TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (WBRC) – A volunteer reading group is praising the significant gains in reading and math achievement in the Tuscaloosa City Schools district.

In grades 3 to 8, grades in mathematics have improved by 15% and everyone receives recognition for this.

It’s Reading Allies, a nonprofit group with around 700 volunteers from all walks of life. They’ve sacrificed their time to help students improve their reading skills, and it’s paid off.

Dr. James Pope, superintendent of the Tuscaloosa City School District, was quick to point out that credit goes not only to the dedicated teachers and students, but also to many others in the community and across the state.

“I want to thank the Alabama Department of Education for providing math teachers to our schools,” said Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. James Pope.

On the reader side, it was people like Kellee Reinhart.

“This is the true definition of the ‘aha’ moment,” Reinhart said.

Reinhart is a volunteer with Reading Allies. These volunteers often meet with children during the school year to help them with reading and reading comprehension. The group is made up of 700 volunteer readers.

“The secret is to match a student with a trained coach who is willing to volunteer. We just finished the Olympics and are now about to embark on a big football season on all of our campuses. We all know how important coaching is,” Reinhart said.

And that’s exactly the secret: teaching students who need a little help with reading. And the success has been enormous.

The city’s school district leaders report that math scores in grades 3 through 8 have increased by 15 percent, the largest increase in five years. This is all tied to reading skills. Reading test scores have also improved.

“And the students work so diligently and hard to acquire lifelong skills,” Reinhart said.

While impressive, Kellee Reinhart argues, we could have seen the improved outcomes even sooner without COVID.

“Think about what the last five years have looked like. You know, we were dealing with this unprecedented COVID pandemic, and it erupted in our school system,” Reinhart said.

That was then. This is now. There is much to celebrate, better grades in reading and math. And we can turn the tide and hope to achieve even better results in the new school year.

Reading Allies began as Book Buddies several years ago, but was further developed and expanded into Reading Allies by former University of Alabama President Dr. Robert Whitt and former UA Chancellor Finis St. John.

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