New investments aim to improve literacy and build on successful messaging campaign
Students at Lakeview and Sonnesyn Elementary Schools in Robbinsdale will benefit from a new literacy partnership between the Ciresi Walburn Foundation, Serve Minnesota, and Robbinsdale Area Schools.
Following their successful messaging campaign highlighting Minnesota schools’ poor literacy outcomes, the Ciresi Walburn Foundation has recently committed nearly $500,000 to improve literacy for Twin Cities students.
The messaging campaign—which included billboards across the Twin Cities—put a spotlight on our state’s failure to teach students how to read and the lack of high-quality literacy instruction in schools across the state.
The good news is that the research and science are clear: we know how to teach kids to read. That’s why the Ciresi Walburn Foundation is investing $450,000 over three years to support the implementation of two programs grounded in the “science of reading:” ServeMN’s Total Learning Classroom (TLC) and Bridge2Read (B2R). The programs will be implemented at Sonnesyn Elementary and Lakeview Elementary schools in the Robbinsdale School District.
The Ciresi Walburn Foundation, ServeMN, and Robbinsdale Area Schools have worked in close collaboration over the last few months to develop a unique program design including both:
“Alongside our hard-working and dedicated educators, this program will help us to provide a world class education for all Robbinsdale students.”
Total Learning Classroom (TLC), which embeds trained, supported tutors in select K-3 classrooms to deliver targeted interventions for students who need additional literacy support and to help schools and teachers utilize data to drive better instructional practices; and,
Bridge2Read (B2R), which strengthens literacy instruction practices for participating teachers (to ensure all students are receiving instruction based on the “Science of Reading”).
The Ciresi Walburn Foundation, ServeMN, and Robbinsdale Area Schools are all committed to evaluating the success of this program; the parties have agreed to study the impact of the Foundation’s investment and disseminating the results publicly.
Way to Grow student Zion Bryant celebrates early learner graduation with a Certificate of Achievement and five brand new books!
The goal of the partnership is to dramatically improve literacy for students in a set of classrooms within Robbinsdale schools, elevating reading achievement scores and providing a “proof point” for what’s possible with a diverse population of students and a blueprint for how that success is achieved.
“We are fully invested in this program and its success,” said Marti Voight, Assistant Superintendent for Robbinsdale Area Schools. “We are working on creating a district-wide culture committed to the ‘science of reading,’” Voight continued, “and we believe this program will provide teachers, students, and families with important additional resources to strengthen academic achievement. Alongside our hard-working and dedicated educators, this program will help us to provide a world class education for all Robbinsdale students.”
In addition to the investment in Robbinsdale Schools, the Ciresi Walburn Foundation also recently committed $10,000 to Way to Grow in North Minneapolis to purchase books for a Book Fair at Way to Grow’s annual Early Learner Celebration. Students heading to kindergarten this fall were given the opportunity to choose five brand-new hardcover books and put them in a booksack which says, “Reading is my Superpower.” The grant to Way to Grow will also support the purchase and distribution of books to families throughout the upcoming school year.
Way to Grow’s Early Learner Celebration included a Book Fair—sponsored by the Ciresi Walburn Foundation—where students received five brand-new books and a bookrack in which to put them!
“We believe all children deserve an equal opportunity to succeed in school and life. Great books are one of the tools to help cultivate a love of reading and close the education gap!” said Carolyn Smallwood, Way to Grow’s Chief Executive Officer. “We know that the path to literacy includes reading books that children find engaging and interesting,” Smallwood continued, “and that’s why we’re so thrilled to partner with the Ciresi Walburn Foundation to put a wide-range of diverse, culturally-affirming books into the hands of our children.”
About ServeMinnesota
ServeMinnesota is a catalyst for positive social impact, working with AmeriCorps and community partners to address critical needs in Minnesota and share our proven practices nationally. ServeMN uses data-driven solutions to tackle problems in educational achievement, economic opportunity, housing stability, recovery from substance use disorders, climate mitigation and more. ServeMN’s primary goal is to invest its AmeriCorps resources to catalyze positive social change in Minnesota by aligning the power of AmeriCorps with successful strategies that provide cost-effective solutions and yield measurable results.
ServeMN provides training and technical assistance, and monitors these organizations to ensure that they adhere to all federal rules and regulations related to their AmeriCorps grant. ServeMN administers a portfolio of 16 AmeriCorps programs (Minnesota Reading Corps, Minnesota Math Corps, Conservation Corps of Minnesota, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, etc) with about 2,000 AmeriCorps members addressing critical human needs with a lens of social justice. More than 1,200 sites across the state host more than 2,000 AmeriCorps members each year, serving over 70,000 people. These sites include schools, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other types of community resource centers.
About Robbinsdale Area Schools
Robbinsdale Area School District is a public school district located in New Hope, Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, and Plymouth, MN. It has 11,362 students in grades PK-12. About 65% of students are non-white, 12% are English Learners (EL), 16.3% receive Special Education services (SpEd), and 46.2% receive Free/Reduced-Price meals (FRL). Many students who attend Robbinsdale Schools live in North Minneapolis and open enroll into the district.
According to state MCA scores:
In 2019 (pre-pandemic) 35% of students were proficient in math and 49% in reading.
In 2021 (post-pandemic) 24% of students were proficient in math and 44% in reading.
About Way to Grow
Way to Grow supports families with children from birth to age eight, empowering the next generation of leaders. Way to Grow works with more than 1,700 individuals in Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs—neighbors who work hard to provide for their children and are active in their community and their child’s education. With a team of talented Family Educators, Way to Grow provides year-round services every day to families and their surrounding communities. Through the collective work of their staff, community partners, and volunteers, Way to Grow helps to stabilize families, build networks of services, and prepare children for school across the Twin Cities community. Despite continued learning disruptions in 2022, 98% of Way to Grow children were prepared for kindergarten.