The Literacy Zone is a reform initiative to close the achievement gap in urban and rural communities of concentrated poverty and high concentrations of families and individuals with limited literacy or English language proficiency. Literacy Zones provide a systemic approach to meeting the literacy needs of these communities characterized by significant poverty and deficits in literacy and English language proficiency. Geographically defined as one or more adjacent census tracts using the US Census Bureau data, the New York State Education Department has identified 51 Literacy Zones across the State.