FALL RIVER – Fall River Public Schools announced an innovative new partnership with Ignite Reading to deliver virtual, one-to-one literacy tutoring for 300 first grade students in six schools this fall. Nationally, Ignite Reading’s students have recorded an average of over two weeks of reading progress per week, with no achievement gap for students of color, students with IEPs, multilingual learners, or students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. 

Ignite Reading officials joined Fall River leaders and students at Mary L. Fonseca Elementary today to showcase the nationally recognized program. The demonstration was followed by a Q&A session. Ignite Reading is now serving students in 60 schools across the commonwealth. 

“We’re thrilled to announce a new innovative collaboration with Ignite Reading. Given how participating students have bolstered their foundational reading skills in Massachusetts and nationally with Ignite Reading, we are optimistic that this program will supercharge literacy progress in Fall River,” said Stephanie Kennedy, Director of English Language Arts K-12 of Fall River Public Schools.

“Partnering with Ignite Reading has given us the opportunity to provide high-dose tutoring to our students in a way that would not otherwise be possible,” said Dr. Tracy Curley, Assistant Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer of Fall River Public Schools.

Ignite Reading pairs students with expert tutors who deliver daily, 15-minute, Science of Reading-based instruction to help them master the key foundational skills that equip them to become independent readers.The one-to-one virtual program is seamlessly integrated into the school day and takes the burden off teachers by providing individualized instruction for every student. 

The company is now teaching thousands of students to read across eight states with further plans to expand nationwide. In addition to Massachusetts, Ignite Reading is partnering with schools and districts to serve thousands of students in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Indiana, Mississippi, New York, and Oregon this fall.

“We’re excited to expand our collaboration with Fall River schools to equip hundreds of local students with enhanced literacy skills. Through Ignite Reading’s one-to-one tutoring model,  students nationwide are surpassing expected benchmarks, achieving more than two weeks of reading progress for every week in the program. In addition to improved literacy, we’re also witnessing a significant and positive social-emotional impact. It’s a privilege to serve Fall River’s exceptional students, families, and educational institutions,” said Jessica Reid Sliwerski, Founder & CEO of Ignite Reading.

About Ignite Reading 

Ignite Reading’s mission is to ensure that every student is a confident, independent reader by the end of first grade. The organization was co-founded by CEO Jessica Reid Sliwerski and Evan Marwell, Executive Chairman of Ignite and CEO of EducationSuperHighway. Ignite Reading pairs schools with a dedicated literacy specialist and a team of virtual reading tutors, all highly trained in the Science of Reading, who deliver 1:1 daily instruction to students focused on their specific decoding gaps. Ignite’s data-driven approach, provided by caring and skilled tutors, gives kids the know-how and confidence they need to thrive as fluent readers. The Ignite Reading program, delivered 15 minutes per day during a school’s literacy block, takes the burden of differentiated instruction off of teachers and has an impact immediately. For more information about Ignite Reading, visit: www.ignite-reading.com

About Fall River Public Schools

As an urban Gateway district in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the student population of the Fall River Public Schools (FRPS) is ethnically and socioeconomically diverse. Of the 10,987 scholars in Fall River Public Schools, 86% of students are identified as High Needs.  Of all students, 23.1% are English learners, 25.9% are students with disabilities, and 79.9% percent are economically disadvantaged.  Our student population is 44.1% white, 31.8% Hispanic, 11.9% African American,  8.7% multi-race/non-Hispanic, 3.3% Asian, and 0.2% Native American.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — October historically has been a month of notable volatility in the stock market, with historic crashes like the 1929 Great Depression and Black Monday in 1987. These events have given rise to a sense of “Octoberphobia” among some investors. Lessons on these events and others are included in Common Sense Economics from Poptential, a comprehensive and free high school digital curriculum. Click to tweet.

“It’s never too early for teachers to engage students in discussions about the history of the stock market, its impact on economic growth or decline, and how it can potentially empower students to invest in their own futures,” said Julie Smitherman, a former social studies teacher and director of content at Certell, Inc., the nonprofit behind Poptential.

Poptential course packages boost student engagement by using a variety of pop culture media to illustrate concepts, including those taken from sitcoms, movies, animations, cartoons, late-night shows, and other sources. Lessons on the history of the stock market and how to invest in stocks are covered in the new 2023 Poptential Common Sense Economics e-book, including:

Investing for the future: Students can learn about the two broad categories of equity mutual funds—managed and indexed funds—in a chapter on investing. The material covers how a diverse holding of stocks over the long term can mitigate risk and offer attractive returns. This underscores the wisdom of using stock market investments as a retirement strategy.

The stock market is for small investors too: The Poptential November 15 Bell Ringer showcases that Investing in the stock market need not be intimidating. Investing in mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offers individuals a pathway to participate in the stock market. A video clip explains the difference between these two investment vehicles.

Understanding stock market crashes: Poptential’s October 19 Bell Ringer explains how companies raise capital by selling stock and underscores that owning a company’s stock allows individuals to participate in the performance of that company, whether positive or negative. A video clip delves into historical market crashes, including their role in the 1929 Great Depression and the global recession of 2008.

Professionals profiting from market collapses: Throughout history, astute investment professionals have capitalized on market crashes. Those who can gauge the fragility of the financial markets and trade accordingly can profit from market downturns. This video clip from the movie “The Big Short,” featured in the Poptential March 16 Bell Ringer, highlights how investment professionals try to predict market swings and discuss strategies for profiting from market downturns.

Poptential course packages include everything instructors need to teach a subject, including lessons, e-books, bell ringers, quizzes, and tests. The curriculum is standards-based and developed by teachers.

Poptential is available via a digital platform that allows students to access lessons even in poor bandwidth environments. Course packages in American History, World History, U.S. Government/Civics, and Economics are available free at www.poptential.org.

About Certell, Inc.

Certell is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to fostering a generation of independent thinkers. With over 100,000 users across the United States, Certell’s Poptential family of free social studies courses has garnered numerous awards, including recognition from EdTech Digest Awards, Tech&Learning, Tech Edvocate Awards, the National Association of Economics Educators, and Civvys Awards. For more information about Poptential and Certell’s mission, please visit www.poptential.org.