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313Reads’ ultimate goal is to transform Detroit’s early literacy landscape through a collective impact and literacy justice approach in order to support all Detroit children in reading at grade level by third grade.

We are working toward population level change for grade level reading through systemic changes in literacy equity, as measured by an increase in the number and percentage of children reading at grade level and meeting measurable, on-track literacy goals and metrics that translate to school-based literacy outcomes. Our goal is to achieve 3% growth annually once the foundation is laid.

Working together to change early literacy and language systems.

The coalition consists of a Systems Table, a Coordinating Council, an Early Language and Literacy Table, a Summer and Out-of-School-Time Learning Table, and ad hoc Action Teams who develop strategic goals and work to achieve them. This structure ensures that our work is democratically determined and communicated between grassroots efforts and systemic players in order to create the literacy and language systems Detroit’s students and families deserve.

 

This is our collectively developed strategy to make those changes.

Impact literacy skills

Goal: Significantly impact the literacy skills and achievement of young children in Detroit

Strategies:

  • Establish strong alignment with citywide early childhood education initiatives, including Hope Starts Here, Every School Day Counts Detroit, Ready4K, etc.
  • Align with systems work and data across partners
  • Establish common literacy assessment across K-3 partners
  • Establish ASQ administration across PreK partners
  • Establish kindergarten “readiness” assessment across PreK partners
  • Develop a framework of recommendations and resources to support partners in evidence-based, culturally relevant early language and literacy programming and evaluation
  • Support program partners in learning about Ready4K and how to enroll families they serve

Align work across diverse partners

Goal: Engage diverse partners and align work at community, district, city, state, and national levels to serve our city’s children ages 0-8 with coordinated third grade reading efforts

Strategies:

  • Establish backbone agreement among 313Reads, Brilliant Detroit, and United Way for Southeastern Michigan
  • Establish strongly integrated and aligned Coordinating Council and tables for Early Language and Literacy, Summer and Out of School Time Literacy Learning, and Systems Strategy
  • Collaborate with Every School Day Counts Detroit to establish strategy and shared communications for early childhood education enrollment and attendance in collaboration
  • Establish strong alignment and shared messaging with citywide early childhood education initiatives, including Hope Starts Here
  • Collaborate with system partners on a guiding framework to outline recommendations and shared messaging to partners for early language and literacy programming and evaluation
  • Collaborate with Detroit Public Library (DPL) to provide partners with resources to support families in obtaining DPL library cards and accessing print and digital materials to support early language and literacy development

Build population level impact

Goal: Build population level impact through citywide aligned literacy assessments, data sharing, evaluation, and data mapping

Strategies:

  • Establish data sharing agreements with LEAs and program partners
  • Establish citywide scorecard and/or data dashboard
  • Secure literacy evaluator
  • Align citywide data mapping of literacy with community indicators
  • Provide support to grow partners’ data literacy and use of data to inform programming and impact
  • Establish overarching plan for evaluation of impact that integrates work of literacy evaluator with work of those leading community impact scorecard, data dashboard, heat mapping, and other tools for document, analyzing, and interpreting data for impact and continuous improvement across coalition partners

Serve as an early language and literacy resource

Goal: Serve as an early language and literacy resource to diverse partners and the larger early literacy community in growing and integrating the knowledge and skills for early language and literacy programming that is evidence-based, data-informed, culturally sustaining, and grows literacy equity

Strategies:

  • Collaborate with system partners to provide professional learning and expand resources available to partners related to growing and integrating the knowledge and skills for early language and literacy programming evidence-based, data-informed, culturally sustaining, and grows literacy equity
  • Collaborate with system partners  to develop a guiding framework to outline recommendations and shared messaging to partners for early language and literacy programming and evaluation
  • Make resources available broadly through website, newsletters, social media platforms, and other communications
  • Update strategic communications plan to align with overall 313Reads Strategic Plan and related plans from tables
  • Scale up 313Speaks early language supports through LENA programming– Start, Grow, Home, and Playgroup
  • Share impact metrics with LEAs in order to bolster strengthen collaboration between 313Reads coalition and LEAs
  • Provide digital resources, such as PPT shared decks, for network members who want to share the work of the coalition at community, state, and national levels

Support enrollment and attendance

Goal: Support diverse partners in citywide aligned strategy for increasing enrollment and attendance rates in early childhood education

Strategies:

  • Collaborate with ESDCD to develop campaign and shared messaging for early childhood enrollment and attendance
  • Collaborate with network partners to understand the assets and barriers faced by the families they serve that impact early childhood enrollment and attendance

Seek collaborative funding

Goal: Support collaborative, equitable, and adequate funding with diverse partners for early language and literacy resources, programming, assessments, and professional learning

Strategies:

  • Secure adequate funding to ensure families across the city have equitable access to evidence-based, data-informed, and culturally sustaining early language and literacy programs, supports, and interventions
  • Grow diversity of funding to ensure sustainability, grow impact, and align the work across partners and systems
  • Grow equitable access to adequate funding across program partners, particularly those with diverse leadership
  • Secure adequate funding to ensure  that partners can provide families with more equitable access to books and other literacy materials that support early language and literacy

Grow literacy equity and justice

Goal: Grow literacy equity and justice in collaboration with communities and diverse partners at multiple levels

Strategies:

  • Engaging diverse stakeholders and early childhood educators at all levels
  • Engage early childhood programming with diverse leadership to create more inclusive access to professional resources and equity of voice in collective impact work
  • Engage a diverse Coordinating Council, tables, and 313Reads staff that reflect the communities we serve
  • Engage in aligned policy recommendations and advocacy relevant to literacy equity, Read By Grade Three (RBG3) legislation, and other areas central to the collective work
  • Support the sustainability of early childhood programming led by diverse leaders and organizations citywide
  • Advocate for policy that supports equitable access to evidence-based literacy resources, instruction, and supports

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