Way to Grow and the Minneapolis Public Schools work to make kids "Great by 8"
InCommons Collaboration Challenge
Way to Grow and the Minneapolis Public Schools work to make kids "Great by 8"
Way to Grow (WTG) is collaborating with Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) through the “Great by 8” initiative. The initiative increases WTG’s educational services from ages 0-5 to include children from kindergarten to the third grade or age 8.
The need for these services is significant. Studies show that a child’s third grade literacy scores can accurately predict the chances the child will graduate high school, go to college, earn better incomes or even go to jail. By serving children during these critical years, WTG and MPS will lay the groundwork for success in school and life — ultimately ending cyclical poverty and creating an educated work force.
The Great by 8 initiative takes WTG’s proven pre-K programming and carries it into the schools. The goal of the program is to expand the traditional classroom approach and have 100% of our children successfully reading at grade level.
Great by 8 serves students who were identified as needing additional academic and family support. These children receive weekly support, focusing on literacy skills and increasing parental involvement in the child’s school life. WTG works in tandem with the child’s teachers to customize education plans so each child’s needs can be met.
About You
About You
First Name
Katie
Last Name
Welch
Country
United States, MN, Hennepin County
About Your Organization
Organization
Way to Grow
Organization Website
Organization Phone
612-874-4740
Organization Address
125 W Broadway Ave, Suite 110, Minneapolis
Organization Country
United States, MN, Hennepin County
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Your Story
Collaboration Title
Way to Grow and the Minneapolis Public Schools work to make kids "Great by 8"
Country your work focuses on
United States, MN, Hennepin County
Describe your locally-based collaboration and the problem it sought to address
Way to Grow (WTG) is collaborating with Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) through the “Great by 8” initiative. The initiative increases WTG’s educational services from ages 0-5 to include children from kindergarten to the third grade or age 8.
The need for these services is significant. Studies show that a child’s third grade literacy scores can accurately predict the chances the child will graduate high school, go to college, earn better incomes or even go to jail. By serving children during these critical years, WTG and MPS will lay the groundwork for success in school and life — ultimately ending cyclical poverty and creating an educated work force.
The Great by 8 initiative takes WTG’s proven pre-K programming and carries it into the schools. The goal of the program is to expand the traditional classroom approach and have 100% of our children successfully reading at grade level.
Great by 8 serves students who were identified as needing additional academic and family support. These children receive weekly support, focusing on literacy skills and increasing parental involvement in the child’s school life. WTG works in tandem with the child’s teachers to customize education plans so each child’s needs can be met.
Tell us about the community in which this collaboration took place
Way to Grow is following 40 children in a number of Minneapolis Public Schools, most of which are located in Minneapolis' Phillips and North Neighborhoods. Way to Grow serves families of all cultural backgrounds and specializes in reaching families that are considered the hardest to serve. Most of our parents are low income, do not have a high school diploma and are isolated from the community.
Issue Selector
n/a
Partnership
Who was involved in co-creating or implementing your collaboration (other organizations, leaders, community members, etc.)?
In 2009, WTG in collaboration with MPS, and other local community agencies held multiple discussions about how to close the achievement gap. From these discussions the Great by 8 imitative was born. Currently, the initiative is being implemented by WTG and MPS by following 40 kindergarten students in to the third grade.
To what extent does your collaboration involve partnerships that are outside or cross traditional organizational or sector boundaries?
Way to Grow is the first organization to offer home visits to children up to the third grade in the Twin Cities. The Great by 8 initiative embraces the idea that schools cannot do this alone, parental involvement is an essential component to a child’s success. Way to Grow is serving as the conduit to creating lasting and strong parent support.
Innovation
What makes your locally-based collaboration innovative and unique?
The Great by 8 initiative moves beyond the traditional classroom approach and creates an educational support team between the teacher, Way to Grow's family educators who specialize in early education, the parent and the child. Together, they develop a customized approach to educating the child and ensuring the child meets and exceeds all of their educational milestones. To compliment classroom work, WTG's Family Educators (FEs) work one-on-one with the family in the home teaching early literacy and health education, connecting families to vital resources and most importantly giving parents the tools to advocate for their children’s education.
What makes the Great by 8 initiative truly innovative is we not only educate a child but we empower parents to be their child’s first and most important teacher. We are able to do this by building trusting relationships between the family and their FE and giving families the tools and resources to be an equal partner in their child’s education.
Did you take risks in establishing this collaboration? Explain
By increasing the ages of the kids we serve, our FEs are spending more time with currently enrolled families, leading to fewer openings for new families and creating a waiting list for services. The potential risks of not accepting the families is increased family instability in the community and a loss of funding. However, studies show to create lasting change you must support kids to 3rd grade.
How did this collaboration differ from the normal way of doing your work?
Prior to instituting the Great by 8 initiative we provided our proven pre-K programming to families starting in pregnancy and ending at age five. But as WTG continued to see that third grade literacy scores were accurately predicting success in both school and life, WTG knew this problem had to be immediately addressed.
Impact
How do you know your collaboration has been effective?
The results will be proven via Individual Growth and Development Indicator assessment tool scores, parent participation rates in conferences, as well as school based phase 1 kindergarten assessments and other school information currently being determined in partnership with MPS.
What progress or impact has been made?
An educational support team has been created between WTG, MPS and the families. Children have been identified and are currently receiving services from FEs. FEs are currently attending parent/teacher conferences alongside families to help empower parents. Families are reporting that they feel supported in the transition into school and are embracing the continued educational assistance.
Next Steps
How would you go about continuing, expanding, or replicating this collaboration?
It is our goal to be serving over 100 families through 3rd grade within 5 years. The program will be implemented in the 5 phases detailed below, up to 2014. Furthermore, it is WTG's goal to increase its services to include areas outside the city of Minneapolis including, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center and St. Paul. Over the next 5 years WTG will be hiring more early education professionals, crafting curriculum and educating our parents.
Describe the current stage of implementation and desired next steps
The Great by 8 initiative is currently in the pilot stage of the program. Over the next five years the following phases will be implemented.
Phase 1: 2010. 40 students are being followed into Minneapolis Public Schools' kindergarten classes. FEs are attending parent/teacher conferences, monitoring homework, reviewing kindergarten assessments and ensuring that children are reading at grade level by year end. We have implemented the parent advocacy component and are utilizing the newly developed parent advocacy packet.
Phase 2: 2011. Increase above services to include 60 children in both first grade and kindergarten. Add four new staff specializing in early education. Build a communication network between the superintendant, principals, teachers and WTG that will institutionalize the Great by 8 program within in the public schools.
Phase 3: 2012. Increase above services to include 80 children in kindergarten, first and second grade. Add four more new staff members who will offer Saturday and evening services. The second grade cohort will be tested with a preliminary Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) test to determine which children are performing at or above grade level. Children performing below grade level will receive additional support.
Phase 4: 2013. Increase above services to include 100 children in kindergarten, first, second and third grade. Prepare third grade cohort for MCA test by receiving feedback from educational support team. Students who are performing below grade level on the MCA practice test will receive increased educational support. MCA test will be taken at the end of phase 4.
Phase 5: 2014. Provide all above services to include 100 children in kindergarten, first, second and third grade and graduate original 3rd grade cohort. Evaluate program results and receive MCA scores from MPS. WTG will provide additional home visits to any children performing below grade level after the MCA test is complete and continue institutionalize the initiative within the school system.
| 133 weeks ago Katie Welch updated this Competition Entry. | |
| 134 weeks ago Katie Welch submitted this idea. |
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