and resources from kids who are fully capable of learning and allocating them to what often amounts to in-class babysitting and disciplinary chores.

In the early preK-4 grades, public schools should focus on getting kids reading at grade level. Reading is the gateway to learning, and the inability to read creates a cascade effect across the curriculum. If a child cannot read at grade level, he will have difficulty with every other subject that involves reading. Even in math, story problems and exam instructions require students to have a clear understanding of how written words convey meaning.

As mentioned previously, programs like Team READ use paid high school student tutors, as well as unpaid peer tutors, after school to help struggling students improve their reading skills, so they are better prepared for the next day's classes. The results are dramatic.

Maureen Massey, Executive Director for

Team READ, reports the following program results for 430 second and third graders for the 2006-2007 school year: 90 percent were students of color; 85 percent were eligible for free or reduced lunch; 45 percent of student readers were English Language Learners. All student cohorts showed marked improvement from working with Team READ tutors.

For second grade students, 68 percent of students were reading significantly below grade level before Team READ interventional tutoring. "Significant" is defined as reading one to 1.5 grade levels below second grade level. After one year of tutoring, the trend was reversed, and 63 percent of second graders were reading at or above grade level.

For third grade students, 32 percent were reading significantly below grade level at the start of the year. This third grade group also experienced significant gains. After one year of Team READ tutoring, 55 percent of third graders who started the year reading below grade level were reading at or above grade level.