In Peoria Public Schools District 150, over 80% of incoming kindergartners typically arrive at the lowest pre-reading level. Rather than wait for the school year to address that gap, the district launched a six-week summer program using Waterford Early Learning for pre-K graduates before their first day of kindergarten.
The results were immediate. Only 27% of participating students started kindergarten at the lowest reading level. By fall, 91% scored at or above the 41st percentile on NWEA MAP assessments. By winter, the mean NWEA percentile had climbed to 61st.
A low-cost, replicable model built on existing resources and district relationships.