FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grand Rapids, MI (February 10, 2025) — An alliance of business, K-12 and teaching-college leaders today announced an unprecedented agreement to increase West Michigan’s third-grade English Language Arts proficiency by 5% annually over the next three years.
Led by TalentFirst, the partnership was forged to solve a decade-long crisis. In 2024, state testing showed more than 60% of Michigan third-graders were unable to read at grade level. National test results released in January confirm Michigan is falling further and faster to the bottom, a failure that sets up our children for lifelong struggles, threatens the well-being of families, and damages the state’s prosperity.
The agreement announced today reflects the shared priorities of more than 100 West Michigan CEOs, four intermediate school districts representing 52 local districts, and seven teaching colleges that collectively produce about 675 new educators every year.
“The scope of this first-of-its kind partnership demonstrates the urgency and extent of the problem we need to solve together,” said Kevin Stotts, president of TalentFirst, an alliance of West Michigan CEOs. “By leveraging our regional relationships in business, K-12 and higher education, we intend to lead the state in early literacy improvement.”
Despite years of state investment, third grade reading scores on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) have continued to fall, with just 39.6% of students scoring proficient or above in 2024. National testing reinforces the need for improvement: Scores recently released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. show Michigan ranked 45th among the states and District of Columbia for fourth-grade reading proficiency in 2024 — down from 43rd in 2022.
“The early literacy challenge is complex, and increasing proficiency scores by 5% annually is no small task,” said Randy Lindquist, superintendent of the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District. “But our advantage is our collaborative regional approach. By helping West Michigan children succeed, we can provide a model for the rest of the state.”
Although each partner plays a different role in the plan, all collaborated over the past year to develop a comprehensive approach. The work got a jump start with “sprint projects” launched in October, bringing together teams of CEOs, teaching college deans and K-12 leaders to:
- Facilitate partnerships between teaching colleges and school districts to design Pre-K through third grade professional development rooted in the science of reading.
- Improve and expand “Grow Your Own” programs to ensure a stable pipeline of diverse, highly-qualified teachers well-prepared to meet the needs of students in underserved communities.
- Recognize and celebrate West Michigan elementary schools that achieve 5% or greater improvement in English Language Arts on the M-STEP, while also providing classroom library grants for high-need schools. Both of these commitments are extensions of the Literacy Leader Awards launched by Talent First in 2024 and returning in 2025.
The partners will also continue to collaborate on other strategies, such as promoting the importance of regular school attendance.
K-12 education partners in the agreement include Kenowa Hills Public Schools Superintendent Gerald Hopkins, Kent ISD Superintendent Dr. Ron Gorman, Muskegon Area ISD Superintendent Randy Lindquist, Ottawa Area ISD Superintendent Dr. Kyle Mayer, and West Shore Educational Service District Superintendent Dr. Jason Jeffrey.
Higher education partners include teaching college leadership from Aquinas College, Calvin University, Cornerstone University, Davenport University, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University and Western Michigan University.
“We have a solemn obligation to prepare the next generation of classroom teachers to meet the needs of Michigan’s students,” said Dr. Laura Dinehart, dean of Western Michigan University’s College of Education and Human Development, who is helping lead the sprint projects. “It’s an honor to have partners in this work, to ensure the training of teachers is ongoing and applies evidence-based practices that include the science of reading for the benefit of every child.”
Stotts applauded the contributions of all the partners, including two TalentFirst CEO Council members who have long championed the cause of early literacy: John Kennedy, president and CEO of Autocam Medical, and Mike Jandernoa, former CEO & Chairman of Perrigo.
“TalentFirst has always been a strong advocate for making sure our kids can read, because our employers, our families and our communities depend on this fundamental skill,” Jandernoa said. “This partnership takes these efforts to the next level by engaging regional partners in an urgent response to ensure West Michigan is a leader in early literacy.”
