Keystones to Opportunity

Chester Community Charter School (CCCS) recently received a “Keystones to Opportunity” (KtO) for striving readers grant. CCCS is one of 58 educational agencies in Pennsylvania chosen to participate in the US government’s broad approach to improving literacy outcomes for children from birth to grade 12. As one of only six states to receive funding, Pennsylvania was awarded $38.6 million by the U.S. Department of Education. The CCCS award will support the first year of the grant. Funds for years 2-5 depend on the availability of federal funds.

According to Dr. David Clark, Superintendent of CCCS, “This was a very competitive grant with 329 applicants. I congratulate our literacy team, which included stakeholders from the community, as well as educators from birth through grade 12. The funds will be used to improve literacy outcomes and significantly increase reading achievement among students at risk for academic failure.”

CCCS has partnered with the Delaware County Head Start to develop a comprehensive and coherent literacy plan that spans birth through grade 12. The plan will focus on transitions from one educational level to another (home, Pre-school, primary grades, elementary grades, middle school, high school, and college); and on the implementation of research-based reading and instructional strategies that empower students to realize success beyond their school age years as well as at each grade level. The Keystone to Opportunity program aligns literacy instruction and state initiatives by creating the structure and tools necessary to make instructional decisions based on valid and reliable data.