The Wake County school system is joining a nationwide effort to get children reading by grade level by third grade.

In a press release last Monday, the Campaign For Grade-Level Reading Communities Network announced that Wake had joined 124 communities in becoming charter members of the movement. The members had submitted action plans in March laying out how they would overcome the challenges that keep many low-income children from learning to read well.

As a charter member of the network, Wake County will have access to an online help desk, peer-learning opportunities, meetings with national experts and policymakers, and a foundation registry designed to expand and replicate successful programs.

Wake school administrators had announced at a February meeting of the school board's economically disadvantaged student performance task force that they had applied for a grant from the campaign.

Wake County school administrators hope to get a grant to encourage community participation in an early childhood literacy initiative.

During Thursday's Wake County school board economically disadvantaged student performance task force meeting, administrators said they've applied for a grant from The Campaign For Grade-Level Reading.

The Campaign focuses on closing reading achievement gaps between low-income and middle-income students. A major focus of the group is for students to have reading proficiency by the end of third grade.