Harlem’s District 5 in NYC Embraces ReadWorks to Strengthen Reading Progress

For more than 20 years, ReadWorks and New York City Public Schools have partnered to bring free, evidence-based reading resources to students. What began with print resources for classroom use has evolved into an award-winning educational technology platform offering over 6,000 reading passages for grades K-12, Spanish-English Paired Texts, differentiated StepReads™, and more—all free for educators.

Today, the number of educators in NYC public schools signing up to use ReadWorks’ free reading comprehension resources continues to grow, increasing by 10% each year. More than 80% of educators return to use the platform each year as well. This year, ReadWorks has made access for NYC educators even easier by rolling out a direct integration with NYC’s Department of Education Single Sign-On (SSO) platform, ensuring that every NYC teacher can seamlessly bring ReadWorks into the technology that they are already using in their classrooms. 

ReadWorks is proud of the continuous effort to strengthen reading instruction these past years in New York City schools, especially during this pivotal time when New York City is evaluating their reading scores and growth. Recent reports show the city’s students are making their strongest gains in literacy in over a decade. According to new statewide test results, 56.3% of NYC students in grades 3–8 scored proficient or better in English Language Arts (ELA) in 2025, up from 49.1% the previous year — a 7.2% increase. (Source: NY Times, August 2025)

“These scores are a win for everyone, because it’s really the result of great collaboration and the hard work that our kids put in,”

​- Schools Chancellor Melissa Avilés-Ramos with NY1.

The New York Times reported that much of this growth reflects the city’s NYC Reads initiative and the adoption of new, research-based English Language Arts (ELA) curricula.

​ReadWorks partners with NYC teachers and leaders, listening closely to understand where support is most needed. There is a growing need for resources that support background knowledge and vocabulary, which is often called “the other side of learning to read, beyond phonics” on Scarborough’s reading rope. ReadWorks responded by creating curriculum alignments tailored to NYC’s ELA curricula. These alignments provide curated, grade-level texts by topic, along with vocabulary exercises and question sets. For example, when 3rd graders study the ocean in their Wit and Wisdom ELA October unit, teachers can quickly access free ready-to-use passages that deepen understanding and build vocabulary about oceans.

In Harlem’s District 5, 24 schools have spent the past two years deepening the use of ReadWorks resources to strengthen reading instruction. Educators and paraprofessionals have embraced the ReadWorks Article-A-Day™ routine, a daily practice that builds background knowledge, vocabulary, and reading stamina. Starting in Fall 2023, District 5 staff participated in customized professional development sessions from ReadWorks, focused on using Article-A-Day in small-group interventions. This hands-on training gave paraprofessionals the tools and confidence to support students effectively. A few weeks later, PS 175 reached its ambitious goal of having students read a ReadWorks article daily to expand knowledge and vocabulary.

“ReadWorks has become an essential companion to our reading block, providing Article-A-Day and differentiated, high-quality texts that align with the Science of Reading and deepen comprehension practice. In schools where educators use ReadWorks consistently, we are seeing notable gains in student engagement and reading growth. Its ease of use and accessibility for all staff have made it an invaluable tool in advancing our district’s goals.”
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– Dr. Dawn Brooks DeCosta, Deputy Superintendent, Harlem Community School District 5

District 5 is now among the top three districts in NYC for ELA progress in the 2023–2024 school year, with three schools reporting double-digit gains. This success reflects the dedication of teachers, paraprofessionals, families, and school communities working together to create joyful, knowledge-rich classrooms filled with confident readers.

ReadWorks remains deeply committed to supporting one of the largest and most dynamic school systems in the world, ensuring that every educator and student, especially those in under-resourced schools, has free access to the high-quality reading materials and support that ReadWorks is known for and that are proven to strengthen reading comprehension. As the city continues to make meaningful progress in reading, we are excited to build on this district collaboration and expand our work to even more NYC school districts.