Springdale on Tuesday announced that it has received the All-America City Award for helping young children achieve grade-level reading proficiency and early school success.
Springdale was one of 15 communities nationwide to receive the award from the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and the National Civic League. The city is also working to achieve the statewide Arkansas Campaign for Grade Level Reading and Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E.) Arkansas goals.
Springdale launched its “OneCommunity Reads, UnaComunidad Leyendo!” program in 2013.
The city has also:
- Reduced chronic absenteeism rates by nearly 70 percent at Monitor and Parson Hills elementary schools.
- Decreased summer learning loss among rising first through fourth graders from 89 percent in 2014-15 to 81 percent in 2015-16 at George and Jones elementary schools with OneCommunity’s “Feed Your Brain” program.
- Increased parent engagement through its “Parents Taking Leadership Action” program.
OneCommunity Reads is supported by the city of Springdale, Springdale Public Schools, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and the Arkansas Campaign for Grade Level Reading.
Also, at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Moonshot Rocket Bus will stop at Parsons Hill Elementary on its national tour to promote literacy.
“Springdale Reads” campaign will be introduced this fall too. It is part of ForwARd Arkansas, which is a partnership between the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation and the Arkansas State Board of Education.
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