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The WNY LITERACY INITIATIVE represents a collaborative effort comprised of teachers, parent groups, community organizations, education non-profits, and literacy experts, including the Buffalo Police Athletic League, Dyslexia Allies of WNY, The Education Trust – New York, Literacy Buffalo Niagara, Monkey See Monkey Do Children's Bookstore, the New York State Network For Youth Success & the Afterschool Network of Western New York, Neuhaus Education Center, The Reading League, Read to Succeed Buffalo, Say Yes Buffalo, Teach My Kid to Read, We the Parents of WNY, WNY Education Alliance, and WNY Literacy Collaborative.The mission of the WNY Literacy Initiative is to increase awareness of the science of reading and facilitate partnerships between local schools and educational organizations that support evidence-based reading instruction through teacher training and the implementation of high-quality, content-rich curriculum.The science of reading is a multi-disciplinary body of research that explains how the brain learns to read. Backed by that research, nearly 20 states have enacted legislation aimed at expanding evidence-based reading instruction in schools. While New York is not yet one of those states, several school districts in New York are in the process of implementing literacy programs aligned with reading science, including the New York City Department of Education.According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), less than 35% of fourth grade students in New York State are proficient readers. The data shows that students who are not proficient in reading by third grade end up, on average, experiencing much lower educational outcomes.To support this initiative, the partners will host a local conference in the fall dedicated to the science of reading. Teachers and school administrators interested in learning more are encouraged to join the WNY Literacy Initiative Facebook group.