Not many people know it, but third grade is one of the most important points in a child’s life. Recent reports by the Annie E. Casey Foundation have shown that a child’s ability to read in third grade is a very strong predictor of his or her future success. In the Austin community, only 29.7% of 3rd grade students attending Chicago Public Schools were meeting or exceeding state reading standards in 2014. This means that almost 2 out of 3 students from Austin are at risk of dropping out of high school by the time they complete 3rd grade. This is completely unacceptable.
