West Michigan Literacy Collaborative

West Michigan Literacy Collaborative

The West Michigan Literacy Collaborative is a first-of-its-kind regional partnership committed to solving Michigan’s early literacy crisis—together.

Led by TalentFirst, the Collaborative brings together business leaders, K–12 school systems, intermediate school districts, and teaching colleges around a shared goal: increase third-grade English Language Arts proficiency across West Michigan by 5% annually over the next three years. This commitment reflects both the urgency of the challenge and the belief that coordinated, evidence-based action can change outcomes.

Read the press release about the launch with thoughts from TalentFirst CEO Council members.

 

Michigan’s early literacy performance has declined for more than a decade, with more than 60% of third graders unable to read at grade level and the state ranking near the bottom nationally on fourth-grade reading proficiency. These outcomes threaten not only student success, but the long-term strength of families, communities, and the regional workforce. The West Michigan Literacy Collaborative was formed in response—designed to align efforts, accelerate improvement, and lead the state by example.

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 Adopt-A-Classroom Library grants and Literacy Leadership Awards.

See the story the numbers are telling about early reading—and why it matters for Michigan’s future workforce.

Early Literacy Dashboard