Title
Enter into Agreement with Valley of the Sun United Way for Read On Phoenix Literacy Activities and Related Intergovernmental Agreements with Cartwright and Murphy Elementary School Districts (Ordinance S-48813)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into an agreement with Valley of the Sun United Way to receive funding in the amount of up to $1,000,000 to increase the City's Read On Phoenix literacy activities in a three-year period. Request authorization for the City Manager, or his designee, to enter appropriate intergovernmental agreements with Cartwright Elementary School District and Murphy Elementary School District in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000, in aggregate, to implement related literacy activities funded by the agreement with Valley of Sun United Way. Further request authorization for the City Treasurer to accept and the City Controller to disburse all funds related to this item.
Report
Summary
Valley of the Sun United Way (VSUW) was awarded funding from the Arizona Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) State allocation. Project C.A.L.L. is a three-year initiative to reduce learning loss and increase summer and out-of-school time learning for children throughout Arizona. To address early learning and literacy challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Project C.A.L.L. supports local recovery needs by creating state-level and community-level literacy hubs designed to implement evidence-based and data-sharing approaches to accelerate literacy and learning outcomes throughout communities including Chandler, Phoenix, Pima County, the Southwest Valley and Tempe. VSUW will award the City $1,000,000 for implementation of literacy activities if this item is approved.
Read On Phoenix is planning to scale Kindergarten Bootcamp, Experience Corps Phoenix Tutoring and other literacy resources in Murphy and Cartwright Elementary School Districts by creating “literacy hubs” in local school libraries to improve literacy skills through appropriate agreements, not to exceed $1,000,000, in aggregate.
The “literacy hub” will help students develop literacy skills and knowledge to become confident readers. The hub will support school leaders, teachers, and families to engage in effective literacy practices.
Kindergarten Bootcamp provides caregivers with tools, information, and activities to help prepare their children for school success in a fun, educational, and interactive setting. Bootcamp consists of seven, one-hour sessions for caregivers and their children who are at least four years old and will enter kindergarten in the next two to nine months.
AARP Experience Corps Phoenix is an intergenerational volunteer-based tutoring program that is proven to help children who are not reading at grade level become better readers by the end of third grade. The city recruits, trains, and supports adult volunteers to help children strengthen their reading fluency through a proven, effective program model. Experience Corps volunteers will assist with the City's implementation of Project C.A.L.L. if this item is approved.
Contract Term
The approved contract term is July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 with two one-year options to renew, at the discretion of the City Manager or designee, with the final option ending June 30, 2025. The agreements with Cartwright Elementary School District and Murphy Elementary School District will have the same term.
Financial Impact
The contractual, grand-funded amounts will support staff, supplies and site costs for implementing programs and services. No matching funds are required with no impact to the General Fund.
Location
Council Districts: 4, 5, and 7
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Inger Erickson and the Youth and Education Office.