Learn Well
Learn Well: The Education Initiative
2020 BOLD GOAL: 20% more on-time graduations from United Way selected schools
Year 1 Evaluation Report Executive Summary (3-page .pdf)
Year 1 Evaluation Report (41-page .pdf)
Learn Well Initiative Fact Sheet (.pdf)
Dropping out of school is not a single event, but a culmination of events over time. We’ve identified three pressure points on the path to graduation.
1. Early learning is closely linked with school achievement, but studies show that disadvantaged children usually start school two years behind their peers.
- The average four-year-old on public assistance has only heard half the words a child from a working-class family has heard (Hart & Risley, 1995).
2. Third grade reading skills are particularly vital, because these students are “reading to learn;” if these skills are not mastered in the early years, children will fall further and further behind.
- High school graduation rates can be predicted by 3rd grade reading success (Slavin et al 1994).
3. Middle school transition is a time of high-risk for future high school dropouts.
- Struggling sixth graders have a less than 10% chance of graduating high school on time (Balfanz and Herzog, 2006).
HOW WE WILL SUCCEED:
Involve parents through instructive programs that will empower them to be advocates for their children’s education; increase their access to resources essential to literacy development; and inform them about programs and opportunities for their children.
Engage and support students by providing opportunities for involvement in extracurricular activities and challenging course work; offering guidance in goal setting and career planning; and monitoring grades, attendance and behavior to identify struggling students and intervene before they fall further behind.
Collaborate with schools to ensure continuity in goals and strategies; increase child care providers’ understanding of what children need to know before starting school; and evaluate current education strategies and activities for effectiveness.
OUR ROLE:
- Champion the initiative by engaging students, parents and institutions in new ways to improve graduation rates of low-income students in targeted high schools.
- Monitor progress through regular evaluations and course corrections.
