Launched in October 2016, the Marshall ISD Read to Ride program is a collaborative initiative between Mission Marshall and Marshall ISD designed to foster a love of reading and strengthen literacy skills among third-grade students. Through a comprehensive assessment process, the program measures a wide range of reading skills, identifies each student’s position along the learning continuum, and provides tailored resources to support their individual growth. Students are encouraged to take ownership of their progress and set meaningful learning goals throughout the year.

Read to Ride is fully sponsored and funded by Mission Marshall. Each third-grader who meets their personalized reading growth target earns a brand-new bicycle as a reward for their hard work and dedication. Mission Marshall purchases all bicycles through private donations, while Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center generously supplies red-and-white safety helmets for every participating student.

Before the program’s first full year of implementation in 2017, only one of MISD’s six elementary campuses—South Marshall Elementary—had third-graders reading on grade level, on average. By the end of the 2016–2017 school year, the first year of Read to Ride, five of the six campuses recorded third-graders reading at or above grade level, demonstrating a dramatic shift in literacy achievement districtwide.

Promotion for the program begins each September with a kickoff celebration where students are introduced to the bicycles, review the program rules, and learn how they can earn a bike and helmet through Read to Ride.