Accelerate’s new State Tutoring Field Guide highlights Delaware’s innovation as a national tutoring leader

Delaware is being recognized as an innovative national leader for its high-dosage tutoring partnership with Reading Assist. Accelerate, a national nonprofit focused on tutoring and learning acceleration, released a State Field Guide highlighting Delaware’s leadership in high-dosage tutoring and outlining steps, including model regulations, that other states can take to create similar programs. 

“In Delaware we are prioritizing early literacy and foundational reading skills through the implementation of science of reading legislation and our state literacy plan,” Secretary of Education Mark Holodick said. “We are excited to partner with our districts and charters in this work to improve K-3 literacy. These foundational skills are the door opener for future educational opportunities and long-term success.”

The Covid-19 pandemic set back student learning and widened pre-existing gaps between students in low-income communities and affluent communities. Delaware has taken direct measures to address learning loss by ensuring every student has the support they need to explore and unlock their potential. High-dosage tutoring is one of the strongest interventions backed in research to accelerate student learning. Reading Assist will continue to play a key role in the state’s overall academic strategy to address learning loss and promote positive student outcomes.

To have a greater impact and build capacity long-term, early literacy systems must be coherent. In addition to supporting tutoring, Delaware has provided comprehensive supports through professional learning for administrators, literacy specialists and classroom teachers.

“By making sure there is alignment and common understanding among adults, our students will have a more coherent learning experience and better outcomes,” Deputy Secretary of Education Cora Scott said.

Accelerate is a national nonprofit that launched in the context of the national achievement gaps that have worsened significantly since the pandemic. Through state partnerships, Accelerate seeks to embed high-impact tutoring programs into public schools now and for the long term. The State Tutoring Field Guide highlights Delaware’s partnership with Reading Assist as a leading example of how statewide tutoring models can work for students. 

Accelerate awarded Delaware the States Leading Recovery Grant in 2023. Since then, the state has continued to develop and grow its statewide tutoring program. Currently, in partnership with Reading Assist, nine schools are offering high-dosage tutoring services during the school day in the state to over 250 students. 

The release of Accelerate’s State Tutoring Field Guide comes on the heels of the U.S. Department of Education’s recent call for educators everywhere to pursue high-dosage tutoring strategies to address the nation’s continued learning loss.

Governor John Carney has prioritized improving literacy outcomes for Delaware students. His recommended budget includes $3 million for literacy coaches to continue capacity-building and system coherence in our districts and charter schools.

“We know that proficiency by third grade is critical for a student’s future educational success. Accelerate is one of the tools we can use to promote literacy among our early readers. It’s providing much needed tutoring in schools across our state,” said Governor Carney. “As we approach summer break, we need to ensure that families are taking advantage of every opportunity they have to keep their child reading and engaged in summer learning.”

Accelerate CEO Kevin Huffman said, “In every state in the country, kids are half a year or even a full year behind their pre-pandemic trajectory. When we look at the research on interventions to reverse learning loss, high-dosage tutoring continues to deliver the best results for kids — and it’s really up to states to help districts not just implement tutoring programs, but to choose ones that are backed by data and proven to be effective. Delaware is demonstrating that this can be done, which is why we wanted to share their case study with other states and provide model regulations that other states can use as a blueprint.”  

As the nation grapples with the task of addressing students’ learning setbacks nationwide, Delaware will continue to lead in ensuring students are on the path to academic recovery. 

For more information on Accelerate’s State Field Guide, please visit https://accelerate.us/state-field-guide. For more information on Delaware’s literacy plan, visit https://www.doe.k12.de.us/literacyplan.

All babies born at Bayhealth to receive first Imagination Library book

WILMINGTON, Del.— Governor John Carney and the Delaware Division of Libraries announced on Wednesday that Bayhealth has partnered with Dover and Milford Public Libraries to ensure all babies born at Bayhealth Hospitals, as well as any eligible patients of Bayhealth Pediatrics in Milford, are registered for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

This partnership is in support of Governor John Carney’s statewide expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through Delaware’s public libraries. Babies and children who are enrolled in the free Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program receive one new book in the mail each month from birth until their fifth birthday. This helps families create a personal library of up to 60 books at no cost to them, with the goal of establishing a child’s early reading experience and habits. Over 13,000 Delaware children from birth to age five receive a new book in the mail every month.

“One of the most important things we can do to improve childhood literacy is to give our children access to books, especially during this challenging time,” said Governor Carney. “The Imagination Library program is also an important component of the First Chance Delaware initiative for children, led by my wife Tracey, to promote learning readiness through literacy and parent-child engagement. Thank you to Bayhealth, Dover and Milford Public Libraries, and all of our partners for your work on this important effort.”

Bayhealth joins Beebe Healthcare, which was the first hospital to help expand Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. In October 2020, Beebe Healthcare partnered with Lewes Public Library to enroll babies born at their facilities in the program.

“Bayhealth is a great addition to our Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library partners,” said First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney. “We hope all of our birth hospitals ultimately will be able to implement similar registration programs. Interactive early language exposure is so critical to brain development and to setting kids up for success.”

“Promoting early language skills improves overall literacy and builds strong reading habits. One of the most important things a parent can do to help their child succeed later in school–and in life–is to read to them. We are excited to join this important initiative and to offer this program to all Bayhealth babies as well as any patient of Bayhealth Pediatrics who is under age 5 and not already registered,” said Bayhealth Pediatrician Colleen Allorto, DO.

At Bayhealth Hospital, Kent and Sussex Campuses, new babies and their families are registered for the program and given their first Imagination Library book when they are discharged from the hospital. The first family to receive the book and be registered at Bayhealth Hospital, Kent Campus was James Hamilton, son of Emilie and Robert Hamilton. The first family to receive the book and be registered at Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus was Phoenix Rose Baisch, daughter of Arynn Jones and George Baisch. At Bayhealth Pediatrics, doctors and nurses educate parents of eligible children about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program and assist with getting them registered as needed.

“The Imagination Library is offered internationally through the Dollywood Foundation and is managed for Delaware by the Division of Libraries. It’s a natural fit for our libraries to partner with the community hospitals to facilitate Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Early literacy is one of our core missions,” says Dr. Annie Norman, Director of the Delaware Division of Libraries.

Information and registration are available online through Delaware Libraries. Books are selected by a national panel of early childhood literacy experts who review hundreds of children’s books each year and choose those that best fit the needs of children as they learn and grow.

“On a personal note, I loved reading to my children every night and want all families to have that opportunity to stimulate their child’s mind,” said Dr. Allorto. “Thank you to all the nurses, pediatricians, librarians, and the Dollywood Foundation for helping to bridge the gap on literary success.”

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All babies born at Beebe Healthcare to receive first Imagination Library book

WILMINGTON, Del. – Beebe Healthcare and Lewes Public Library are partnering to ensure that all babies born at Beebe Healthcare in Lewes are registered for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.  The families will be presented with the first Imagination Library book before discharge from the hospital.  The first family to receive the book at Beebe Healthcare is Spencer Robert Heslep (baby), Stephanie Clavijo (mom) and Robert Heslep (dad).

“Beebe Healthcare is proud to be the first healthcare system in the First State to provide the first book to babies born at our Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus,” said Tom Protack, President of Beebe Medical Foundation. “Studies show that early childhood literacy can be tied to better health and wellness later in life, and our donors want to support Beebe Healthcare in this effort.”

In August 2020, Governor John Carney announced the expansion statewide of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through Delaware’s public libraries.  Children whose parents enroll them with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library receive one new book in the mail each month from birth until the child’s fifth birthday, at no cost to the family, creating a personal library of as many as 60 books that can help form the foundation of a child’s early reading experience. Information and registration are available online through Delaware Libraries.  Books are selected by a national panel of early childhood literacy experts who review hundreds of children’s books each year and choose those that best fit the needs of children as they learn and grow.

“A healthy reading habit motivates, inspires and encourages creativity among children and adults alike,” said Governor Carney. “One of the most important things we can do to improve childhood literacy is to give our children access to books, especially during this challenging time. The Imagination Library program is also an important component of the First Chance Delaware initiative for children, led by First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney. The mission of First Chance Delaware includes promoting learning readiness through literacy and parent-child engagement. Thank you to Beebe Healthcare, Lewes Public Library, and all of our partners for your work on this important effort to improve literacy in our state.”

This new hospital initiative is a team effort.  Imagination Library is offered internationally through the Dollywood Foundation and is managed for Delaware by the Division of Libraries. Beebe pediatricians and nurses advocate and facilitate registration for the program with new parents, and the Beebe Medical Foundation provides the first book and welcome bags, and Lewes Public Library registers the newborns in the Imagination Library database.

“Amazing things can happen when community partnerships come together. We’re so proud to offer this service to all of the Beebe Babies. Thank you to the donors who made this possible, along with the Beebe care team that will be delivering the first books, and to the library staff who will make sure these newborns receive the Imagination Library books each month for five years,” said David A. Tam, MD, MBA, FACHE, President & CEO, Beebe Healthcare.

“It’s a natural fit for libraries to facilitate Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. After all, early literacy is one of our core missions,” said Jennifer Noonan, Children’s Librarian at Lewes Public Library, who first initiated Imagination Library within the Cape Henlopen School District in 2018. “Getting books into the hands of children and their families is of crucial importance, and the earlier we can do it, the better.”

According to literacy statistics compiled by Begin to Read, two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4^th grade will end up in jail or on welfare. Improving someone’s literacy reduces their chance of dropping out of school, of being incarcerated, of experiencing teenage pregnancy, and of living in poverty.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends caregivers read to their children from birth, because the more words babies hear, the better their literacy, vocabulary, and reading comprehension will be in the future. For public libraries across Delaware, the Imagination Library program serves as a springboard for children and parents to engage with their local libraries, participate in library programming and take advantage of the many resources libraries have to offer.

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Free, high-quality children’s books now available to families across Delaware

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney and First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney today joined American icon Dolly Parton to announce the statewide expansion of her namesake Imagination Library book gifting program and to encourage parents of young children across Delaware to participate.

Watch announcement video on YouTube or Facebook.

“I am so excited to be working with Governor and First Lady Carney to bring my Imagination Library to children and families across Delaware!” said Ms. Parton. “It takes visionary leaders to make this possible, and I can’t thank them enough. It is such an important time to share the gift of books and reading with as many children as we can, and I know Delaware families will love receiving a specially selected book in the mail each month.”

Children whose parents enroll them with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through Delaware libraries receive one new book in the mail each month from birth until the child’s fifth birthday at no cost to the family, creating a personal library of as many as 60 books that can help form the foundation of a child’s early reading experience. Information and registration are available online through the Delaware Division of Libraries.

Books are selected by a national panel of early childhood literacy experts who review hundreds of children’s books each year and choose those that best fit the needs of children as they learn and grow.

“A healthy reading habit motivates, inspires and encourages creativity among children and adults alike,” said Governor Carney. “One of the most important things we can do to improve childhood literacy is to give our children access to books, especially during this challenging time. It’s a simple but powerful idea. That’s why Delaware is proud to partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to improve literacy in our state. I want to thank our state librarian, Annie Norman, and my wife, Tracey, for spearheading this important effort in Delaware.”

Governor Carney announced a pilot launch of the Imagination Library program in five Delaware school districts in his 2020 State of the State address. Beginning in February, the Division of Libraries partnered with 13 local public libraries to make the program available to families within the pilot districts. So far, more than 3,800 children have been enrolled in the program and received more than 16,000 books.

The Imagination Library program is also an important component of the First Chance Delaware initiative for children, led by First Lady Carney. The mission of First Chance Delaware includes promoting learning readiness through literacy and parent-child engagement.

“It’s a great privilege for me to serve as the honorary chair of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in Delaware,” said First Lady Carney. “The quantity and quality of early language experience, starting at birth, correlates to children’s academic success at ages nine and 10—the target of our state’s grade-level reading campaign—which then correlates to the likelihood of high-school graduation, which correlates to virtually every positive life outcome from then on. Expanding the Imagination Library program in Delaware is a great investment in our families and in our future.”

For public libraries across Delaware, the Imagination Library program will serve as a springboard for children and parents to engage with their local libraries, participate in library programming and take advantage of the many resources libraries have to offer.

“It’s never too early to start reading to children,” said Delaware State Librarian Dr. Annie Norman. “Kids who read succeed! Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library helps develop the reading and library habit, a foundation for success throughout life.”

Parents who enrolled their children with the Imagination Library earlier this year through pilot school districts have already reported positive results, especially in light of the changes to daily lives and routines as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The books we have received have helped a lot with his vocabulary and his ability to express himself,” said Lewes mom Ashely Durden about her son Quentin, who has been enrolled in the Imagination Library Program for the last two years. “Thank you for bringing reading to everyone in our district and our state; it’s a really great resource to get new books to children at a very young age.”

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The Delaware Department of Education has released the Delaware Literacy Plan, a framework that outlines strategies to improve the literacy proficiency of Delaware students.

The work of the plan is focused on four strategic intents:

• Align Core Instruction to the Standards
• Implement Curriculum using High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM)
• Enhance Early Literacy Instruction
• Support Educators through Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs)

Key activities within these strategic intents are provided for teachers, school leaders and partners with family resources included in each area. Additional educator and family resources to support children’s literacy are available on the department’s website here.

“Students spend their earliest years learning to read. They need strong literacy skills to absorb information in math, science, social studies, the arts, and every other subject. Having a strong literacy foundation is crucial for Delaware children’s success in school and life,” Secretary of Education Susan Bunting said. “That is why improving third-grade literacy has been a key education initiative of Governor John Carney since before he took office. Recognizing how critical literacy skills are for our young learners, he has directed focus and resources to this work.”

The plan is the result of the work of a 37-member committee, which included representatives from early childhood, K12, higher education and nonprofit organizations. The goal is to unite stakeholders across schools and the public/private sector to better focus on and meet students’ literacy needs.

“That is why educators, families, policymakers and community and nonprofit partners must collaborate if we are going to successfully support our children’s literacy growth. The state’s students cannot afford to have our efforts be well-meaning but disjointed. I am excited this plan provides clear opportunities for us to work together in a coordinated manner,” Bunting said.