Target Reading First Collaborative

A collaborative structure called Target Reading First (TRF), composed of interested business, education and community leaders then formed in October 2002. The overall goal of TRF was established as “Read By 9 & 9.” That is, by the year 2020, 90% of children age 9 in Greater Bakersfield will be proficient (or better) in reading skills, and 90% of 9th grade students will be proficient (or better) in mastering reading content. To implement a plan to achieve this goal, a collaborative structure representing education, business and the community was created in October 2002.

At the first meeting of the Target Reading First Collaborative, consisting of 100-plus members, the group determined factors that influence low reading scores. The group identified 55 key factors, with lack of parental involvement as the most significant of these factors (followed by school readiness, the value placed on education/literacy, and poverty).
A TRF steering committee was formed that also meets once a month. The membership is diverse. Among them are representatives from three oil companies, the county Superintendent and the reading coordinator, an art museum CEO, the Chamber of Commerce president, the Bakersfield City library coordinator, and the project director, a reading professor at California State University Bakersfield.

The group was determined that no matter what their background or circumstance, the challenge must be to help children not just become readers but to also comprehend and develop sound reasoning skills. Research shows that students who have not mastered reading skills early in their school career, they have an increasingly difficult time catching up with their classmates. Too often this leads to frustration and increases the risk of academic failure. We know that society will pay an extremely high price if an inability to read prevents these children from growing into productive citizens.