Each year, children in Western New York kickstart their educational journey at Rochester Early Childhood Education Center. The pre-K center serves three and four-year-olds through a full-day program, incorporating play, relationship-building, and purposeful, hands-on activities into the daily curriculum. Part of the Rochester City School District (one of the five largest school districts in the state), the center enrolled about 200 students in 2025-26.
According to a recent report released by ROC the Future Alliance, about 50% of Rochester students are not ready for kindergarten when they start school. That’s why the team at Rochester Early Childhood Education Center was excited to partner with Early Learning Corps to help young learners make a strong start.
“Research consistently shows that early literacy and numeracy skills will help lead to long-term academic success,” explains Rochester Early Childhood Education Center Principal Lisa Whitlow. “Early Learning Corps provides intervention at a young age before the gap gets too large to close in later elementary or high school years.”
Strong Results in Year One
Beginning in January 2026, Early Learning Corps tutors joined six classrooms at Rochester Early Childhood Education Center. During the first year of partnership, tutors collaborated with classroom teachers to help provide Tier 1 (class-wide) early literacy and numeracy support through activities like read-alouds, transition songs, and sign-in routines. Students who required supplemental support also met with the tutors in small groups for 10-15 minutes of targeted skill practice.
School: Rochester Early Childhood Education Center
District: Rochester City School District
Type: Public
City: Rochester, New York
Ages: 3-4 year olds
Enrollment: 200
In just a single semester, tutors helped more than 150 students build foundational literacy and math skills. “We have seen growth in all our children,” Whitlow reflects. “They have grown in their letter naming, their rhyming, their numbers, their counting, and number sense.”
Whitlow attributes these achievements in part to the intentional, multi-tiered design of Early Learning Corps interventions. “They are developmentally appropriate and engaging to students,” she says. “It’s hands-on and, the kids have fun.”
To help maintain this progress, Whitlow works behind-the-scenes with an Early Learning Corps coach, the classroom teacher, and Early Learning Tutors to monitor student progress and identify opportunities for continued improvement.
“I really value the deep data dives,” Whitlow explains. “We’re able to see where students started and the growth they were making, and identify barriers as to why they maybe aren’t making the growth and overcoming that hurdle.”
Meeting the Needs of Young Learners
Beyond supporting student growth, Early Learning Corps tutors help boost classroom capacity. Over the course of the semester, more than 3,200 small group tutoring sessions were delivered, allowing teachers to focus on full classroom instruction.
Additionally, having extra caring adults in the classroom enhanced social-emotional learning and helped ignite a love of learning. “They’re engaging in activities, and the students have really bonded with the tutors,” Whitlow shares. “The tutor became a very popular person in the classroom that all students wanted to work with!”
Shaping Educators for Tomorrow
The teacher shortage persists across New York, with state officials projecting a need for 180,000 new teachers in the next decade. With 87% of New York Early Learning Tutors interested in pursuing a career or further training in education, Early Learning Corps helps individuals explore the field while developing relevant skills.
During the 2026-27 school year, more tutors will join the Rochester team, expand student support, and explore futures in education. With the former Rochester Early Childhood Education Center splitting into two sites — RECEC No. 39 and RECEC No. 44 — and Florence S. Brown PreK Center adding tutors, Early Learning Corps will continue providing the people power needed to ensure students grow and develop.
Interested in bringing Early Learning Corps to your school? Email sites@ampact.us.