Arts Literacy Nola
In New Orleans public schools, only 34% of third-graders read on grade level by the end of the school year
In other words, 7 out of every 10 children are missing critical literacy milestones. Knowing this, KID smART piloted Arts Literacy NOLA in 2018 to improve literacy skills for students in grades K-3.
Why is it important to read at grade level by the end of the 3rd grade?
By 4th grade, the bulk of the curriculum in all subjects is delivered through written materials so children who struggle to read are at risk of falling further and further behind. Research shows that achieving this milestone comes with a lifetime of benefits for students, including higher high school graduation rates and increased earning potential.
Utilizing a framework that is PROVEN to impact both literacy and social/emotional skills in students, educators are taught strategies that link literacy and the arts to create engaging classrooms and support student learning and outcomes. First-year data showed that students at the treatment schools read at grade level at a higher rate (76%) than students at the control schools (69%)!
Arts Literacy NOLA is a critical part of the educational landscape and your donations make this work possible. Continue to help us improve literacy in New Orleans by sharing and investing in our work.
Our Arts Literacy NOLA Partner: Kurt Wootton
Kurt Wootton is the co-founder of the ArtsLiteracy Project. As the ArtsLiteracy’s Project co-director, his work in urban schools with diverse populations led him to work in different countries in Latin America, particularly Brazil and Mexico. He is also the co-director of Habla, ArtsLiteracy’s lab school in Merida, Mexico. With a specialty in creative literacy pedagogies, teacher professional development, and organizational change, Wootton works with teachers and administrators helping to design schools and organizations that are creative, meaningful, and welcoming places.
Previously he worked as an urban school reform consultant for the Providence School District and has led literacy initiatives for the Boston Public Schools, the St. Paul Public Schools, the Central Falls School District, and Plan Estratégico de Mérida, Mexico.
Wootton has been called on to offer keynote speeches and workshops in a variety of settings, including Harvard University, Middlebury College, SmART Schools, Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education, Florida Atlantic University, the University of Maryland, Senac University in Sao Paulo, the Arts Education Partnership, as well as at numerous conferences. He is the co-author of A Reason to Read: Linking Literacy and the Arts (Harvard Education Press, 2012).