Investments in education that unlock the potential of children of color and low-income children growing up in the Great Lakes states will increase workforce capacity and boost economic prosperity. This brief recommends evidence-based strategies that state and local leaders can pursue to close achievement gaps in K–12 education and enhance opportunities for children of color and low-income children, by focusing on reading by third grade. We compare reading achievement across demographic groups and offer examples of efforts underway in the Great Lakes states.

This brief is part of a series recommending policies that will build ladders of opportunity and economic mobility for young people in the six state Great Lakes region—Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.