The AIM Institute for Learning & Research is proud to announce the selection of 10 schools for our new AIM Early Reading Success Schools initiative. This fully-funded, yearlong demonstration project is designed to transform early literacy instruction and ensure that more than 1,000 children in more than 60 classrooms across the country are reading at grade level by the end of the school year.

Supported with a $750,000 donation by the Raphael Family Foundation, the initiative provides AIM-led professional learning, coaching, and implementation support per school to help participating teams accelerate reading outcomes and build sustainable systems for early literacy success. The participating schools represent a diverse cross-section of the country,  including rural communities and major cities, and span public, private, and charter school settings.

Only 31% of fourth-grade students in the United States read at or above a proficient level on the NAEP assessment. Research has shown that there is a critical period for literacy development from birth to age eight due to the rapid growth of the brain and its response to instruction. Identifying instructional needs of struggling students as soon as possible is critical in order to catch them before they fall.

“We believe that every child deserves access to high-quality reading instruction from the very beginning of their academic journey,” said Kristen Wynn, Head of the AIM Institute. “This initiative represents a powerful investment in the teachers and leaders working to make that vision a reality.”

The AIM Early Reading Success model combines the science of reading with the science of implementation, delivering a multi-tiered system of support for educators and leaders. Participants, who will begin their work this summer, engage in scaffolded learning, targeted coaching, and leadership development to drive measurable progress in reading proficiency by Grade 1.

The yearlong demonstration project officially launches this month and is part of AIM’s broader commitment to improving early reading outcomes nationwide by educators with evidence-based tools and professional learning support that empowers lives through literacy.

Participating Schools:

• Castro Elementary, Mountain View Whisman School District, California
• Grace Miller Elementary, Bonita Unified School District, California
• Star Lab, Sarasota, Florida
• Success at Thurgood Marshall, Success Preparatory Academy, Louisiana
• Horn Lake Elementary, Desoto County School District, Mississippi
• Pymatuning Valley Local, Pymatuning Valley Local Schools, Ohio
• Leola Elementary, Conestoga Valley School District, Pennsylvania
• Penrose Elementary, School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Morton McMichael Elementary, School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Marengo Valley School, School District of Ashland, Wisconsin

The first 10 schools for this demonstration project were selected through a two-phase application process and had to meet specific criteria, including: a school leader who had completed AIM’s Pathways to Literacy Leadership course, use of a universal screening system, a Tier I curriculum aligned to structured literacy, and access to a literacy coach.

“This initiative brings together everything we know about how to implement literacy instruction that sticks — high-quality training, a deep coaching model, and leadership systems that support sustainability,” said Dr. Megan Gierka, Head of Implementation Services at AIM. “We’re honored to walk alongside these 10 schools as they lead change to support their young learners.”

Educators and leaders at these schools will receive: a 24-hour online structured literacy course for K–1 teachers; coaching certification and training, and personalized implementation training for leaders to embed effective reading practices schoolwide. The project also provides financial incentives tied to implementation and student outcomes that allow schools to benefit from projects through a partnership with DonorsChoose.

The yearlong demonstration project officially launches this month and is part of AIM’s broader commitment to improving early reading outcomes nationwide by educators with evidence-based tools and professional learning support that empowers lives through literacy.