Chicago Public Schools (CPS) recently unveiled its five-year strategic plan, Together We Rise. Over the past year, members of the WITS staff provided input through surveys, town halls, and focus groups.
For 33 years, WITS has contributed to the literacy culture of dozens of CPS elementary schools by creating student-centered and engaging literacy programming to support educators and students. As we head into our 34th school year, following the completion of our exploratory study with Marzano Research, WITS is more aligned with and prepared to support CPS strategies than ever before.
The core of the CPS plan is to create a ‘rigorous, joyful, and equitable learning experience for every student.’ At WITS, we take this to heart, creating joyful learning experiences rooted in our core belief that reading is the foundation of all learning. Our values of community, consistency, and empowerment guide us in this mission.
WITS literacy-based student mentorship, corporate and community engagement, and book ownership models are well-positioned to support CPS’s five-year strategic plan.
CPS Goal: Increase by 20% the number of 3rd-8th graders who meet or exceed proficiency levels on the state’s Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) assessment for English language arts and math. This will be achieved by accelerating growth for students who are Black, Latinx, English learners, students with disabilities, and students in temporary living situations.
How WITS Helps Develop Reading Fluency & Comprehension
Through our partnership with Marzano Research, WITS has isolated the two factors of reading proficiency our student mentorship programs are designed to influence: fluency and comprehension.
- Fluency refers to a reader’s ability to read a text with accuracy, speed, and proper expression.
- Reading comprehension is the ability to read and understand the meaning of written text.
- Proficient readers can decode sound-letter arrangements and put sounds into words, understand word meanings, and how words combine to create meaning.
According to the most recent IAR test results, only 31% of CPS students are considered proficient readers. Disparities between better-resourced and under-resourced schools influence this average. WITS activates 100% of its student mentorship programs in under-resourced schools.
- For the 2023-2024 school year, 71% of WITS students had met or exceeded the national standard for reading level proficiency in their SY23-24 grade level, compared to 39% at the beginning of the school year (BOY).
- Additionally, By the end of the school year (EOY), 75% of WITS-K teachers reported that their students had developed specialized reading interests throughout the year, an increase of more than 30% from BOY.
Our consistent weekly program model is uniquely designed to allow students to aggregate positive experiences with reading alongside their peers and caring adult mentors. As a result, students develop confidence in expressing ideas, become inquisitive learners, practice “reading to learn” skills and create positive associations between written text and their experiences.
CPS Goal: Increase out-of-school time participation from 42% to 50% of students enrolled in at least one program during the school year, prioritizing students furthest from opportunity.
How WITS Supports Out-of-School Programming
Out-of-school time programming is defined as programming during or after school hours that is supplemental to/outside of the core curriculum.
WITS is free to all our school partners because of the generous support of our investors. This ensures that school administrators never have to decide on WITS programming. As a result, WITS has been partnered with nearly 80% of our schools for more than 12 years. We help schools create a holistic learning environment by engaging students in supportive adult relationships with community and corporate mentors. 67% of WITS corporate partners have served CPS students through WITS for over ten years.
All of WITS’ literacy-based mentorship programs help CPS achieve this goal. Most importantly, our programs allow students to imagine varied professional opportunities by inviting them weekly to corporate offices and bringing individuals from myriad professional backgrounds to their schools. Exposure to caring adults outside of familial bonds is essential to developing an understanding of others and the world around them. At the end of the year, 90% of WITS students reported feeling good or very good about spending time with their mentors. These relationships have long-term, lasting effects on our students, as realized by former WITS student Jessica Acevedo.
Through this, WITS supports another of CPS’ goals in its strategic plan: create high-quality and comprehensive learning experiences for students starting in pre-school that align with their future learning. These experiences help students develop vocabulary and context that expand their worldview and understanding of what is possible.
Our growth goals will help CPS achieve its ambitious five-year strategic plan. To scale our programs to more schools and students, we need to:
- Double the number of students we serve in our Kindergarten through fourth-grade programs. We focus on these critical developmental ages to help students build resiliency, curiosity, grit, foundational literacy skills, and confidence in forming peer and adult relationships, setting them on a path to lifelong success.
- Increase the number of classroom libraries we build for teachers across CPS from 100 to 300 by 2028. WITS classroom libraries significantly increase access to diverse books across grade levels and ensure students can read stories that reflect their lives.
- Triple the number of corporations making meaningful, long-term commitments to Chicago neighborhood schools and the literacy development of thousands of students through WITS.
None of this would be possible without your support. By donating today, you will make a lasting impact on the lives of CPS students for years to come.
