Every Child in Montgomery should be reading by the end of the third grade.
But too many are already behind before they ever set foot in a classroom. We have a plan to fix that.
End-of-year third-grade reading assessments show us that our children are struggling to read.
That’s a problem because students who don’t read proficiently by third grade face significant long-term consequences, including a higher likelihood of dropping out of high school and limited future opportunities. Third grade is a crucial transition point where students shift from learning to read to reading to learn, making early reading proficiency essential for academic success in all subjects.
The path to reading proficiency does not start in Kindergarten. It begins as soon as a child is born. And If we want every child to start school ready to learn—and stay on track—we need to focus on the factors that are known to improve Kindergarten readiness.
By clarifying which early learning benchmarks are most important, we’ll help target investments toward what matters most and make sure the right strategies gain traction.
The MONTGOMERY BOLD GOALS PLAN is focused on shedding light on and improving the key factors that determine whether children are healthy, supported, and have the resources and support they need to read proficiently by third grade. Click on the arrows to explore the outcomes data we’re measuring, and use the links to learn more about what we’re working to improve.
Third grade reading isn’t just an educational benchmark. It’s a strong predictor of a child’s future success.
Students who continue to struggle after third grade are:
More likely to fall behind in middle and high school
Less likely to graduate on time
Less likely to be college- and career-ready
Our Plan
A child’s earliest years lay the foundation for everything that follows, which is why, in partnership with Montgomery Public Schools, families, and community leaders, we must work to INCREASE KINDERGARTEN READINESS and REMOVE BARRIERS TO EARLY GRADE LEARNING. We will do that by understanding the needs of our students and families and matching those needs with existing community programs and initiatives that support and complement our schools, including:
Prenatal & Infant Health
Child Health & Development
Early Learning
Family Supports
Out-of-Classroom Enrichment
The work to positively change outcomes is already happening across Montgomery; however, local access to most of these programs is limited due to a lack of funding, awareness, and capacity.
We’ll work on BUILDING PUBLIC AWARENESS of these early childhood and supplementary programs, encouraging enrollment, and helping them become more widely available.
We’ll ADVOCATE for policy solutions and strategic public investments to close critical gaps, and tackle the root causes keeping our children from succeeding in the classroom.
And we’ll PROVIDE MEASUREMENT to track milestones that bring us closer to our Bold Goals.
“History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.”
—John W. Whitehead