YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg Delivers Impressive Results Through "YReads!" Program

In a heartening display of community collaboration and dedication to education, the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg's partnership with the Pinellas County School Board (PCSB) has yielded outstanding results in its YReads! literacy program.

YReads! is a free program designed to provide extra academic support to students in Title 1 schools. Stability in staffing, internal promotions and structured upward mobility have led to the program's longevity and effectiveness.

A recent evaluation, conducted by the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, demonstrates significant improvements in student performance and underscores the program's vital role in enhancing reading skills among children in the community.

The YReads! Program, which began its journey with just three schools in 2018, has since expanded to include 13 schools across St. Petersburg, encompassing both elementary and middle schools. This growth has been made possible through strong relationships with the Pinellas County School Board, the Florida Alliance and Juvenile Welfare Board.

Director of Literacy for YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, Kim Lohrey explains, "Our success lies in the way we run YReads!, as an extension of the classroom. Our coordinators are educators not just supervisors. We use Systematic Instruction Phonemic Awareness Phonics (SIPPS) curriculum along with diagnostic testing, which aligns with national standards. This approach allows us to provide individualized support, build rapport with students and teachers, and gain the respect of educators."

The program uses tools like i-Ready, a diagnostic and instructional platform used by both schools and YReads!, which ensures continuity of instruction between school and our literacy program. Additionally, SIPPS focuses on the six primary reading skills: phonemic awareness , phonics, sight words, fluency, vocabulary,  and reading comprehension.

The Ounce of Prevention Evaluation has validated the program's success, confirming that YReads! is making a significant impact on the community. The evaluation revealed several key findings:

• i-Ready data analysis showed statistically significant gains, with a project-wide mean gain of 32.8.
• SIPPS data indicated that most students (97.8%) with at least one mastery SIPPS score passed the mastery test.
  
• Family surveys demonstrated that parents overwhelmingly believed their child's reading had improved (98.0%) and found the program beneficial (99.3%).
  
• Teacher surveys across grades K-8 revealed improvements in decoding skills, phonemic awareness, sight word recognition, fluency and reading comprehension.

A YReads! Parent praises the program, saying, "My daughter has more confidence in her reading skills and more confidence overall.” 

One of the key factors contributing to the success of YReads! is its active engagement with families. Regular events like movie nights and literacy carnivals have drawn over 300 attendees, including parents, YReads! staff and students. These events not only showcase what the kids have learned but also foster a sense of community.

Another parent highlights the importance of YReads!, stating, "It's important that kids read and gather around books with their peers. [My child] engaged with books outside of school heavily after he discovered a topic he loved during a YReads! Read Aloud. He has developed an affinity for the ocean due to his time in YReads! and we would like to thank YReads! for that."

The program's success is a testament to the partnership between PCSB, Juvenile Welfare Board, and the YMCA. According to Associate Vice President of Education for YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, Claire Haas, "This program wouldn't be successful without all partners. The community's continued support and involvement are vital to nurturing these relationships and ensuring the program's ongoing success.”

YReads! is not just a literacy program – it's a catalyst for positive change in the St. Petersburg community. The words of these parents and the results of this evaluation reflect the profound impact YReads! has on the lives of the children it serves and the community as a whole. It's building a brighter future for our children, one page at a time.