UPDATE ON 100X25 READING PROGRAM
During its work session Tuesday, the Fort Worth City Council received an update on the 100×25 Reading Program. Presenting results from the summer of 2019 was Gleniece Robinson, Director Educational Strategies in the city manager’s office.
The goal of the program is to have 100% of third-grade students in the Fort Worth ISD reading at grade level by the year 2025.
“I’m so impressed with where we got for our second summer,” Mayor Betsy Price said.
Highlights of the summer 2019 program include:
*27 City of Fort Worth reading sites.
*2,462 students enrolled.
*93.8% average attendance.
*Five program instruction partners.
*Four literacy support specialists.
*Specialists available for 20 hours weekly for six weeks.
*180 employees received 16 hours of training.
*3,245 free books for children.
Results showed that overall, Fort Worth ISD students who participated in the summer program performed better on their beginning-of-year literacy assessment than their
similar, grade-level peers who did not participate.
While grades 1, 3 and 5 showed no statistical difference in the summer program, grades 2 and 4 showed significantly higher growth.
Robinson noted that lessons learned include:
*Increase parental awareness.
*Optimize expertise and skills of summer camp leaders.
*Provide extensive, interactive training for summer camp leaders
*Address data concerns.
*Train employees using identified instructional materials.
*Ensure that community center staff and program partners lead the planning
process.
Next steps feature:
*Continue site visits of community centers through February.
*Meeting With program partners, which has been going on in January.
*Design and conduct employee/volunteer training module in the spring.
*Implement the summer 2020 program from June through August.
“We probably have a better partnership, the schools and the city, than any other city around,” Price said.