Grant helps kids read at two Bellevue schools

Published 3:02 pm Thursday, February 19, 2015

Students at Lake Hills and Stevenson elementary schools are receiving extra support to learn to read thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Bacon Family Foundation for Bellevue Schools Foundation’s Project READiness.

Project READiness provides trained instructional aides to assist with literacy instruction in kindergarten and first grade classrooms in Bellevue’s elementary schools with the highest percentages of poverty. The trained aide frees up time for the teacher to work with small groups of children and provide one-on-one instruction to help them learn to read.

“Helping level the playing field and giving students a strong start means so much to us,” explained Tony Bacon. “The Project READiness program provided through the Bellevue Schools Foundation is helping all students reach their learning potential, which we know will change their lives for the better.”

Jacqueline Estephan, Stevenson Elementary principal, said there is strong evidence that reading proficiently by the end of third grade is a key predictor of high school graduation and career success.

“Third grade marks the transition from children learning to read to reading to learn,” Estephan said.  “This support from the Bacon Family Foundation and Bellevue Schools Foundation helps us provide targeted intervention early on to make sure no child slips through the cracks.”

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, one in six children who are not reading proficiently in third grade drop out or do not graduate from high school on time. For children whose family income is below the poverty line for at least a year and are not reading proficiently in third grade, the proportion who do not finish school rises to 26 percent. In 2013-14, approximately 65 percent of low-income third grade students in the Bellevue School District were proficient in reading compared to 91 percent of non-low-income third graders.

The opportunity gap prompted the Bellevue Schools Foundation several years ago to work with the district to fund this specific intervention in kindergarten and first grade. Results have been very encouraging.

“Project READiness has helped students at Stevenson for the past five years,” added Estephan. “We have seen a steady growth in the number of third graders who demonstrate proficiency on the state Measure of Student Progress (MSP) test. This past spring, at Stevenson, more than 85 percent of our third graders reached this mark, a greater than 25 point gain in the past four years.”

Bellevue Schools Foundation Executive Director Roxanne Kröon Shepherd praised the Bacon Family Foundation for its help.

“We’ve proven over the years that by working together, we can provide what our students need to become strong readers.”

To learn more and get involved, contact the Bellevue Schools Foundation at 425-456-4199 or info@bsfdn.org.