Accelerating Progress for Oregon's Youngest Readers: A Case for Investing in Community Partners

The Early Literacy Success Alliance (ELSA) has published a report on the state of early literacy in Oregon and the nonprofit literacy provider's role in boosting student outcomes.

The benefits of early literacy are well understood, yet two-thirds of all Oregon fourth-graders are not reading at a proficient level. These numbers are even more alarming for historically under-served students. Early literacy programs are critical to improving third-grade reading outcomes, which correlate with improving Oregon's graduation rate. ELSA's findings are simple: Schools can't go it alone - the state must also invest in and partner with evidence-based nonprofit community literacy organizations. 

Click here to view the full report. 

Click here to view the executive summary. 

Portland Public Schools K-3 Read Together:
Common Goal, Collective Impact

The Early Literacy Success Alliance (ELSA) is a coalition of Oregon nonprofit partners and public libraries with proven impact dedicated to providing at-risk children with the access, support, resources and instruction they need to establish a strong foundation of literacy. 

ELSA partners support Oregon public schools in reaching literacy goals by bringing our collective services to the table to provide coordinated, deliberate and culturally-responsive early literacy strategies along a spectrum of ages and needs. 

As an example of ELSA’s power to collaborate and bring multiple partners together to improve early reading outcomes, ELSA members worked with the state’s largest school district, Portland Public Schools, on an action research project to help the district meet it’s third-grade reading goals. 

ELSA partners represented in PPS collaborative:

  •      Black Parent Initiative

  •      The Children’s Book Bank (now part of SMART Reading)

  •      Multnomah County Library

  •      Reading Results

  •      The Shadow Project

  •      SMART Reading