Only one in three American students demonstrate reading proficiency in fourth and eighth grade. The Business Roundtable (BRT), an association of leading U.S. CEOs, recognizes literacy as a critical factor to addressing the “skills gap” U.S. companies are experiencing. In December 2016, to inform state legislation, BRT issued a report with six key policy recommendations. The BRT policy agenda starts with expanding access to high-quality pre-K learning opportunities and further builds that foundation to achieve reading proficiency by the end of third grade.

Thirty-six states have passed some kind of legislation to address reading by third grade, but most do not have a coherent system and focus on intervention, instead of prevention.

A group of CEOs in North Carolina have taken on the BRT policies and put forward three key priorities to the General Assembly:
1 – Implement a comprehensive, coordinated system that ensures accountability and alignment of birth through age 8 programs
2 – Develop connected data systems that track children’s progress
3 – Expand access to NC Pre-K

The NC Early Childhood Foundation is working in coordination with the CEOs. In fact, for policy recommendation 2 on data systems, the CEOs call out NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading, which is the bold, coordinated vision of the NC Early Childhood Foundation to achieve third grade reading proficiency.