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Hays and Caldwell counties join Start Smart Texas, a statewide movement to increase early reading proficiency.
National tests show that more than half of all Texas fourth graders, many of whom are from low-income families, are not reading proficiently. Each of the communities in the Start Smart Texas network has committed to targeting early literacy as an urgent priority and developed a comprehensive action plan to put its youngest citizens on a path to success.
Start Smart Texas is a partnership between the United Ways of Texas and Texas PBS created to support Texas communities that are part of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, as well as other Texas cities, to achieve improved reading scores across our state.
Since its launch, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading has grown to include more than 200 communities, represent-ing 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with 2,100 local organizations and 250 state and local funders, including 130 United Ways.
“We are thrilled to welcome the newest members of our growing network of communities,” said Adrianna Cuellar, CEO of the United Ways of Texas and co-state lead in the Campaign for Grade Level Reading. “The commitment of communities to this vital mission comes at a critical time when nearly half of the children in Tex as under the age of 5 (the years of greatest brain development) live in extreme poverty. Together, we will do what it takes to ensure our state’s most vulnerable children have the support and opportunities they need to thrive.”
Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical milestone toward high school graduation and success later in life because it marks the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Students who have not mastered reading by that time are more likely to drop out of high school and struggle throughout their lives.
“In Hays and Caldwell Counties, we know that the needs of our growing and diverse communities start from day one,” said Alex Mylius, deputy director, Early Childhood Programs, Community Action, Inc. of Central Texas. “From the moment a child is born, every aspect of their life – from their nutrition to their interactions with caregivers and access to books – shapes the course of the rest of their life. Because starting kindergarten ready to learn is an important marker for future success, we have focused our energies on families with young children from zero to five years of age. Our members provide a range of services to families from early care and education to health and wellness services. As a Coalition we aim to share resources and best practices, and create awareness of and connect families to the resources they need to ensure their children are happy, healthy and successful in a thriving community.”
In order to join Start Smart Texas, Hays County must develop an action plan to focus on mobilizing local nonprofit organizations, civic and business leaders, and engaged citizens to work in concert with families and schools to address three underlying challenges that can keep young children from learning to read proficiently: too many children are entering kindergarten already behind; too many young children are missing too many days of school; and too many children are losing ground academically over the summer.
As a new member of the Start Smart Texas Communities Network, Hays County now has access to experts and policymakers focused on early literacy, assistance in addressing the challenges that keep many children from learning to read, and opportunities to share and learn best practices from more than 240 communities across the country.
To learn more, visit www. startsmarttexas.org and follow the movement on Twitter @StartSmartTX.
Twitter: @StephJGates
