Join the others who have taken the pledge:

Donna Hedgecock, East Coast Earthworks & Excavating, Kristi Challenor, Krishna Patel, Barneyxcq yWxcSpFGWvTabbVDxz, Literacy Services, Heather Quigley, matt KdPIOvmNNItBy, Kaori Fischer, Michelle Bass, Healthy Families, Christina Hayes, Gisele Parker, Cindi Ellis, Dean Stewart Photography, Laurie Pedersen, FRAN PERKINS, Sophie Wood, Janet Alford, Susan Aguirre , Brittany Bailey, Susan Del Tufo, Christine Sturgeon, Janet Farmer, mary kannapes, Agnieszka Szymanska, Gloria Luna, joshua poindexter, Ramon Echeverria, Wendi Adams, Patrick Toole, Barbara Johnson, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Karen Malits, Page Woodward, Debra Schroeder, Karen Taylor, STEPHANIE CLARK, Margaret Autullo, Leslie Connelly, Susan Del Tufo, Matthew McManus, Matt McManus, AmeriCorps/Big Brothers Big Sister, Stacey Fletcher, ISABELLA LAGGES, Kim Klaus, Deirdre Creech, Jeff The Bro, Jennifer Durrett, Traci McGough, Indian River County Chamber of, shelby dorris, sabrina fraga, Adam Faust, Elias Medina, JIM BATORY, Mindy Lessem Pollack, Helene Caseltine, Margaret Dawson-Brown, Renee Lincoln, Lydia Galbraith, JIM BATORY, Edward Shanaphy, allene moorehead, Maria Ortiz, Dee Hollenbeck, Katie Collier, 211/Help Me Grow, Raquel Searcy, Shawna Carton, janice pagan, Hollie McDougall, Socorro Luna, Dorothy Cominsky, Sterling Bobbitt , Achillies Pace, DOE-OEL, Chuck Evans, Annie Brown, Kerilyn Ngom, keesha trusty, Crystal Gothe, Karen Newkirk, Maria Alvarez, Nancy Blessing, Tricia Boyle, Kim Brady, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County, Lenora Ritchie, Jamie Stalter, Tracey Barker, Fourth Quadrant Partners, Milli Wenzel, Mike Gaudio, Melissa Hall, Melinda Judson, Amy Kelly, Patricia Beaudoin, Bill McMullen, Jill Truax, Mary Graves, Milli Wenzel, kari broomell, Whole Child Indian River, Sue Sharpe, Gloria Severino, Juelie Perry, liz woody, Karen Disney, Donna Hedgecock, Bridgette Diskin, Elaine McGinty, Susan Rosier, Christopher Cummings, ggdxfg fdgfh, Lisa McFaland, Shannon Gillen, Gifford Youth Activity Center, Cathryn Miquelon, Kathleen Hamilton, Lisa Segroves, tommy collettit, Dr. David Christiansen, ann prince, Heidi Lourie, Jennifer Seifstein, Fidelity Investments, United Way of Indian River Co., judy jones, Christy Baer, Hayley Gondek, audrey colonna, Arianna Lagges, Indian River Taekwondo Langlois, FELLSMERE ELEMENTARY, Therese Victoria, GEORGE JETT, Kelli Mejia, Dr. Connie Proskovec, Brenda Zamora, Nancy De La Hoz, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc., Sonja Phillips, Deborah Dillon, Carrie Spencer, Rebecca Turner, kayla poindexter, jorge luis ramirez, Michele Sternberg, Mardy Fish Children's Foundation, Emily Jarrett, Isabel Marron , Megan Falcone, Kelley Williams, Lisa Guillette, yaquelin andrade, Lillian Marsiglia, Vero Equine Riding Academy , Marisela Luna, Elizabeth Falkiewicz, Alejandrina Micket, Susan Del Tufo, Kenny Carmichael, Kristina Trahan, Bent Pine Golf Club, Mary Anne Sitkowski, Guillermina Walker, jennifer roker, Thomas Moore, uritayay, Katherine Wolf, Lisa Guilmette, Clare Hughes, Alaina McCloud, Nichole Harris, Pamela Miller, Heidi Lourie, Ronda Weaver, buzz wurzer, Karen Newkirk, maria marron, Samantha Breen, Doug Glenn, Rebecca Blair, Teri Dugan, Sharon Delo, Jody Houston, Lisa Wheeler, Rose Brickles, Michelle Chandler, Rhonda McGilberry, donna palmquist, charlene bentien, Dorie Shemo, Kristin Culbreth, Carol David, Marie OBrien, Dorie Shemo, cheryl gondek, Tiffany Carlsen, Kelly Palmer, Annie Brown, Liane McMullen, Janai Cooper, Kristen Jones, Angela Bosman, Kevin Maloney, Mari Seg, Paige Newinski, VBKA, Celeste McWilliams, Lisa Barnum, Janie Graves Hoover, 1 1, Kaori Fischer, Tammy Eriksen, Christina Lindgren, Sharon Klein, Judy Whalen, MAry Grace Hektner, JOY VANHORN, Gina Sultaire, Theresa Wagner, Farrah Lemanski, mardy hall, Bobbie Donelson, Amber Petry, Stacey Klim, Christine Ryall, Becky Warren, hannah kaufeh, carrie fernandez, Yasmin Medina, Amanda Acker, Toni Reukauf, Kimberly Robideau, Liz Tetreault, Teri Barenborg, Michael Van Houten, Lisa Bishop, Vero Beach Magazine, sharon butler, Jeanne Prince, The Buggy Bunch, Amy Speak, Emily Wick, Nancy Blessing, Emme Scheible, Amanda Stevens, Shariea Shoatz, Lori Nalls, Linda Hammerle, Heather Thompson, Linda Condit, Jessica Cox, tommy collettit, Dasie Hope Center, Lorri Dior, Joy Lukomski, Jennifer Croom, Gabrielle Wagner, GoldenTabs VlNDAmqBXuOUgPSzn, Sharon Klein, Fenia Hiaasen, Becky Levesque, Autumn Wheeler, 1 1, Tina Campbell, test test, yaquelin andrade, Randall Hunt, Elizabeth Stenger, John obrien, Andrea Cosner, Tirso Moreno, Jenna Chatfield, Ralph Sunshine Acquisitions, Tami Haffield, shelby dorris, Jennifer Steele, Kathryn Woodall, kelly baysura, Megan Falcone, Heather Thompson, Ashley Farruggio, Devi Maharajh, Tessa Stanley, Beth Livers, Diane Donar, Diane Mahan, Angel Maldonado, Susan Rosier, Clare Hughes, Diane Bressner, Keondra Eberhardt, Erica Thomas, briana carter, Katrena McMahan, Tessa House, Elizabeth Pinkney, Elizabeth Pinkney, Mary Kramek, elizabeth bahl, Patricia Mandell, Kim Klaus, 1 -1', Maureen Nicolace, Erin Hollander, F.A.C.T. Fellsmere Action Community Team, Laura McGill, Carolina Rojas, Mary Ann Kalin, Isabel Marron , Marta Cronin, Laura Zorc, Kelly Palmer, Kathryn Perez, belinda washimgton-davis, Fellsmere Police Department FPD, Leslie Jones, Fidelity Investments, Keith Touchberry, Harvest Food & Outreach Center, jennifer jackson, jacki decaro, Tara Luton , LaTanya Morgan, Ann Mathis, Tara Miranda, Nancy De La Hoz, Brooke Flood, Marsha Van Arman, Nate & Kristen Bruckner, Arlene Kahn, Suzi Rusin, LaTanya Morgan, Nancy Prizito, Andrea Cosner, Nicolas ospina de la hoz, Melody M Englert, Renee Boesch, hannah kauferh, Michele Smith, Amanda Emanuel, Narda Pitkethly, Kidz Closet Charities, Emilia Jacobs, Elizabeth Tetreault, Shanti Sanchez, Indian River County Lawyers Auxiliary, Di Pugh, Cathy Durrett-Filusch, -1' 1, ruth darrigo, Lesley Lane, Tanya BRAUN, Mark yBzNyaFpSKdSM, Kathy Minix, Sandra Daniel, Nancy Sparkman, Rachel Holpfer, sharon richards, Susan Del Tufo, Ana Renuart, Ramon Echeverria, Lilibeth Ballina, Kay Yurigan, Heather Helton, Mary Laquidara, Patricia Mandell, Teri Dugan, Vero Beach Police Department, Sandy Hamrick, Becky Allen, 1 -1', Mary Strickler, Hope Woodhouse , Ralph Autullo, Ramon Echeverria, Tabitha Johnston, Angela Jawhar, Casey Dunn, -1' 1, Kerilyn Ngom, Kirra OBrien, Pamela Prange, Sherrie Hale, Kayla Chitty, Helene Caseltine, Nicole Piontek, Louis and Sara Smith, Rhonda McGilberry, audrey colonna, Debra Barnesd, Mark Farrell, Carla Cundiff, Susan Rosier, Tiffany Justice, Cynthia Jorgensen, Lucy Roy-Delapaz, parker hammond, Courtney Mellin, Kathleen Nealy, Jeff Miller, Cheryl Gondek, LaTanya Gibson, Bruce Green, Tisa Blidgen, Kelly Sartain, renee fraker, Kelli Mejia, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Angel Maldonado, Annie Brown, Sara Goodman, Phoebe Beacham, maria miranda, Taylor Walker, Sherry White, Brittany Lindsey, SHARYN A HAWKER, Christy Baer , TLA, Heather Young, Sharon Klein, Christina Lindgren, valerie conway, Robyn Bethel, Natalie Arbuckle, Gretchen DiVincenzo, Jennifer Roberts, mardy hall, Jayne Becker,

Home > News > Indian River Honored as a Pacesetter for Early Literacy Work

Indian River Honored as a Pacesetter for Early Literacy Work

School District of Indian River County

Mark J. Rendell, Ed.D., Superintendent

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT: Flynn Fidgeon, PIO

Phone: 564-5527

DATE: March 9, 2016

SUBJECT: Indian River Honored as a Pacesetter for Early Literacy Work

Indian River County has been honored as a Pacesetter by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading for making measurable progress on eliminating barriers faced by children from low-income families on the path to becoming proficient readers.

“Pacesetter Honors are among the highest awards presented by the Campaign,” said Ralph Smith, the managing director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. “We are very proud of Indian River County and the numerous organizations and individuals behind them for joining forces and working tirelessly to uplift children and families. They remind us that we are seeing great progress and real results all across the country."

“What we should be proud of is that the culture of this community has changed to be one of collaborative learning and innovation,” said Barbara Hammond, Co-Founder of The Learning Alliance. “All who work on this across the community and within schools are to be congratulated.”

“This is quite a big deal,” said Dr. Mark Rendell, Superintendent of the School District of Indian River County. “It’s not a School District award, it’s a community award.”

In Indian River County, the Campaign is supported by The Learning Alliance, the Education Foundation of Indian River County, Indian River Community Foundation, The United Way of Indian River County, Literacy Leaders of Indian River County, The Early Learning Coalition, Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Big Brothers Big Sisters and AmeriCorps Programs, Gifford Youth Achievement Center, Boys and Girls Clubs of Indian River County, Fidelity Investments, Ray Oglethorpe, Riverside Children’s Theatre, Indian River Chamber of Commerce, Smart Baby Ambassadors, Childcare Resources of Indian River, Feed the Lambs, School District of Indian River County, and many more literacy leaders in the community.

Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical milestone toward high school graduation and success in later life because it marks the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” National tests show that two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders (four-fifths of whom are from low-income families) are not reading proficiently. Students who have not mastered reading by that time are more likely to drop out of high school and struggle throughout their lives.

“If we’re going to close the achievement gap, we need mobilized communities – like these Pacesetters – working with schools, city agencies, nonprofits, civic leaders and parents to focus on third-grade reading,” Smith added. “These Pacesetter communities inspire us to believe that great things can happen when all of us support parents, care providers, and educators, as they work to ensure more hopeful futures for our children.”

This year, 38 Pacesetter communities will be honored at an annual awards luncheon during the Campaign’s 2016 Funder-to-Funder Huddle in Washington, D.C., on April 7. Each Pacesetter will receive a certificate and special recognition banner to showcase their award throughout their communities.