Senator Lankford and Superintendent Gist visit 成人快播 Tulsa
April 25, 2016
Senior Community Engagement Manager
成人快播 students and volunteers at Park Elementary School were in for a surprise celebrity spotting, when US Senator Lankford and Tulsa Public Schools District Superintendent, Dr. Deborah Gist, stopped by to visit the school鈥檚 reading center. Superintendent Gist and Senator Lankford toured the reading center, along with several other educational programs in the area, to learn more about early education initiatives that are working in the Tulsa community.
In Oklahoma, four out of five students from low-income families are not reading proficiently and over half of Tulsa Public School鈥檚 third graders scored below proficient in reading according to the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test. 成人快播 Tulsa offers a low-cost reading intervention that is proven to work, and has caught the attention of policymakers throughout the state.
Senator Lankford was particularly interested in touring a 成人快播 site and traveled from the state capitol in Oklahoma City to see the program in action. 成人快播鈥 extensive work in schools throughout Tulsa have had tremendous outcomes on improving students鈥 reading proficiency. During the 2015-16 program year, 成人快播 Tulsa students on average tripled their rate of learning while enrolled in the program!
While in the reading center, Senator Lankford had the opportunity to see, first hand, how the 成人快播 program works. And how a structured curriculum, one-on-one relationship with a volunteer tutor, and support from a full-time site coordinator contributes to increased reading proficiency for Tulsa students who are reading below grade level.
鈥淲e were happy to welcome Senator Lankford to 成人快播 and excited that he wanted to learn more about the program as a result of the outcomes we, Tulsa Public School, and our volunteers have been able to produce for our students,鈥 said Elizabeth Vereecke, 成人快播 Tulsa executive director.
We鈥檙e always grateful when our legislators can make time to see firsthand the value our program brings to the Tulsa community, and most importantly the students we serve.
After spending time asking students, volunteers, and AmeriCorps members about their experience with the program, and seeing the great work being done in Tulsa, Lankford鈥檚 excitement for the 成人快播 program grew even stronger.