We build real
REACH exists because we believe families are the solution. Our formula is simple, and it has produced some amazing solutions:
Ask parents questions
Listen to their aspirations
Build the solutions
Liberate our communities
Explore our impact
For the last decade, we have built solutions with families to remove the barriers standing between our kids and the education they deserve. Each solution has taught us more and built on what came before it.
The relationships and organizing power created through The Opportunity Ticket and Literacy for All helped make the Virtual Family Hub possible when the pandemic closed schools. What we learned through the Hub led to the Liberator Model, which trained parents and caregivers to step into schools as tutors. Today, those lessons come together in the REACH Parent District—our long-term model for extending academic support beyond the school day and putting families at the center.
We keep getting better—because our families keep leading.
The REACH Parent District
The REACH Parent District connects families with struggling learners to high-quality virtual tutoring and Family Success Coaching. Students access tutoring from home, while coaches help families understand where their children need support, get started, and build a learning routine they can sustain.
Families also help REACH test and select learning tools that are effective, easy to use, and work in real life.
Results
The Center for Research and Reform at Johns Hopkins University is currently is studying the implementation and impact of The REACH Parent District. Their preliminary findings include:
• 99% of parents surveyed report feeling confident in supporting their child's academic success
• 76.9% net promoter score
• A positive correlation between more usage and better reading outcomes
The Liberator Model
The Liberator Model trained parents and caregivers to become tutors in some of Oakland’s lowest-performing schools, accelerating student learning. What started in Oakland expanded to five additional cities, reaching 5,200+ students nationwide.
Results
The Virtual Family Hub
The Virtual Family Hub supported families’ economic survival and their children’s educational success during the pandemic.
Results
Literacy for All
The Literacy for All campaign brought families across Oakland and 30 community organizations together in partnership to advocate for the science of reading.
Results
2,249 people signed on to the Literacy for All campaign—way beyond our goal of 500.
UNANIMOUS PASSAGE: In February 2020, the Oakland Unified School District Board passed a resolution 7-0 in support of Literacy for All—committing to effective research-based literacy instruction for all students.
The Opportunity Ticket
The Opportunity Ticket expanded access to some of the Oakland Unified School District’s most sought-after schools for families facing school closures.
Results
• UNANIMOUS PASSAGE: The Oakland Unified School District Board unanimously passed the Opportunity Ticket in March 2019.
• When two Oakland schools closed (Parker and La Escuelita), 97% of applicants received their first or second choice for a new school for their child.
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We deeply value our partnership with The Oakland REACH because we share the same north star: ensuring students receive the targeted support they need to become confident code-breakers and readers.
What makes The Oakland REACH especially valuable is its ability to build trusted relationships with families, equip caregivers to support their children’s learning, and work creatively alongside us to develop innovative solutions to our most pressing literacy needs.”
— Romy Trigg-Smith, Oakland Unified School District Literacy Team