Washington Reading Corps - Employment Security Department

The mission of the Washington Reading Corps, WRC, is to improve students' reading, math and general literacy skills across Washington through research-based tutoring tools and other supports.

The WRC blends public, private and community resources to encourage and support struggling students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Initially created in response to the state’s low reading scores, the WRC now serves a critical role as an intervention to address literacy achievement goals of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the priorities set forth by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, OSPI.

WRC AmeriCorps members serve in high-needs schools, early learning centers and community-based organizations across the state. They serve early learners and K–12 students, supporting improved literacy and reading proficiency. At early learning sites, WRC AmeriCorps members support kindergarten readiness in children, with a focus on literacy activities and use evidence-based tools to improve student achievement. WRC AmeriCorps members provide reading tutoring to K–4 students identified as below grade-level benchmark in reading proficiency and in need of Tier II intervention, while supporting broader literacy achievement in every grade level. WRC’s model consists of one-on-one and small group (3–6 students) tutoring sessions. The sessions last 15–20 minutes each at least three times a week. The WRC tutoring tool, Reading Power, was created in partnership with OSPI and is designed to supplement any school literacy development curriculum with basic supports for grades K-4. This tool helps students who need an extra boost to supplement their school’s curriculum. WRC is administered through a partnership between the Washington Service Corps, a program of the Employment Security Department and OSPI.

Learn more on becoming a Washington Reading Corps Member 

Learn more on becoming a Washington Reading Corps Partner