Albany, NY – Assemblymember Robert Carroll (D/WF-44) announced today that he has secured $250,000 in this year’s state budget for dyslexia evaluation and intervention services for underserved communities in New York City provided by the Promise Project. This is in addition to the $540,000 Assemblymember Carroll secured for the Promise Project over the past two years.

Studies have shown that as many as one in five children have dyslexia or another phonemic awareness issue, but there is no coherent statewide approach to identifying and addressing their needs. The State is also facing a broader literacy crisis with seventy percent of New York State's fourth graders not reading at grade level according to the results of the federal National Assessment of Educational Progress for 2022.

The funding for Promise is part of years long and multifaceted effort in the area of dyslexia and literacy education by Assemblymember Carroll. In 2020 he successfully lobbied the New York City Department of Education to provide dyslexia screening at two schools in his district, PS 107 and PS 130. This year he directed $100,000 in state funding to PS 107 and PS 295 in New York City School District 15 for structured literacy programming in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education.

“I am proud to support the Promise Project’s work,” said Assemblymember Carroll.“Early identification coupled with evidence-based interventions are essential to effectively remediating dyslexia and other phonological awareness issues. I know this because I was fortunate to have my own dyslexia identified in 1st Grade and received evidence-based literacy interventions that were structured and sequential. Unfortunately, far too many children don’t have access to these services.Promise serves low-income and marginalized children and families that would otherwise not get the help they need and deserve.”

The Promise Project in collaboration with Columbia University provides neuropsychological exams to diagnose dyslexia and other learning disorders and teacher training on reading interventions for kindergartners in marginalized and underserved communities in New York City.In order to serve more children at a younger age, the organization developed Early Promise, a groundbreaking program that identifies children at risk for reading disorders in New York City’s youngest students. Through a partnership with the NYC DOE, this unique in-school program trains teachers and school staff how to recognize children who are at-risk for developing a reading disorder and provides follow up support to monitor their intervention response over time. This school year, they expanded their partnership with DOE into eight public schools across multiple boroughs of New York City.

“The New York State budgetary support secured by Assemblymember Carroll makes a profound impact on Promise Project’s ability to ensure disadvantaged children with learning disabilities are properly evaluated and are given the educational services to learn and thrive. This funding allows Promise Project to expand our work into Brooklyn public schools through our Early Promise Initiative that identifies kindergarteners at risk for reading disorders and links students with the interventions to get them on track,” said Ted Kamoutsis, Executive Director of Promise Project. “Assemblymember Carroll truly understands the importance of properly assessing a child with learning disabilities and the life-changing effects that come when they are given the tools they need and deserve. We are grateful for the Assemblymember’s commitment to these children that are so often overlooked.”