Tempe expands resources to boost students' future education, employment success

Tempe, AZ- More Tempe students are getting support in the classroom and on the pathway to college and career as part of Tempe's new designation as a My Brother's Keeper Community.

The national My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Alliance is designed to improve outcomes for young boys and men of color. By expanding resources, Tempe aims to boost students' future success in education, employment and life. The city's first step includes expanded tutoring opportunities for young students struggling to read.

Ultimately, focusing on gaps in resources and system-level change lifts up the broader Tempe community.

Tempe has long partnered with MBK, but is the first city in Arizona to receive the designation as an MBK Community following a rigorous certification process.

The renewed MBK commitment reinforces the city's longstanding efforts to support students and their families in classrooms across the city. It also deepens city partnerships with Tempe Elementary and Kyrene school districts and Tempe Union High School District, as well as Read On Arizona.

"Research shows that with the right instruction, intervention, and support, nearly all children can learn to read-and this exciting next step through Read On Tempe's My Brother's Keeper certification will expand their ability to deliver targeted, evidence-based literacy supports for at-risk students and continue to advance the goals of Arizona's Literacy Plan 2030,"said Lori Masseur, Director, Early Learning, Read On Arizona.

Our impact

The MBK Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation, focuses on six key milestones research shows are especially predictive of future success and where interventions can have the greatest impact.

In its work with MBK, the city is initially focusing on the Milestone 2 goal of reading at grade level by third grade. Research shows many young boys of color fall far behind their counterparts in reading benchmarks, and providing dedicated reading tutors is a proven way to help close the literacy gap.

That work in turn decreases school dropout rates and increases college and career readiness.

To meet this need, Tempe has expanded its AARP Foundation Experience Corps tutoring program, which pairs students in grades 1-3 with volunteer tutors for dedicated tutoring sessions twice a week.

Thew Elementary has referred 12 students to the program for one-on-one tutoring. Four new volunteers are currently working with students of color after school at the city's Escalante Multi-Generational Center.

More than300 studentsbenefit each year from Tempe's tutoring program, and recent data show98% of studentssaw growth in their ability to read fluently.

Tempe's work in this area is going even deeper. Students who participate in tutoring are on the bubble of meeting reading benchmarks. The city identified students who haven't yet reached that bubble, meaning they are even farther behind in skills like knowing letter sounds or basic words like "the."

By developing a new curriculum for those students in grades 1-2, Tempe can help move them closer to reading fluency and prepare them for the tutoring program in grades 2 and 3.

Tempe's Community Health and Human Services Department already invests in programs and partnerships that support each of the six milestones identified by MBK Alliance.

In the coming months, Tempe will leverage existing programs to focus on additional milestones, including addressing gaps for young men of color in accessing college and exploring career opportunities.

For instance, data show that only a small percentage of Tempe youth attend college. Understanding who those students are and why they don't pursue higher education will help Tempe expand resources to support local students.

"Our partnership with the My Brother's Keeper Alliance elevates the work we've been doing for more than 40 years in schools across Tempe," said Tempe's Community Health and Human Services Director Tim Burch. "Education is the number one predictor of lifelong health outcomes for an individual, and we have an important role to play supporting our school partners."

Serving students across Tempe
Tempe provides school programs and resources for students of all ages, including: Tempe PRE preschool, HUG Book club, Kid Zone before and afterschool enrichment program, Experience Corps, College Connect, Career Ready Tempe, Youth Support Specialists and the Mayor's Youth Advisory Commission.

Learn more about Community Health and Human Services: tempe.gov/HumanServices.

Tempe collaborates with our three school districts and ASU on the Thrive in Tempe partnership, which connects families with public schools and innovative programs and resources that make Tempe a hub of learning and opportunity.