In 2009, The McKnight Foundation announced it will invest in a new early child development goal to increase the literacy rate of Twin Cities students by the end of third grade.

More information about the literacy goal will be available in mid-2010; until that time, no requests for literacy funding are being accepted.

The board of directors' decision to promote reading success was informed by more than a year of planning, including research into evidence-based programs and interviews with field leaders and other stakeholders in education and youth development.

Consulting firm The Bridgespan Group also supported McKnight's research into strategies and goal refinement. A key finding was that the academic success of a student, as defined by high school graduation, can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by knowing a student's reading skill by the end of third grade.