A new partnership between Arizona nonprofit Read Better Be Better and the Miami Unified School District in Miami, Arizona, has brought a proven literacy intervention to students in the district.
In 2025, only 36% of 3rd grade students received passing scores on Arizona’s Academic Standards Assessment (AASA), the state exam, in English Language Arts (ELA). The state’s 3rd grade AASA ELA passing rate has remained below 50% since 2015 and has been declining since 2023. Read Better Be Better was founded in 2014 in Phoenix to combat Arizona’s literacy crisis. The organization’s K-8 reading program pairs younger “Readers” with older student “Leaders” to facilitate its proven curriculum.
This summer marks the first time the program has been implemented in a Miami school district. At Charles A. Bejarano Elementary School, elementary and intermediate students from the district who were already signed up for summer school received the literacy program as part of their summer instruction.
Loren Bernal, fifth grade teacher at Lee Kornegay Intermediate School, and Program Coach for the Miami District’s Read Better Be Better program, explained, “Our school actively needed targeted support to bridge critical reading gaps, and we realized this partnership was the perfect way to make reading a true priority in our district.”
Because of the peer-to-peer curriculum model of Read Better Be Better’s K-8 program, while younger students develop their reading fluency and comprehension skills, older students gain leadership experience and build their confidence. Bernal says, “Literacy unlocks academic potential, while the leadership aspect teaches students essential life skills like collaboration and cooperation that go far beyond just reading.”
Camille Valenzuela, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Read Better Be Better, says of the partnership, “We’re very excited to be partnering with the Miami Unified School District. At Read Better Be Better, we want to see every Arizona student reading at grade level and thriving academically. As we’ve grown and expanded our reach outside the Valley, the Miami District emerged as a perfect choice to partner with because of our aligned goals and values. Their staff, like ours, really believe that reading and leadership skills are fundamental for students, and they’ve worked closely with us to make sure this program is successful for their students.” Read Better Be Better also launched its first Globe-based program in partnership with the Globe Public Library this summer.
Miami’s Read Better Be Better reading program finished up last week, with plans for continued partnership in the fall semester.