“Third grade is a crucial year, where they learn a great deal of independence and independent reading as they go into state testing. PEP partnering with us to put books in their hands helps us ...

The program is for students in VPK through 5th grade. Forty-seven percent of third to tenth graders in Florida read below grade level.

As Maryland rolls out a literacy plan that could, among other things, hold back third-graders who aren’t reading on grade level ... July that they argue could help boost student performance.