Communities In Schools (CIS) of Durham's READS program is the centerpiece of a $12.7 million, five-year Investing in Innovation (i3) grant that the US Department of Education awarded to Harvard University. Of nearly 1,700 applicants, only 49 were named finalists. Durham READS is a replication of the work of Dr. James Kim of Harvard University who authored the grant proposal.
READS is a summer reading program designed to prevent summer reading skills loss in elementary school students from low-income families. Children in the program are mailed books that are matched to their individual reading level and interests. Research shows that kids from low-income families lose an average of two months of reading skills every summer. This accounts for up to 50% of the reading achievement gap.
In year one of the grant, CIS of Durham will expand its program to serve 1,000 local elementary school students. In years 2-5, CIS of North Carolina will disseminate the program to up to 20 additional communities in North Carolina through other CIS programs in the state.
