San Jose Literacy Program Boosts Student Reading
A local foundation initiative helps third graders improve reading scores through 20 minutes of daily practice.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Primary Education
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The Shop with a Cop Foundation Silicon Valley, founded by Alicia and Darrell Cortez in 2008, operates a 10-week literacy program for San Jose third graders. This initiative aims to improve reading proficiency to help local students stay on track for academic success.
Why it matters
The program addresses a critical educational milestone, as students who struggle to read by fourth grade face higher risks of long-term challenges. By requiring 20 minutes of daily reading, the foundation helps build literacy habits that have demonstrably improved performance at local schools.
The literacy initiative serves 200 students who receive $300 gift cards for a holiday shopping spree, with top-performing readers earning an additional $50 bonus. This effort follows a 10-week curriculum that recently boosted reading scores at Shirakawa Elementary School by 18%.
The players
Alicia and Darrell Cortez
The founders of the Shop with a Cop Foundation Silicon Valley who established their literacy initiative in 2008.
Shop with a Cop Foundation Silicon Valley
A nonprofit organization that supports San Jose youth through literacy programs and holiday events.
The details
The program supports third-grade students by mandating a 20-minute daily reading requirement. By focusing on this specific grade level, the foundation works to ensure children reach necessary benchmarks, noting that historically, 85% of youth in juvenile court struggle with reading. Participants who complete the intensive reading sessions are invited to take part in the foundation's annual holiday shopping event.
Timeline
2008: Alicia and Darrell Cortez founded the nonprofit organization.
2015: The foundation implemented its 10-week literacy program.
Last year: Reading scores rose 18% at Shirakawa Elementary School.
The Home Front
The program operates against the backdrop of national data showing that 85% of youth in juvenile court struggle with reading. This intervention is a response to the documented trend that children lacking fourth-grade reading skills are statistically more likely to face future societal challenges.
Parents of third-grade students should encourage consistent reading habits by carving out 20 minutes of daily quiet time for school-related books. Monitoring your child's progress toward grade-level reading benchmarks is a key step in ensuring long-term academic success.
The takeaway
Consistent daily reading is a proven driver for academic growth in the critical third-grade year. Families can support this trend by checking if their local school offers similar structured literacy programs or reading incentive partnerships.
Further reading
Learn more about local educational initiatives at Primary Education.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBS News.
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