Twenty-five communities have been recognized for their work to ensure that children are reading proficiently by the 3rd grade.
The awards are part of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, which has organized a network of communities that pledge to press hard on 3rd grade reading proficiency. More than 120 cities in 34 states are participating. The efforts are designed to involve city agencies, school districts, philanthropies, local nonprofits, and businesses.
As part of the program, 14 of the communities—including large cities like Baltimore and Seattle, and smaller locales like Marshalltown, Iowa—earned All-America City awards from the National Civic League this month for their plans to raise reading achievement.