May 2013 All Hands Raised Partnership Update: Collaboratives in Action

Dear Friends –

Many of you are deeply aware of the impact of summer learning loss and the cumulative effect it has on many students, most noticeably those who are already at risk of disconnecting from school. Together, we are addressing the “summer slide” through the collective efforts of the All Hands Raised Partnership, as we demonstrate that together we are greater than any one organization or program.

One of those efforts is embodied in the Ninth Grade Counts Collaborative, which for the fifth year has come together to offer a robust collection of summer programs for students transitioning from eighth to ninth grade. These programs are highlighted in the 2013 Ninth Grade Counts Guide to Summer Transition Programs (available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese). This summer, for the first time, each of the programs listed in the Guide is focused on implementing a set of Quality Standards. These standards were developed and adopted by the Collaborative to ensure students improve in two key areas: credit attainment and attendance.

Both the Communities Supporting Youth and Ready for Kindergarten Collaboratives have zeroed in on a set of partner schools – six and eight respectively – that will serve as demonstration sites for testing and measuring strategies for improving attendance, engagement and educational outcomes in the 2013-14 school year. The work of Communities Supporting Youth, which is focused on improving attendance among chronically absent students, is grounded in national research and proven local practices drawn from Multnomah County schools that are beating the odds.

In partnership with the Register for School by June campaign, Ready for Kindergarten has placed a focus on ensuring more kindergarteners are registered for school by June 1st. Registering early improves the ability of schools and teachers to begin building relationships with families and students early on to support their success.

The Eliminating Disparities in Child and Youth Success Collaborative is also making marked progress. The Collaborative recently developed and launched an organizational assessment to help its members focus on strategies, that are grounded in data, to ensure more equitable outcomes. The community leaders who make up the Collaborative are also working together to establish equity policies in each of their respective organizations and school districts. We are pleased that the Centennial School District recently passed an equity policy, joining Portland Public Schools in putting in place an important set of policies to guide action aimed at improving outcomes for students of color.

The work of these Collaboratives is inspiring, and the early actions reflected above represent just a snapshot of the work underway within each group.

In the coming weeks we will publish “Chapter One” of the All Hands Raised Partnership story, highlighting data on each of our community-wide indicators and engaging the community in the focused action underway to ensure an equitable and excellent education for every one of our kids – from cradle to career. Thank you for all that you continue to do.

Sincerely,

Dan Ryan