STEPS

56% of NYC public school students in grades 3 through 8 read below grade level.

In many New York City elementary schools serving low-income communities, large percentages of children fail to meet New York State reading and math proficiency standards.  A child who hasn't mastered essential reading and math skills by the end of third grade will have trouble mastering the academic content in later grades, putting them at much greater risk of dropping out. 

Research shows that even children who do well in quality early education programs often lose the gains they made once they enter public school.  The two systems aren't always working together as effectively as they should.

Supporting Transitions from Early-education to Public School (STEPS) seeks to improve early grade literacy by ensuring that a child’s learning and developmental needs are continuously met during the first eight years of life.  The initiative is helping to bridge the gap that exists between pre-school and elementary school by:

• Improving teacher effectiveness by strengthening educators' use of teaching strategies that are responsive to children's developmental needs as they progress from birth to age 8
• Increasing family knowledge of parenting skills and child development and empowering parents to advocate on behalf of their children
• Building school-community partnerships designed to support children's school readiness, pre-school-to-elementary transition, and need for extra supports

STEPS is at work in three public elementary schools and four early education centers in a low-income area of the South Bronx--the poorest urban county in the United States.

Our Funding Partners:

• JPMorgan Chase Foundation (Lead Funding Partner)
• IBM
• The Norinchukin Foundation
• United Way of New York City's Women's Leadership Council