On Wednesday, March 5th, 2014, Governor Nathan Deal and first lady, Sandra Deal, launched "Read Across Georgia Month" at the State Capitol in support of the governor’s Grade Level Reading Initiative, a push to have all Georgia third graders reading at grade level or better by the completion of third grade. "By prioritizing early childhood education, we ensure that our youngest students are positioned for future academic excellence," said Deal.  The campaign for grade level reading in Georgia aims to increase the percentage of Georgia children reading at or above grade level by NAEP standards by the end of third grade from 35 to 60 percent by 2015.

The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning's Bright from the Start program works with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and a number of education-focused non-profits and organizations to improve access to quality education for all of Georgia's children.The Georgia Tech Health & Humanitarian Logistics Center participates on the campaign as a member of the Data Committee to improve access to quality healthcare, nutrition and education for children. The HHL Center analyzes systems and logistics operations to on a variety of projects to ultimately improve the human condition, and gor the campaign, it has identified six criteria for measuring the level of access to critical supports and services for improved childhood education. They include:

• Awareness: Families know that the supports and services are there and are aware of their value. 

• Accommodating: Hours of operation, cultural and language barriers, etc. 

• Affordable: Prices of the services meet the family's income and ability to pay. 

• Accessible: Location of the programs and services, proximity to public transportation, etc.

• Acceptable: Programs and services and their providers are acceptable to families

• Available: Spaces are available for all who are interested in accessing the programs and services. 

The Georgia Campaign for Grade Level Reading's focus on Access seeks to ensure that all
Georgia's children and their families have access to high-quality educational and supportive
services that enable healthy development and success in early childhood and early elementary education. Collaborative efforts are already underway to increase access to critical supports and services.

For more information on the campaign, please visit: http://gradelevelreading.net/. Please see the links below and attached brochure for more information about the Read Across Georgia Month launch as well as the Annie E. Casey Foundation and other campaign partners.