Reading Corps

Hope Network’s Michigan Education Corps will place 8 Reading Corps AmeriCorps interventionists in Muskegon County—6 at Muskegon Public Schools and 2 at Muskegon Heights Public School Academy—to deliver daily, high-dosage literacy tutoring for K–3 students who are below benchmark. Using scripted, evidence-based interventions in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension, tutors work 1:1 or in pairs for 20 minutes a day and track progress weekly until students meet grade-level targets. Each school designates an Internal Coach, and an MEC Coaching Specialist provides ongoing fidelity checks and support. Eligible students include those receiving Title I, special education, or English learner services.

Reading Corps has a strong local track record. In 2023–24, 74.2% of Muskegon participants exceeded target growth; in 2022–23, 150 K–3 students at Muskegon Public Schools received 12,000+ hours of daily tier-2 support, with 75% testing at or above grade-level benchmarks. Students “graduate” from tutoring on a rolling basis once data show they’ve caught up.

Why this supports United Way’s mission/priorities
This program advances Youth Success—with a focus on Chronic Absenteeism—by pairing foundational reading gains with daily mentorship that increases engagement and school connection. Targeting schools with high poverty and low third-grade proficiency, Reading Corps delivers individualized supports to ALICE families’ children, helping prevent long-term academic slide and improving the pipeline to graduation and economic mobility. The approach is data-driven, scalable, and leverages AmeriCorps and local school partners—squarely aligning with United Way’s goal to help more working families thrive.