May 2012 All Hands Raised Update from CEO, Dan Ryan
Dear Friends –
Over the past month we have made major strides in our shared work to improve outcomes for students throughout Portland and Multnomah County. Most notably, we finalized the 12 indicators that will guide our work, and the four initial Collaborative Work Teams have met regularly, making considerable progress.
Through rigorous analysis and deliberation by the Data Team, Steering Committee, Council, and Board, the initial list of more than 40 indicators published in the 2010 Report to the Community was refined to a list of 12. These are the high level data points for which we’ll set improvement targets and annually measure and report our progress. They were designed to closely align with our six partner school districts and the new Oregon Achievement Compacts.
The 12 indicators are:
1. Low Birth Weight
2. Kindergarten Readiness
3. Kindergarten Attendance
4. Third Grade Reading
5. Sixth Grade Attendance
6. Eighth Grade Math
7. Tenth Grade On-track to Graduate
8. Disproportionate Discipline of Students of Color
9. English Language Learners Annual Progress
10. On-time High School Graduation
11. Postsecondary Enrollment & Completion
12. Youth Ages 16-24 Not Enrolled in School and Not Working
A Report to the Community will be published in November to provide baseline data for the indicators, and tell the story of the new partnership system we are building. The Data Team continues to provide oversight and recommendations for our indicator framework and also provides guidance and consultation to the Collaborative Work Teams.
The four Collaborative Work Teams have held multiple partner meetings with attendance ranging from 35 to 115 people. Each team is following a rigorous continuous improvement structure facilitated by All Hands Raised in order to develop a group charter that defines the problems they will address and their initial scope of work. Upon completion of the charters, the teams will develop one-year action plans, which include measurable goals, strategies, actions, and timelines, with accountability points defined for all members. Their work in the coming year will be designed to impact improvements in our community indicators with a specific focus on eliminating racial disparities.
With our educators and school leaders facing another round of painful realities, we remain focused on building this new and necessary system of collective impact to support our kids in and out of school. I hope that you will continue to share your ideas, questions, and experiences with us. Our recent meetings indicate an excitement about this work and the promise it holds for our community, and also a willingness to embrace the change necessary to do what is right for our kids.
Sincerely,
Dan Ryan
