Waltham Schools Awarded Grant To Implement New Reading Program

WALTHAM, MA — Waltham Public Schools is one of 13 districts across Massachusetts to receive a portion of $5.7 million in grants from the One8 Foundation to implement the Ignite! Reading program.

The One8 Foundation grants were awarded with the intention that the money would be used to implement programs like Ignite, which provides school districts with one-to-one virtual tutoring to help students establish foundational reading skills.

These districts were selected after fulfilling several criteria, including the use of high-quality literacy materials, alignment to Science of Reading principles and strong practices related to progress monitoring of students, officials said.

"We strongly believe in the Science of Reading’s power to unlock learning opportunities and that first grade is the critical point for students to garner the necessary phonics skills they need to unlock independent reading to succeed in school and beyond," said Joanna Jacobson, a trustee and President of the One8 Foundation.

"That’s why we’re excited to connect school districts serving thousands of students with Ignite! Reading, an innovative and effective model that is transforming literacy outcomes in Massachusetts and across the country. This work has the power to transform the academic trajectory of students who participate, rapidly accelerating their progress to becoming independent readers."

Ignite first started working in Massachusetts early in 2022 through a pilot program with Worcester Public Schools, officials said.

Since that time, Worcester Public Schools has expanded its work with Ignite to reach over 350 students during the 2022-23 school year.

Data released in a news release shared that, during the last school year, students in the program recorded an average of 2.4 weeks of reading progress for every week in the program with no achievement gap for students of color, students with IEPs, multilingual learners or students receiving free or reduced-price lunches.

Now, Ignite officials said they hope to bring that success in the classroom to districts beyond Worcester.

"We are grateful to the One8 Foundation for investing in evidence-based literacy programs that will supercharge learning outcomes for thousands of students throughout Massachusetts," said Jessica Reid Sliwerski, Co-Founder & CEO of Ignite! Reading.

"And we’re thrilled to partner with school districts across the Commonwealth that are eager to deliver results."

Other districts in Massachusetts to receive the grants are:

• Boston Renaissance Charter Public School
• Chelsea Public Schools
• Clinton Public Schools
• Fall River Public Schools
• Hoosac Valley Regional School District
• Leicester Public Schools
• Milford Public Schools
• Pittsfield Public Schools
• Quaboag Regional School District
• Randolph Public Schools
• Revere Public Schools
• Westfield Public Schools