NYC Reads Together Literacy Ecosystem Summit

By 2035, all school-aged youth in New York City will be fully literate — able to read, write, listen, and speak in ways that allow them to achieve their goals and develop their knowledge and potential.

The NYC Literacy Ecosystem Roadmap outlines the shared strategy guiding citywide efforts to achieve this goal. It identifies the core solutions that drive literacy outcomes and the conditions needed to sustain progress over time.

The summit is an opportunity to see our strategy in bloom. Join educators, community and library partners, researchers, funders, and district, city, and state leaders from across New York for a day of learning, connection, and collaboration to strengthen how our literacy system supports students and families.

🗓️ Friday, March 13, 2026 🕙 10:00am-4:00pm (optional breakfast at 9:00am)

📍 Lerner Hall, Columbia University | 2920 Broadway, New York, NY, 10025

Explore the resources below to revisit the day.

Breakout session materials
Note: Materials are available for select breakout sessions. If you’re looking for materials not included here, we encourage you to contact the facilitators directly.

NYC Reads Together Ecosystem Roadmap
You helped build this. See the roadmap your insights shaped - the research, strategies, and shared vision driving NYC Reads Together.

Agenda at a Glance

Time: 9:00-9:50am
Agenda: Light Breakfast (Optional)

Time: 10:00-11:00am
Agenda: Opening
Opening Remarks
Kamar Samuels, Chancellor of NYC Public Schools, will open the summit reflecting on literacy as a foundation for student success, the momentum catalyzed by NYC Reads, and the opportunity to deepen coordination across the city’s literacy ecosystem.

Keynote Address
Dr. John King will explore the power of literacy at this moment in time and the critical role cross-sector leadership plays in building a more coherent, effective system for students.

Collective Session
CPRL's Dr. Liz Chu will introduce NYC Reads Together and the ecosystem roadmap guiding the summit and the year ahead.

Time

11:10-12:00pm

Agenda

Morning Breakout Sessions - Block 1

Participants will select to attend learning sessions led by organizations and networks actively advancing literacy across New York City.

In these sessions, participants will:

Learn about concrete practices, tools, and strategies being implemented across NYC
Explore early wins, challenges, and lessons from literacy improvement efforts
Engage in discussion and reflection with peers across sectors
Provide feedback on emerging approaches and contribute your perspective
Leave with practical ideas you can bring back to your own work

Time: 12:20-1:10pm
Agenda: Lunch and Panel Discussion
This panel brings together Jo Anne Simon, New York State Assemblyperson, Ashleigh Thompson, University Dean for Education of the City University of New York, and David Cintron, Superintendent of District 14 to explore how policy, implementation, and leadership must work in concert to achieve New York City’s ambitious 2035 literacy goals.

Time: 1:20-2:10pm
Agenda: Afternoon Breakout Sessions - Block 2
Participants will continue engaging in facilitated sessions with ecosystem partners, exploring strategies and opportunities to strengthen literacy efforts across New York City.

Time: 2:20-3:10pm
Agenda: Afternoon Breakout Sessions - Block 3
Participants will continue breakout sessions and reflect on key insights and opportunities to strengthen coordinated literacy efforts across the ecosystem.

Time: 3:20-4:00pm
Agenda: NYC Reads Together: Ecosystem Commitments and Next Steps
DYCD Commissioner Sandra Escamilla-Davies will join to reflect on the role of community-based partners in advancing literacy citywide, followed by ecosystem commitments and next steps for the year ahead

Morning 1 Breakout Sessions

Session Title: Building a Coherent Out-of-School Time (OST) Literacy Ecosystem: A Toolkit for Alignment
Facilitator(s): NYCPS, DYCD, ExpandED, and Columbia's Center for Public Research and Leadership
Room: Room 555
Description: Strengthening student literacy requires coherence across the full day—not only in classrooms, but in out-of-school time (OST) programs. This session will introduce the new Out-of-School Time NYC Reads Toolkit, developed in collaboration with OST leaders, schools, and city partners to strengthen alignment between school-day literacy instruction and out-of-school learning. Panelists will share examples from practice, and participants will help shape the next phase of this work—exploring what it will take to sustain and scale literacy coherence across New York City’s learning ecosystem.

Session Title: Building Public Will: The Early Literacy Ecosystem Approach
Facilitator(s): City’s First Readers
Room: Broadway Room
Description: This session explores how an ecosystem approach—like City’s First Readers—links early childhood literacy to the city’s 2035 kindergarten readiness goals and universal childcare policy. We’ll share practical strategies to boost visibility and impact: aligning messaging, building public will with clear, shared talking points for policymakers, and coordinating efforts across health systems, family engagement, and schools to accelerate progress toward 2035 literacy goals.

Session Title: NYC Reads and NYS Policy: Alignment Opportunities and Challenges
Facilitator(s): Ed Trust NY
Room: Room 477
Description: A panel discussion to dive into the intersection of state-level policy and funding with citywide literacy initiatives. This session will feature key state and city partners to explore the current New York State literacy policy landscape, connect state advocacy efforts with NYC Reads and the city's literacy ecosystem, and highlight the impact of state funding (like potential HIT funding) on early childhood and K-12 school components. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how state support can fortify local efforts and how to get involved in advocating for sustained progress.

Session Title: Sparking Reading Joy in Third Spaces
Facilitator(s): New York Public Library
Room: Room 569
Description: This session explores the roles institutions play in creating a reading city and the Library’s goal to sit at the center of NYC’s reading culture. We will discuss examples that are currently working to spark joy and empower readers, such as creating social reading rooms through Reading Rooms, leveraging therapy dog programs to reduce anxiety, and expanding world language book incentives. Participants will then create an action plan for collaboration to collectively mobilize literacy-rich communities.

Session Title: Teacher Practicum at LAC: A Model for Adult Learning and Leadership
Facilitator(s): Literacy Academy Collective
Room: Satow Room
Description: How do we prepare teachers and teacher leaders to deliver evidence-based literacy instruction to struggling readers? Literacy Academy Collective's Summer Practicum pairs teachers new to structured literacy with experienced mentors for training. Through this gradual release model, participants learn structured literacy methods and receive expert coaching, thus developing teacher expertise while providing intensive intervention to students who need it most. Session participants will have the opportunity to think about how to incorporate elements of the LAC Summer Practicum into their own adult learning systems and structures year round.

Afternoon 1 Breakouts

Session Title: Achieving a Multilingual Literacy Ecosystem
Facilitator(s): Literacy Partners
Room: Room 569
Description: How can we effectively support multilingual families as they navigate their child’s literacy journey? This session explores barriers and emerging opportunities in family literacy, emphasizing how a coordinated approach strengthens support across home, school, and community. Drawing on five decades of adult literacy innovation—including Library of Congress distinction and Emmy Award–winning media—presenters highlight a Science of Reading initiative featuring videos available in ten languages. Participants will learn how these tools clarify classroom instruction, guide caregiver action at home, review engagement outcomes, and discuss opportunities for scale.

Session Title: Bridging the Parent Information Gap in NYC's Literacy Moment
Facilitator(s): Learning Heroes
Room: Auditorium
Description: While parents overwhelmingly support the vision of NYC Reads, a significant gap exists between awareness and understanding. Drawing on recent survey and focus group data, this session will explore what parents are experiencing, how they are currently making sense of the changes, and the core tension between their desire to help at home and their lack of clarity. Participants will engage in a problem-solving discussion to generate practical strategies for families to partner with teachers in order to align and maximize learning in school and at home.

Session Title: Building a Hyperlocal Literacy Ecosystem: Lessons Learned from the NYC Reads Neighborhood Initiative
Facilitator(s): NYC Reads Neighborhood Initiative
Room: Room 477
Description: The NYC Reads Neighborhood Initiative demonstrates a hyperlocal ecosystem approach to literacy. The initiative brings together partners, including schools, youth-serving nonprofits, libraries, and family-serving organizations to coordinate and amplify efforts in three NYC neighborhoods. This session will explore the value of neighborhood-level coordination, describing successes, challenges and lessons learned. Participants will explore how they might build more partnership facilitation and collaboration into their own practices, marshalling expertise, leadership, and resources among stakeholders to build a powerful coalition effort in local communities.

Session Title: Examining NYS K Standards for a Stronger Pre-K to Kindergarten Transition
Facilitator(s): NYU Literacy Lab
Room: Satow Room
Description: The transition from Pre-K to Kindergarten often presents a challenge for young learners, frequently resulting in children being labeled as "behind" and prematurely placed in Tier 2 instruction. This interactive session, guided by Dr. Susan B Neuman, will address the paradox between Kindergarten standards and beginning-of-year expectations, particularly in light of recent research showing the high cognitive load that fundamental skill programs place on our students. The session will focus on collaboratively developing practical, solutions-oriented strategies to address this challenge without lowering expectations. Participants—including parents, teachers, researchers, and policymakers will explore how to adapt teaching methods and improve small group instruction. Come prepared to share insights and co-create solutions for a stronger, more supportive start to formal schooling.

Session Title: High Impact Tutoring: What, Why, How
Facilitator(s): Brooklyn College & The Reading Institute
Room: Room 555
Description: Dr. Katie Pace Miles will explain the ins and outs of high-impact tutoring (HIT), a form of tutoring that is equitable and effective for vulnerable populations of students. Dr. Miles will explain the research behind high-impact tutoring, the characteristics that distinguish it from traditional intervention, and how the research has been translated into practice through city and state-level HIT implementations. Dr. Miles will explain how districts incorporate HIT into their MTSS structure and how the approach builds capacity for schools to meet the needs of exponentially more striving readers.

Session Title: Teaching Literacy in the Age of AI
Facilitator(s): Teaching Lab and Coursemojo
Room: Broadway Room
Description: Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape how students read, write, and learn. But the future of literacy will not be determined by technology alone. In New York City, Teaching Lab and Coursemojo are partnering to explore how AI can be integrated into classrooms grounded in strong curriculum and expert teaching. Their work is generating early insights about how AI can expand access to feedback, strengthen instruction, and deepen student engagement with complex texts.

Afternoon 2 Breakouts

Session Title: All Systems Go: How Shared, High-Quality Curriculums are Helping School Districts Reach Higher, Together
Facilitator(s): Columbia's Center for Public Research & Leadership (CPRL)
Room: Room 555
Description: The Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL)’s new “All Systems Go: How Shared, High-Quality Curriculums are Helping School Districts Reach Higher, Together” project reveals ways in which curriculum and professional learning are propelling learning gains in school districts.The first case studies — featuring NYCPS Districts 11, 18, and 25 — show how strong materials can transform classrooms into coherent learning communities where educators, families, and students thrive together. Learn more about how these districts are helping kids learn through support from NYC Reads.

Session Title: Beyond the Page: AI as an Ally in the Journey to 2035 Literacy Goals
Facilitator(s): DREAM Charter Schools
Room: Broadway Room
Description: Examine DREAM’s AI-enabled assessment–data cycle that automates scoring, gap analysis, and reteach/intervention planning, all aligned to the Science of Reading. This interactive session demos AI-assisted scoring, a gap-analysis chatbot that identifies strands of the reading rope, and lesson-generator and intervention-plan chatbots that draft RTD lessons and targeted supports for diverse learner needs. Participants will review case studies showing reclaimed educator time and academic gains, and practice using the AI tools themselves to practice generating data-meeting agendas, reteach lessons, and intervention plans ready to accelerate student literacy achievement.

Session Title: Designing a "Reading City": The Next Step to Supporting Lifelong Readers
Facilitator(s): New York Public Library
Room: Satow Room
Description: This interactive design challenge session will explore the roles of various stakeholders—from educators and practitioners to libraries and community builders—in transforming NYC into a truly "reading city." We will focus on strategies to overcome barriers like stigma and lack of access, considering how to embed literacy into the physical environment and daily lives of residents. Participants will engage in group work to map existing reading spaces, identify new opportunities, and design actionable solutions for a multigenerational approach to fostering a persistent, inclusive, and dynamic literary culture beyond the classroom. The session will feature genuine questions from The New York Public Library on how to deepen their impact in communities.

Session Title: Focused Impact: Innovating on Core Initiatives for System-Wide Change
Facilitator(s): The Reading Institute
Room: Room 569
Description: The Reading Institute, an NYC-based non-profit, integrates their work into existing systems for maximum impact. This session will explore the dynamic approaches that The Reading Institute takes to ensure a system-wide, integrated approach to its implementation of science of reading-aligned intervention/ high-impact tutoring programs and professional learning. Learn about how The Reading Institute achieved both deep focus and broad, sustainable adoption of their programs.

Session Title: From Classroom to Coalition: Amplifying Teacher Voice to Drive Literacy Transformation
Facilitator(s): Educators for Excellence
Room: Auditorium
Description: This interactive session examines New York City’s literacy ecosystem and the critical role of teacher voice within it. Participants will explore how educators are already influencing citywide literacy efforts by sharing their frontline expertise and shaping advocacy efforts to inform New York City Public Schools. E4E also works to integrate the teacher perspective into a broader literacy coalition, but there are often gaps that emerge given teachers are in schools all day when much of the work progresses. Through collaborative breakout discussions, attendees will next identify engagement gaps among key partners in the ecosystem and develop concrete strategies to build stronger cross-sector alignment between teachers and other critical eco-system actors to accelerate literacy equity citywide.

Breakouts Include: Funders | Libraries | Early Childcare Centers | Afterschool/CBOs | Teacher Prep Programs

Session Title: When the Village Shares the Map: Building a Citywide Early Literacy Pathway from Birth to Kindergarten Readiness
Facilitator(s): Literacy in Community (LINC)
Room: Room 477
Description: This session examines the critical need for a shared framework across the early childhood literacy landscape, one where every adult in a child's life, from pediatricians and parents to daycare workers and librarians, is working from the same map. When the village is aligned, every child — regardless of zip code or background — benefits from a seamless continuum of learning and care. Participants will explore strategies for building that continuum from prenatal and infant support through 2K, 3K, and 4K, and how a strong, equitable foundation connects to lasting success in the K–12 system. The session will highlight how LINC's community partnerships can provide the infrastructure, professional development, and culturally responsive family engagement necessary to ensure that every New York City child enters kindergarten ready to thrive as a reader.

We are NYC Reads Together: an initiative to connect the people and organizations across the city working to give all kids a coherent and rich literacy experience.

In New York City, hundreds of organizations are working to improve literacy outcomes for kids — but too often, that work happens in silos. NYC Reads Together is building the connective tissue: aligning efforts across schools, community organizations, libraries, families, and policymakers so that every child's literacy experience is coherent, not fragmented.

Download a one-pager about the effort and sign up for our newsletter to stay connected!

Questions about the summit? Interested in getting involved or learning more? We’d love to hear from you.

By 2035, all school-aged youth in New York City will be fully literate — able to read, write, listen, and speak in ways that allow them to achieve their goals and develop their knowledge and potential.

The NYC Literacy Ecosystem Roadmap outlines the shared strategy guiding citywide efforts to achieve this goal. It identifies the core solutions that drive literacy outcomes and the conditions needed to sustain progress over time.

Explore the resources below to revisit the day.

Image Carousel with 9 slides

Agenda at a Glance

9:00-9:50am

Light Breakfast (Optional)

10:00-11:00am

Opening

11:10-12:00pm

Morning Breakout Sessions - Block 1

12:20-1:10pm

Lunch and Panel Discussion

1:20-2:10pm

Afternoon Breakout Sessions - Block 2

2:20-3:10pm

Afternoon Breakout Sessions - Block 3

3:20-4:00pm

NYC Reads Together: Ecosystem Commitments and Next Steps

Breakout Sessions

Morning 1 Breakout Sessions

Afternoon 1 Breakouts

Afternoon 2 Breakouts

NYC Reads Together

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