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Judy Whalen, Mary Kramek, Carla Cundiff, Kelly Palmer, valerie conway, Laura Zorc, Kerilyn Ngom, Jessica Cox, Clare Hughes, FELLSMERE ELEMENTARY, Milli Wenzel, Becky Allen, Lisa Bishop, Courtney Mellin, Nancy Sparkman, Krishna Patel, Jennifer Seifstein, Annie Brown, Kelli Mejia, Gifford Youth Activity Center, mary kannapes, GEORGE JETT, Tanya BRAUN, Tina Campbell, Stacey Klim, hannah kaufeh, Jennifer Durrett, Kay Yurigan, elizabeth bahl, Susan Aguirre , Nancy Prizito, jennifer roker, Elizabeth Tetreault, Tami Haffield, Milli Wenzel, East Coast Earthworks & Excavating, mardy hall, Annie Brown, Achillies Pace, Crystal Gothe, Susan Rosier, Mary Strickler, Gloria Luna, Fourth Quadrant Partners, Alejandrina Micket, Dasie Hope Center, ann prince, Socorro Luna, janice pagan, Maureen Nicolace, Barbara Johnson, 211/Help Me Grow, sabrina fraga, Ralph Autullo, Indian River County Chamber of, cheryl gondek, Sara Goodman, Sandy Hamrick, Kathryn Woodall, Diane Mahan, Karen Newkirk, JIM BATORY, Jeff The Bro, Juelie Perry, yaquelin andrade, Fidelity Investments, Diane Bressner, Lisa Guilmette, Erin Hollander, Narda Pitkethly, Bridgette Diskin, Linda Condit, JIM BATORY, Sharon Klein, ggdxfg fdgfh, Christine Sturgeon, shelby dorris, Thomas Moore, Autumn Wheeler, mardy hall, Rebecca Blair, 1 1, Megan Falcone, AmeriCorps/Big Brothers Big Sister, Patricia Mandell, Christy Baer, Kristin Culbreth, Patrick Toole, Liane McMullen, Pamela Prange, Kelly Palmer, Vero Equine Riding Academy , Yasmin Medina, Janet Alford, Becky Levesque, Vero Beach Magazine, Casey Dunn, Ramon Echeverria, United Way of Indian River Co., Christina Lindgren, buzz wurzer, Emilia Jacobs, Nancy Blessing, liz woody, Susan Del Tufo, Lori Nalls, Fenia Hiaasen, Teri Barenborg, Sharon Delo, Theresa Wagner, Heather Thompson, Debra Schroeder, Tabitha Johnston, Emily Wick, Mary Laquidara, Karen Newkirk, Michelle Chandler, Devi Maharajh, Amber Petry, Kaori Fischer, Heather Quigley, Lydia Galbraith, Emme Scheible, Healthy Families, Dean Stewart Photography, Nichole Harris, Kim Klaus, Amanda Emanuel, Ralph Sunshine Acquisitions, Bill McMullen, Renee Boesch, Rebecca Turner, Becky Warren, Rhonda McGilberry, Cindi Ellis, Elizabeth Pinkney, Jayne Becker, Matthew McManus, Lillian Marsiglia, Tiffany Justice, Kathy Minix, Bent Pine Golf Club, Mari Seg, Nancy De La Hoz, Tracey Barker, Tessa House, parker hammond, Suzi Rusin, belinda washimgton-davis, Kelly Sartain, Teri Dugan, Ramon Echeverria, Amy Kelly, Barneyxcq yWxcSpFGWvTabbVDxz, Phoebe Beacham, Michele Sternberg, Adam Faust, Jennifer Croom, kayla poindexter, Melody M Englert, Sharon Klein, Natalie Arbuckle, Mike Gaudio, shelby dorris, Karen Taylor, Hayley Gondek, -1' 1, STEPHANIE CLARK, charlene bentien, Sherrie Hale, Lisa Guillette, GoldenTabs VlNDAmqBXuOUgPSzn, Karen Disney, Lisa Wheeler, Gina Sultaire, maria miranda, Donna Hedgecock, renee fraker, uritayay, Margaret Autullo, LaTanya Morgan, maria marron, Sharon Klein, Karen Malits, Jennifer Roberts, Hope Woodhouse , Doug Glenn, yaquelin andrade, jorge luis ramirez, tommy collettit, Bruce Green, Lisa Barnum, 1 1, Page Woodward, Therese Victoria, tommy collettit, Janie Graves Hoover, Chuck Evans, Mardy Fish Children's Foundation, Andrea Cosner, Susan Del Tufo, Jamie Stalter, Lilibeth Ballina, Isabel Marron , Pamela Miller, Leslie Jones, Helene Caseltine, briana carter, Sue Sharpe, Toni Reukauf, Cathy Durrett-Filusch, Carolina Rojas, Andrea Cosner, Megan Falcone, Marsha Van Arman, Annie Brown, Elizabeth Falkiewicz, Mindy Lessem Pollack, Melinda Judson, judy jones, Marie OBrien, Gretchen DiVincenzo, Patricia Mandell, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Elaine McGinty, Cynthia Jorgensen, Farrah Lemanski, Katie Collier, -1' 1, Katherine Wolf, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Jody Houston, Christy Baer , Keith Touchberry, JOY VANHORN, Mary Anne Sitkowski, Mark Farrell, Ann Mathis, Angel Maldonado, Kathleen Nealy, Laurie Pedersen, Erica Thomas, DOE-OEL, Samantha Breen, Heather Thompson, Nancy De La Hoz, Ana Renuart, Cathryn Miquelon, Deirdre Creech, Janai Cooper, Patricia Beaudoin, Nate & Kristen Bruckner, Debra Barnesd, Kristina Trahan, Lesley Lane, Michele Smith, Taylor Walker, keesha trusty, Hollie McDougall, Kevin Maloney, jennifer jackson, ISABELLA LAGGES, Gloria Severino, Ashley Farruggio, Christine Ryall, VBKA, Katrena McMahan, Tara Miranda, Shannon Gillen, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County, joshua poindexter, Rose Brickles, LaTanya Morgan, Kristi Challenor, 1 -1', Bobbie Donelson, Sterling Bobbitt , Paige Newinski, Arianna Lagges, Tisa Blidgen, Leslie Connelly, Tammy Eriksen, sharon richards, Lorri Dior, Emily Jarrett, Maria Ortiz, Ramon Echeverria, kelly baysura, Indian River County Lawyers Auxiliary, Stacey Fletcher, Kim Klaus, Dorie Shemo, Fellsmere Police Department FPD, Carol David, Brittany Lindsey, Kaori Fischer, Michael Van Houten, Angela Jawhar, Wendi Adams, Christina Hayes, F.A.C.T. 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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.