Greater Austin Reading Coalition

Empowering Lifelong Readers Across Greater Austin

The Greater Austin Reading Coalition unites and supports the early literacy community to ensure all children are proficient and engaged readers by third grade.

By the end of third grade, students transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Students reading on grade level by the end of third grade are more likely to graduate from high school and are more equipped to attain higher-paying jobs. If they aren’t reading at grade level by the end of third grade, they are likely to fall behind in nearly every subject and often face more adversity than their peers throughout their K-12 school education and even into adulthood.

Founded in 2021, the coalition is a diverse network that supports the local literacy community to ensure that all students in grades Kindergarten-3, especially those who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and are most affected by inequitable systems, are reading on grade level by the end of third grade — a pivotal point in a child’s reading development.

The reality our community faces

Just 33% of Black/African American students and 38% of Hispanic students met grade-level English reading standards in third grade in 2024.

This starkly contrasts with 64% of white students and 74% of Asian students.
(TEA, 2024 English STAAR Grade 3 Scores, Region 13)

1 in 3 children live in a very low or low-opportunity neighborhood.

Low-opportunity neighborhoods are based on economic and demographic factors such as income level, educational opportunities, health environment, concentrated inequity and more.
(Diversity Data Kids)

Children not reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times as likely to drop out of high school.

(Anne E. Casey Foundation)