Cracking the Code: One City Schools and Project Read AI Join Forces to Pioneer Early Reading Instruction

With support from the Ascendium Education Group, One City Schools collaborates with Project Read AI to develop Version 2 of its AI Tutor, advancing evidence-based literacy instruction

MADISON, Wis., Sept. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- One City Schools, a public charter school system focused on reinventing public K-12 education in the United States, announced a groundbreaking research and development partnership with Project Read AI of Palo Alto, CA. Project Read AI will work with One City teachers and students to enhance and iterate on Version 2 of its AI Tutor, an artificial intelligence-powered tool designed to support early foundational literacy skill development among children ages four to 10-years-old. This collaboration is designed to co-develop new features with teachers and students, furthering One City's mission to serve as an incubator of important innovations in public education.

Recent data shows that only one-third of all K-12 students in the United States read proficiently, and nearly 70% of fourth graders are reading below their grade level. Providing K-12 educators access to science-backed literacy training and tools that work is imperative to turn this around.

The AI Tutor, which can be accessed on a handheld device or computer, listens to students read aloud and provides real-time phonics feedback, reinforcing essential reading skills. By partnering with One City Schools, Project Read AI will be able to refine and expand the AI Tutor's capabilities, ensuring it aligns with the latest research in early literacy instruction and meets the diverse needs of young learners.

This innovative project commenced during One City's unique summer trimester and will extend into their fall trimester of the 2024-2025 school year. Teachers and students will play an integral role in testing new features, providing feedback, and helping shape the AI Tutor's development to maximize its effectiveness in supporting literacy instruction.

"At One City Schools, we are committed to seeding, developing, and implementing promising solutions that demonstrate the capacity to improve educational outcomes for all students," said Kaleem Caire, CEO and Founder of One City Schools. "Our partnership with Project Read AI allows us to be at the forefront of integrating AI technology into literacy instruction, potentially transforming how we teach reading to our youngest learners, at school and at home."

"We're thrilled to partner with One City Schools to take our AI Tutor to the next level," said Vivek Ramakrishnan, co-founder and co-CEO of Project Read AI. "By working directly with educators and students in a variety of contexts during and after the school day, we can ensure that our technology truly meets the needs of those it's designed to serve, ultimately helping more children achieve reading proficiency."

This collaboration, which comes as K-12 educators are seeking ways to fight the literacy crisis and as Wisconsin implements literacy legislation related to the Science of Reading, is made possible through funding from the Ascendium Education Group. The foundation's support underscores the potential impact of this innovative approach to literacy instruction.

About One City Schools 

One City Schools is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization that provides high quality educational opportunities for young children. Our mission is to seed a new model of public education that ensures children and teens are on track to succeed in a college or career preparatory program from birth through high school graduation. Our vision is of a Greater Madison community where there are no persistent achievement and opportunity gaps, and where all children are prepared to contribute and succeed as adults. To this end, One City's goal is to ensure young children are prepared to read, compute and succeed at grade level. We partner with families and the broader community to cultivate children who become free, global and deep thinkers, curious learners, effective problem solvers, humanitarians, and happy people who care about the world around them.

Currently, One City operates three schools: One City Preschool, an accredited 5-star preschool serving children ages 3-months-old to age 4, One City Elementary School, a public charter elementary school that presently enrolls children in 4K through 5th grade, and One City Preparatory Academy, currently serving grades 6 and 7, adding grade 8 in 2024-25.

About Project Read AI 

Project Read AI is an AI Co-Teacher for the Science of Reading. Project Read has built a suite of tools for educators to implement evidence-based literacy instruction, including a Decodable Story Generator and an AI Tutor that listens to students read out loud and provides real-time phonics feedback. Founded by former teachers, Project Read's platform has nearly 100,000 educators from over 115 countries in less than a year since launch.

SOURCE One City Schools