The campaign offers practical tools, trusted resources, and clear information to strengthen partnerships between home and school—helping connect what happens in the classroom with what happens at home. Created by national education nonprofit Learning Heroes in collaboration with local partners, the campaign is tailored to the experiences and priorities of New York City families and educators.

The campaign is grounded in extensive research with New York City families. In partnership with local organizations, Learning Heroes conducted multiple waves of research—including citywide parent surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews—to better understand families’ experiences with NYC Reads, NYC Solves, and supporting learning at home. Parents told us they want a clearer picture of what grade-level work looks like, how their child is progressing, and practical ways to support learning outside the classroom. Those insights shaped every aspect of Go Beyond Grades NYC.

The research also revealed a significant disconnect between classroom grades and grade-level mastery:

• 77% of NYC public school parents report that their children typically receive report card grades of “mostly B’s or better.”
• 87% of NYC parents believe their child is reading at or above grade level, and 81% believe the same in math.
• Yet, district-wide achievement data show that only about half of NYC students are meeting grade-level proficiency.

While grades matter, they only tell part of the story. Teachers say the best way for families to understand how their child is on grade level is through ongoing conversations about classroom learning and grade-level progress. The Go Beyond Grades NYC website offers free tips, tools, videos, and conversation starters – in English and Spanish – to help families understand grade-level expectations, support learning at home, and team up with teachers throughout the school year.