How you can personally help address Newark’s literacy crisis

Originally posted on TAPinto Newark

Literacy isn’t just a skill that is learned. It is a basic civil right.

Improving literacy is a critical need in the Newark community. Recent state test results show that reading proficiency remains stagnant in Newark. According to the 2024 New Jersey State Learning Assessments (NJSLA) exam, only 23% of third-grade students in Newark are reading at grade level, compared to the statewide average of 44%. Third grade is a pivotal year for reading proficiency, and research shows that reading at grade level by third grade is essential for educational development and is indicative of later success in life.

This summer, we cannot afford the cost of academic regression. We know that students of color, students with disabilities, and students from multilingual or lower-income households are disproportionately affected by disparities in literacy access and often face significant barriers. The “summer slide,” where academic skills decline without active instruction, only exacerbates the ongoing literacy crisis.

Students must be equipped to not only meet state standards for literacy, but exceed them. That is why last year, after a nationwide search process, GreenLight Fund Greater Newark invested $600,000 to bring Reading Partners’ evidence-based program model to the Greater Newark area. Reading Partners is a national nonprofit that has been mobilizing communities across the nation for more than 25 years to provide students with the proven, individualized reading support they need to read at grade level by fourth grade.

How will Reading Partners accomplish this? Over the next four years, Reading Partners will help recruit paid and volunteer tutors who will deliver personalized literacy instruction (in-person and online) to 4,500 students and facilitate family literacy workshops for 3,700 families. The goal is that over 80% of students engaged will reach their annual literacy growth goals.

Beyond the commitment to thousands of Newark students and their families, Reading Partners will remain part of the Newark community, steadfast in its proven track record for improving literacy outcomes for our students. Reading Partners’ impact is clear: In the 2023-24 school year, 91% of K-2 Reading Partners students and 87% of all Reading Partners students met or exceeded their primary literacy growth goal.

As you read this, think about the joy, success and skills that reading has brought to your life.  We encourage you and anyone you know to make a difference in a young person’s life by becoming a Reading Partners tutor. Families can sign up for tutoring on behalf of their students or for literacy workshops here.

We all have a stake in the future of Newark, and that future will be made far brighter by doing everything we can to support young students—our future leaders—today.

Tish Johnson-Jones, JD, is Executive Director for the GreenLight Fund Greater Newark. Adeola Whitney lives in Essex County and is CEO of Reading Partners.