In January of 2002, Assistant Commissioner Gordon MacInnes, with the support of Commissioner William Librera and the Governor, re-iterated student achievement as the primary mission of the Abbott Division. The initial efforts, consistent with scientifically based research, focused on early literacy in preschool through third grade. These endeavors developed into Early Literacy, an initiative that became the driving force of the Office of Urban Literacy.

Early Literacy is designed to close the achievement gap between New Jersey's urban and suburban districts. The principles of Early Literacy adhere to the Scientifically Based Reading Research (SBRR), process writing, and the six components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and motivation & background knowledge). Early Literacy is inclusive of all populations (bilingual/English as a Second Language - ESL, and special needs) impacting all primary schools in the 31 districts receiving Abbott funding, and serving as a source of guidance to others.