NC Pathways To Grade-Level Reading

Pathways
Action Map

 

Experience The Action Map

Our Vision

All North Carolina children, regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status, are reading on grade-level by the end of third grade, and all children with disabilities achieve expressive and receptive communication skills commensurate with their developmental ages, so that they have the greatest opportunity for life success.

The Pathways Action Map is a tool that can be used to drive action. Action that ensures every child in North Carolina is on the path to well-being and reading on grade level by the end of third grade.

It does this by highlighting what’s happening in North Carolina in more than 40 policy and strategy areas that impact grade-level reading and child well-being. These actions were prioritized by hundreds of stakeholders involved in the NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading Initiative (Pathways) with a focus on racial equity.

If implemented effectively, these actions will begin to realize the expectations that Pathways partners hold for NC’s birth-to-age-eight systems serving children and families. They are not the whole universe of what could be done. They are a start.

The Action Map aims to build awareness of North Carolina initiatives leading in each of the action areas, and to help advance their efforts through improved policies, funding, advocacy, and capacity-building.  

Explore the actions

Using the
Pathways Action Map

Explore the Action Map using the graphic below to learn more about initiatives that are working to impact the action areas and meet the expectations. See where the potential gaps are, where local innovation is happening, how racial equity and community voices are being centered, and more.

Learn more about the Map

The Map is organized by Expectations, Actions and Initiatives.

Begin exploring by selecting one of four Expectations below. These are what Pathways expects of North Carolina’s child and family systems to support each child’s healthy growth and development:

Pathways
To Grade-Level Reading

The majority of NC children, especially those from low-income families, are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade. Reading well in the early grades predicts a child’s academic and career success. Research shows that improving third grade reading takes a coordinated birth-through-age-eight approach that focuses on children’s health and development, families and communities, and high-quality learning environments with regular attendance.

The NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading Initiative (Pathways) is bringing together diverse leaders working across disciplines, sectors, systems, and across the political aisle to imagine what’s possible and work towards a common vision where all NC children are reading on grade-level by the end of third grade. Together, Pathways partners have co-created shared measures and aligned policies and strategies that support children’s success.

The Pathways Action Framework, released in 2018, outlines the policy and strategy areas that Pathways partners identified for action first in NC—children’s social-emotional health, high quality early care and education, and regular school attendance. Using a racial equity lens, over 100 Design Teams members drew from their own experiences and considered input from local providers, parents, and national research on what moves the needle in each of these areas, specifically for children of color. These are the prioritized actions you see in the Map.

Pathways has co-created two frameworks and tools to go with them. The Pathways Action Map focuses on prioritized strategies and actions outlined in the Pathways Action Framework. The Pathways Data Dashboard focuses on data measures included the Pathways Measures of Success Framework. Both tools can be used together to advance third grade reading and child well-being in North Carolina, so that every child has the greatest opportunity for success. 

Learn more about Pathways

Add your work to the Map

Read the Pathways Action Framework

Explore the Pathways Data Dashboard