There is something remarkable happening in Dallas ISD elementary classrooms right now. Let’s take a look inside the United to Learn Aspiring Teachers program, where future educators and Dallas ISD students are growing alongside each other.
A college student majoring in education kneels beside a second grader. They read together. They try again. The student sounds out a word he could not manage last month. “Progress!” they say.
This is the model for the United to Learn Aspiring Teachers program. And the data from this school year shows that it is working.
A Program Built on Partnership
The Aspiring Teachers program places tutors in Dallas ISD elementary schools as trained partners working alongside teachers and school leaders to expand classroom capacity. Tutors work with students in small groups, either within the classroom or in another area of the school, providing consistent, focused support that frees teachers to do more of what they do best.
Tutors come from two pathways:
- Education majors at higher education institutions who are building real classroom skills before they graduate
- Students enrolled in Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH), earning early career experience while completing high school
Before entering a classroom, every tutor is trained by United to Learn educators to support Dallas ISD’s reading curriculum directly. The instruction they deliver is structured, intentional, and relationship-driven, designed so that every session builds both skill and trust.
What the Data Shows: Growth from the Start of the Year to Mid-Year
Measuring student reading growth from the beginning of the school year (BOY) to mid-year (MOY) gives us an honest look at where students are gaining ground. This year’s data reflects meaningful, measurable progress, and it points toward even more to come.
For students who began the year below grade level, that kind of growth is not just encouraging. It is trajectory-changing.
These numbers tell part of the story. United to Learn Director of Literacy Marisol Rodriguez describes what is behind them: students making gains not just in measurable outcomes, but in confidence, stamina, and belief in themselves as readers. During Read Across America Week, every tutor received a book to personally gift to their student, a small but intentional gesture that reinforces what the program believes deeply: that reading is not only an academic skill. It is a source of joy, connection, and possibility.
“The data reflects what our tutors and campus partners feel every day: progress is happening, and it is happening because of consistent, relationship-driven support.”
Marisol Rodriguez, United to Learn Director of Literacy
United to Learn Director of Analytics and Insights Cadie Allen brings the data perspective, offering both the ambition behind the numbers and an important reminder of what they represent:
“We set a bold goal for the year: By the end of the year, 100% of students will improve by at least one grade level in three literacy components. The mid-year data tells us we are on a meaningful path toward it. A single assessment is just one data point—a child may be having a great morning or a hard one, and some students are better test takers than others. What we can say with confidence is that the trend is positive, the growth is real, and every student in this program deserves to reach their full potential as a reader.”
Cadie Allen, United to Learn Director of Analytics and Insights
A Partnership That Believes in What Is Possible: Truist’s $110,000 Investment
The progress students and tutors are experiencing this year is made possible, in meaningful part, by the generosity of the Truist Charitable Fund, whose $110,000 investment in the United to Learn Aspiring Teachers program reflects a deep commitment to Dallas ISD students and to building the teacher workforce these schools deserve.
“I can remember my elementary school teachers who helped guide me early, telling me that I was somebody. When you think about that, telling somebody that they count, that they matter, is an important thing. For us at Truist, making this investment in United to Learn’s Aspiring Teachers program is exactly aligned with our purpose: to inspire and build better lives and communities. What better way to do that than investing in people who share that same mission? And that is exactly what this is — investing in our future, which is the children of our communities.”
Juan Solis, Truist Senior Vice President, Community Development Manager, Texas
Truist Charitable Fund’s investment supports tutor training, program coordination, and the direct resources that allow aspiring teachers to show up fully prepared for their students every session.
Why It Works: Growing in Both Directions
What makes the Aspiring Teachers program joyful and effective is that growth flows in both directions. Students grow as readers. Aspiring teachers grow as educators. And campuses grow in their capacity to support every learner.
- Students receive consistent, curriculum-aligned literacy support from a tutor who genuinely knows them: their strengths, their sticking points, and what makes them light up.
- Aspiring teachers build real instructional skills and classroom confidence before graduation, entering the profession with experience that theory alone cannot provide.
- Campus partners gain trusted collaborators who are trained in their curriculum and invested in their students’ success.
The Work Continues
There is still more to do, and that is not a caveat. It is the energy that drives this program forward. Every data point is a prompt: keep going, go deeper, serve more students well.
“We remain committed to accelerating this growth even further and ensuring every student has the opportunity to become a confident, capable reader, supported by caring adults who believe in their potential.”
Marisol Rodriguez, United to Learn Director of Literacy
FAQs
What is the United to Learn Aspiring Teachers program?
The Aspiring Teachers program places trained tutors in Dallas ISD elementary schools to provide small-group literacy support alongside classroom teachers. Tutors come from two pathways: education majors at higher education institutions and students enrolled in P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools). Every tutor is trained by United to Learn educators to support Dallas ISD’s reading curriculum directly.
Is the Aspiring Teachers program working? What does the data show?
Mid-year data from the 2025–2026 school year shows meaningful progress. 43% of tutored students grew at least one full grade level in overall reading from the beginning of the year to mid-year. The average scale score gain across all tutored students was 25 points, and 20% more students are now reading on grade level compared to the start of the year.
Who funds the United to Learn Aspiring Teachers program?
The program is supported in meaningful part by a $110,000 investment from Truist, which funds tutor training, program coordination, and direct resources that allow aspiring teachers to show up fully prepared for their students every session.
How does tutoring benefit aspiring teachers, not just students?
Aspiring teachers build real instructional skills and classroom confidence before graduation, entering the teaching profession with hands-on experience that theory alone cannot provide. Students receive consistent, curriculum-aligned support, and campuses gain trusted collaborators trained in their specific curriculum.
What is P-TECH and how does it connect to United to Learn?
P-TECH stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools. P-TECH students are one of two tutor pathways in United to Learn’s Aspiring Teachers program, earning early career experience in education while completing high school.
Learn more about the Aspiring Teachers program and how to get involved at unitedtolearn.org.
*The i-Ready Diagnostic for Reading in English assesses seven literacy domains, and the i-Ready Diagnostic for Reading in Spanish assesses four primary literacy domains for grades K–6.