47 students earned bicycles Initiated by the Anderson School District Five Board of Trustees in the 1999-00 school year, the Reading to Ride Challenge reading incentive program encourages reading mastery. These are the schools with a large population of children in poverty. The impact of poverty is apparent in PACT scores. Third grade was selected because it is considered to be the threshold year for learning.
Future success hinges on the ability to read and comprehend in third grade.
The Board hopes that the reward of a new bicycle and helmet will motivate students to increase their efforts in reading. The goal of the Reading to Ride Challenge is to reward a student's effort and to recognize the parental support at home. This first year 53 percent of the eligible students earned free bicycles because of their reading scores. The Reading to Ride Challenge is totally funded by community contributions. Donations to the Reading to Ride Challenge are tax deductible.