent of volunteers reported that the program increased their sense of purpose in life.”

Please visit our volunteer page to become a tutor/mentor today!

Read to Succeed Buffalo Awarded Grants Totaling $344,600

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 21:29:20 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) announced today that the organization has been awarded grants totaling $344,600 from the Department of Justice Mentoring Grant and AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation Fund as a sub-grantee of the AARP Foundation Experience Corps program.

The Department of Justice awarded $170,000 over a two-and-a-half-year period through its mentoring grant program, which focuses on anti-bullying activities and the role tutors/mentors can play in mitigating non-academic barriers to learning.

The AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation Fund awarded a renewable grant of $172,600 for a minimum of three years. This program will be used to develop and/or support community-based entities to recruit, manage, and support volunteers.

“These national grants are a recognition of the hard work and dedication of our Experience Corps Tutors/Mentors currently serving more than 200 below grade level students in Buffalo Schools. These investments will help RTSB recruit an additional 110 volunteers and serve nearly 400 more students when fully implemented in 2025,” said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan.

“Volunteer Tutor/Mentor recruitment for the 2023-24 school year will be in full swing starting in the spring,” continued Ryan.

In addition to these federal investments, RTSB recently announced that the Buffalo Public Schools also awarded Experience Corps Buffalo a three-year contract supporting the implementation of this evidence based tutoring and mentoring program.

Read to Succeed Buffalo to Continue AARP Foundation Tutor/Mentor Services With Buffalo Public Schools

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 15:57:28 +0000

The Buffalo Public Schools (BPS) has awarded Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) a three-year contract to continue its Experience Corps program. RTSB will receive $50,000 annually for the next three years to support the ongoing implementation and expansion of this award-winning, high-impact tutoring and mentoring initiative.

Experience Corps is an intergenerational, evidence-based tutoring/mentoring program of the AARP Foundation that harnesses the social capital of older adults (retirees 50+) by training, deploying, and providing coaching supports to them as they tutor/mentor PreK - 3rd grade students who are below grade level in reading. The program was established in Buffalo after a competitive grant process in 2016 and RTSB is the only program partner implementing it in New York State. The program has been enthusiastically supported by Buffalo’s foundation community since its inception. Currently, Experience Corps Buffalo serves more than 200 students across eight schools in the City of Buffalo.

“Our expectation is that all our children will be reading proficiently by the end of third grade. To accomplish this, students need the type of 1:1 tutoring and mentoring that is provided by Read to Succeed Buffalo,” said Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams. “We look forward to expanding this partnership with RTSB and thank them and their dedicated volunteer tutor/mentors for their commitment to our students.”

Students meet with their tutor/mentor 2-3 times per week, and 30-minutes per session during the school day. Sessions are very structured and focus on building fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills in students through repeated reading practice and models of fluent reading.

“This funding will enhance our capacity to expand tutoring/mentoring services to more children throughout the Buffalo Public School system,” said RTSB Executive Director Anne Ryan. “I cannot thank the incredible volunteers enough for their commitment to this program and the students we serve. Volunteers have enabled RTSB to expand its reach and serve more students with the same high level of evidence-based literacy instruction for which we are known in early childhood circles.”

In the 2021-22 school year, Experience Corps Buffalo supported 47 tutor/mentors who provided 2,156 hours of direct tutoring to 137 students through 4,311 tutoring sessions. 67% of students who were below grade-level reached or exceeded benchmark on DIBELS 8 composite score at end of year, 54% reached or exceeded benchmark in ORF fluency and 92% of students met benchmark in ORF accuracy from the 0% baseline.

Read to Succeed Buffalo Early Literacy Intervention Specialists Earn Highly Regarded Credential from New York Association for the Education of Young Children

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 15:43:49 +0000

Read to Succeed Buffalo (RTSB) early literacy intervention specialists Amy Toy of West Seneca and Beth Wilk of Hamburg recently completed the New York State Training and Technical Assistance Credential – Coaching concentration from the New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC).

Ms. Toy and Ms. Wilk are tenured early literacy intervention specialists with Read to Succeed Buffalo, administering an evidence based coaching program in partnership with child care providers and Head Start teachers with a goal of increasing language and literacy development of the children in those environments.

The New York State Training and Technical Assistance Professional Credential focuses on professional development through the teachings of core beliefs, coaching core values and training in various content areas, including relationship building and communication, adult learning theory, facilitating learning and results, and assessing success of the coaching partnership among others.

NYAEYC defines coaching as “a relationship-based process led by an expert with specialized and adult learning knowledge and skills, who often serves in a different professional role than the recipient(s). Coaching is designed to build capacity for specific professional dispositions, skills and behaviors and is focused on goal setting and achievement for an individual or group.”

“This credential is a monumental accomplishment and a recognition that RTSB staff embody the core values of relationship-based coaching, professional development and continuous quality improvement., I want to congratulate Amy and Beth, for achieving this milestone and for putting their skills to work every day in Buffalo to improve the quality of care for our youngest learners. ” said Anne Ryan, RTSB Executive Director.

Visit here to learn more about the NYAEYC credential.