July/August 2022

ABC is hiring a new Director of Collaborative Action!

It is an exciting time to join the ABC team! We invite those interested in exploring this opportunity to learn more about our organization, work environment, culture, salary, and benefits for this role and to review the job description.

Join us on October 5th for the Reading Success Summit!

This event will be held at the Resch Expo from 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM on October 5th, 2022. The Reading Success Summit is a united call to action for the entire community due to the steady decline in 3rd-grade reading proficiency in Brown County. During the 2016-2017 school year, 41% of Brown County students were reading at a proficient level. The most recent 2020-2021 shows a 14% decrease in reading proficiency, with only 27% of Brown County students meeting 3rd-grade reading proficiency targets. 

Third grade is essential to reading literacy because, after the 3rd grade, students transition from learning to read to reading to learn. 

From birth forward, we are working to ensure that every Brown County child and family is empowered with data, tools, resources, and support to raise strong learners in collaboration with schools, government, business, and community members. Our work will lead to brighter futures for all children and contribute to a stronger workforce, greater economic and civic gains, and a thriving Brown County.

Reading success affects every person in our community and everyone in our community has a role to play. Creating a strong community of readers is an important gateway to establishing a path to high school graduation, successful careers, and active citizenship for all children.

Join us for the Reading Success Summit and help us take the first steps in creating a better community of readers! Registration opens on August 1st! 

Reading Proficiency Equity Gaps

Reading proficiency scores in Brown County reveal massive equity gaps between children of marginalized populations and white students. The largest racial equity gap, a 31.3% difference, exists between Latinx and white students. However, no equity gap exists that is lower than 16%. 

The Reading Success Summit aims to create a future where all children are reading at a proficient level. However, approaches must be intersectional and recognize the unique experiences and cultures of the students in Brown County Schools.

There is no one size fits all approach to creating better readers in our county. That is why we are calling on our entire community to join us in co-creating a brighter future for our children.

Our Mission in Action: Community Listening Sessions 

One of the key components of our Reading Success Summit is the voices of parents in Brown County. Our Community Listening Sessions aim to capture the experiences and stories of parents of young readers. 

Connecting to the community is extremely important to us as we work to gather community members' perspectives around developing early readers. These sessions help us to better understand barriers to reading proficiency and will directly inform our October 5th Reading Success Summit! Check out some images below!