This project documented the collective capacity of the external support providers working to improve K-3 reading outcomes in New York City at the time. Interviews and social network surveys with a sample of the 112 providers at work in this “reading improvement sector” showed that they serve as a conduit for sharing reading-related resources and expertise throughout a large part of New York City. However, the collective impact of the sector remains limited because their goals vary widely; support is unevenly distributed; and many programs work in isolation and are informed by funders and sources of expertise that are unlikely to be connected.
To carry out this work, the project addresses a series of questions including:
- What kinds of programs are working in the K-3 Reading Improvement Sector?
- With whom do these programs work?
- How are these programs connected to one another?
- What are the connections, overlaps, and gaps in the work of these programs?
- What are the implications for further development of the Reading Improvement Sector?
This project was supported by the Brook Astor Fund for New York City Education and the New York Community Trust.
Publications:
Hatch, T. (2019, March 20). Who should improve the school improvement industry? Education Week.
Hatch, T., Ahn, M., Ferguson, D., & Rumberger, A. (2023). The Role of External Support in Improving K-3 Reading Outcomes in New York City. Urban Education, 58(5), 867-898.
Hatch, T., Ahn, M., Ferguson, D., & Rumberger, A. (2019). The Role of External Support Providers in Improving K-3 Reading Outcomes in New York City (Policy Brief). Consortium for Policy Research in Education.
Thomas Hatch - Mapping New York City’s ‘School Improvement Industry’ (Podcast)