<description>&lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;What if a 10-week, after-school program led by older students could move the needle on a statewide literacy crisis?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;Sophie Allen Etchart, founder and CEO of Read Better Be Better (RBBB), shares how a simple, peer-led reading model — pairing middle school leaders with younger readers — is helping Arizona students beat the odds in a state where 61% of third graders aren't reading at grade level.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;Sophie shares how she built Read Better Be Better from testing the curriculum with a kid in her neighborhood to a recent study by an independent education group confirming that students in their programs outperform their peers on key literacy measures. Now, the program stands as a Tier II evidence-based option schools can include in their literacy plans.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;If you care about focusing school boards on what works, championing the science of reading, and finding leadership by looking around — not up — this conversation offers a hopeful, practical roadmap for systems-level change.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong id= "docs-internal-guid-6fc0598e-7fff-8e16-b129-c57308c703ff"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking.&lt;br /&gt; 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

How to Change the World

Catherine Alonzo

Ep. 190 - Read Today, Lead Tomorrow: Sophie Allen Etchart on Tackling the Literacy Crisis

NOV 19, 202554 MIN
How to Change the World

Ep. 190 - Read Today, Lead Tomorrow: Sophie Allen Etchart on Tackling the Literacy Crisis

NOV 19, 202554 MIN

Description

What if a 10-week, after-school program led by older students could move the needle on a statewide literacy crisis? Sophie Allen Etchart, founder and CEO of Read Better Be Better (RBBB), shares how a simple, peer-led reading model — pairing middle school leaders with younger readers — is helping Arizona students beat the odds in a state where 61% of third graders aren't reading at grade level. Sophie shares how she built Read Better Be Better from testing the curriculum with a kid in her neighborhood to a recent study by an independent education group confirming that students in their programs outperform their peers on key literacy measures. Now, the program stands as a Tier II evidence-based option schools can include in their literacy plans. If you care about focusing school boards on what works, championing the science of reading, and finding leadership by looking around — not up — this conversation offers a hopeful, practical roadmap for systems-level change. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!