IMPACT MATTERS

Educational Achievement Community Change Council Identifies Seven Objectives

In order to open doors to education, United Way of Salt Lake and our community partners are working together. Our Educational Achievement Community Change Council and the Community Learning Centers are the result of extensive collaboration.

The Educational Achievement Community Change Council is chaired by Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon and vice chaired by Steven Allnatt, director of public affairs for American Express. The council has 25 members, representing a mix of community members, issue experts and the diversity of stakeholders appropriate to the issue of educational achievement.

Each Community Change Council is in the middle of a grant cycle – councils will not only determine which groups receive funding, but direct the course of UWSL’s work for the next three years. Each council has specific objectives that will direct UWSL’s work over the next three years.

The Educational Achievement Community Change Council has worked hard to establish seven objectives that will help open doors to educational achievement. The objectives and their accompanying indicators are as follows:

1. Increase student educational achievement in K-12
• Number and percent of students who increase their school attendance
• Number and percent of students that decrease discipline and behavioral problems
• Number and percent of students who increase scores on standardized tests
• Number and percent of students who increase academic achievement
• Number and percent of students participating in AP classes or concurrent enrollment
2. Increase family involvement in education and services to families in schools
• Number and percent of schools with increased development of community learning centers
• Number and percent of schools that provide additional services to families and students in their schools
• Number and percent of individuals/families who receive services in a school or community learning center
• Number and percent of families who have an improved relationship with their child’s school
• Number and percent of families who increased involvement in their children’s schooling
• Number and percent of individuals who receive information about and referrals to available public and private services
3. Decrease achievement gap of low-income and minority students
• Number and percent of low-income and minority students who increased their academic achievement
• Number and percent of low-income and minority students who are achieving at grade level in math and reading
• Number and percent of students participating in dual immersion and bi-literacy programs
4. Improve preparation of students and adults to enter the workforce and/or pursue post-secondary education
• Number and percent of students who graduate from high school
• Number and percent of adults who obtain their GED
• Number and percent of adults who increase their basic math and reading skills
• Number and percent of students/adults who complete job skills training
• Number and percent of students/adults who complete vocational training
5. Increase early learning opportunities and improve school readiness
• Number and percent of families who increased their participation in early learning activities
• Number and percent of children who are able to identify ten alphabet letters prior to entering kindergarten
6. Increase post-secondary education attendance and completion
• of individuals who participate and complete a post-secondary program
7. Increase English language attainment
• Number and percent of individuals who improve English language skills
• Number and percent of individuals who overcome primary barriers to learning English (time, difficulty, lack of child care)
• Number and percent of individuals participating in family literacy programs

In the coming months the Educational Achievement Community Change Council will be developing and implementing specific impact strategies to achieve the objectives listed above. In addition to reviewing grants, the change council is also developing, recommending and advocating for policy priorities aligned with United Way of Salt Lake’s objectives, and implementing UWSL’s grant process in relation to the educational achievement objectives identified.

Community Learning Centers (CLCs) are another way that United Way of Salt Lake is opening doors to education. CLCs are partnerships between schools and other resources, which help students and families by encouraging parents to get involved in their children’s education, and emphasize the importance of education to all. UWSL has partnered with Centro de la Familia de Utah to implement these centers in Title I elementary schools. Later this month, applications for funding will be sent to all Title I schools in UWSL’s service area. Funding will provide four CLCs with staff.

Learn more about educational achievement initiatives and community learning centers by visiting our Web site, www.uw.org.