Addressing Literacy Struggles in Marion County

In Marion County, just 26% of third through eighth graders passed the English language arts section of ILEARN this year, a staggering statistic that is raising concerns over literacy rates in the community.

Troy Tate, a community member turned teacher assistant, is part of a 16-week program with RISE INDY and Marion University, training community members in the Science of Reading to prepare them to work in local schools. The initiative seeks to place parents and caregivers within schools to assist with reading in small groups or one-on-one, aiming to improve literacy rates throughout Indiana.

"We put those parents and caregivers into schools where they can help, with one-on-one reading with children, and we're just hoping to raise that literacy rate here in Indiana," said Kamilah Hatcher, Associate Director, Community Affairs with RISE INDY.

The program has been beneficial beyond just reading and writing. "Staffing is a real challenge everywhere, finding qualified assistants to work in classrooms," said Kathy Hench, Principal of Liberty Park Elementary School. "[This program] has brought us instructional assistants who are so well equipped to just jump right into a classroom and help our students."

Tate is committed to using the knowledge he gains to uplift his neighborhood. "Part of my purpose is to educate and help others," he said.

The RISE Indy Freedom Reader Fellows program has seen ten graduates complete the fellowship, contributing a total of 873.5 hours of training and coursework to better serve the community's educational needs.