Building the Foundation: Literacy as a Community Commitment
On a recent evening at Edison Elementary School, families gathered around tables covered in simple materials. Shaving cream. Flashcards. Letter tiles. Laughter.
It did not look like a typical classroom lesson. It looked like a community learning together.
Teachers moved from table to table, guiding students through the building blocks of reading. Letters became sounds. Sounds became words. Confidence began to grow. The goal was not perfection. The goal was progress.
For Principal Joseph Fuentes, moments like this represent more than a successful school event. They signal a shift in how schools, educators, and partners across Arizona are working together to ensure every child learns to read.
That progress is not happening in isolation. It is part of a coordinated statewide effort known as Arizona Literacy Plan 2030, a comprehensive strategy designed to transform literacy outcomes for students across Arizona.
Developed by Read On Arizona, our state’s early literacy initiative, through collaboration among educators, policymakers, nonprofits, and community leaders, the plan outlines the key drivers, proven strategies, and shared commitments needed to improve literacy outcomes at scale. It represents the collective work of partners from across the state who have aligned around a common goal: ensuring that far more children are reading proficiently by the end of third grade.
The vision is ambitious and measurable.
By 2030, Arizona aims to significantly increase the percentage of third graders who are proficient readers, moving toward a future where the vast majority of students are equipped with the foundational skills they need to succeed in school and in life.
Reaching that goal requires more than good intentions. It requires a coordinated plan and sustained investment.
Arizona Literacy Plan 2030 focuses on several core strategies designed to strengthen literacy from the earliest years of a child's education. These include expanding access to high-quality early learning opportunities, deploying literacy coaches to support teachers where they are most needed, ensuring schools use high-quality instructional materials, and preparing every K–5 teacher with specialized training in evidence-based reading instruction.
For educators on the ground, these strategies translate into practical support.
Teachers receive professional development grounded in the science of reading. Schools gain access to coaching and instructional resources. Leaders use data to guide decisions and identify where additional support is needed. Communities work together to address challenges like chronic absenteeism, which can significantly impact reading development.
Across the state, organizations such as TNTP and Read On Arizona are helping implement these strategies, strengthen instructional practice, and build sustainable systems that support student success.
For Carmen Orozco, a Partner with TNTP, collaboration is what turns strategy into action.
“We are not just supporting schools,” Orozco said. “We are working alongside educators to build the systems and practices that help literacy improvement last.”
The Ellis Center for Educational Excellence at the Arizona Community Foundation plays a catalytic role in advancing this work. Through strategic investments and partnerships, the foundation helps bring educators, nonprofits, and community leaders together to design solutions that work across entire systems, not just individual schools.
As a founding partner of Read On Arizona, the foundation has helped convene stakeholders, align resources, and support programs that strengthen literacy across communities statewide. That focus on scale is essential.
Research shows that with the right instruction and support, the vast majority of children can learn to read. Yet too many students still struggle to reach grade-level proficiency. Addressing that challenge requires coordinated leadership, consistent effective practices, and long-term commitment.
“Sustainable change happens when everyone is aligned around the same goal,” Orozco said. “When districts, educators, and community partners move together, we create the conditions for students to succeed.”
Inside classrooms like those at Edison Elementary School, the impact of that commitment is already visible.
Instruction is more intentional. Teachers are more confident in their practice. Students are developing the foundational skills they need to become strong readers.
And communities are rallying around a shared goal.
For Terri Clark, Arizona Literacy Director for Read On Arizona, the work ahead is both urgent and achievable.
“Literacy is the key to student achievement,” she said. “It's the key to a strong workforce, and it's the key to Arizona's future.”
That future depends on sustained partnership and continued investment.
Through the Education Innovation Fund, the Ellis Center at ACF supports strategies that align directly with Arizona Literacy Plan 2030. These investments help train educators, expand early learning opportunities, and strengthen literacy systems across communities throughout the state.
Help build a stronger future for Arizona students. Support the Education Innovation Fund and invest in the partnerships, strategies, and solutions that are helping more children learn to read and succeed in school.