Students who don’t read proficiently by the end of third grade are four-times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers.
Local public schools face critical challenges in ensuring reading success for their students. In Philadelphia, just 33 percent of third grade students passed the 2017 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test in reading, compared to 61 percent of students statewide.
It’s just one reason why United Way engages the community to help ensure our children’s long-term success through the Early Grade Literacy program. Through the program, United Way helps students in elementary school become proficient readers by the end of third grade.