Network Purpose The Anchorage Kindergarten Ready Network is dedicated to using data and mobilizing existing resources to build community capacity and enhance collaborative partner services to insure that all children enter school ready to succeed.

The Call to Action National research indicates that school readiness has significant effects beyond the first few months of kindergarten; children with higher levels of school readiness are more successful in school and life. Skills particularly important for readiness includes early math and literacy skills, the ability to pay attention and to manage emotions. Children from homes and communities in poverty are less likely to be ready. In Anchorage, approximately one of every three students (38%) does not currently meet the Kindergarten readiness benchmark and nearly half of economically disadvantaged kindergartners do not (48%) meet the Kindergarten readiness benchmark.

Measuring Readiness The Alaska Developmental Profile is a State mandated observational tool. Kindergarten teachers assess their students in thirteen categories across five domains of early learning during the first six weeks of school.

Network Research: The lowest mean scores across the ADP are in the following categories: – Demonstrates phonological awareness – Awareness of print concepts – Regulates their feelings and impulses – Sustains attention to tasks and persists when facing challenges – Sorts, classifies and organizes objects Disaggregated mean data also showed differences among how different student groups perform on the ADP: – Females performed better than Males across all domains. – Scores for Economically Disadvantaged Students (EDS), English Language Learners (ELL), Migrant, Special Education (SPED), Asian, Alaska Native/American Indian(AN/AI) and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (NH/OPI) were the lowest, on average, across all domains

Network Goals Long Term Goal: – By the year 2020, 90% of kindergarteners in Anchorage will be “Ready” for school. Measure: Alaska Developmental Profile Baseline: 65% *SBA* Short Term Goal: – By October 1 st, 2015, 80% of new kindergartners entering target schools and served by network programs will be “Ready.” Measure: Alaska Developmental Profile Baseline: 56% Fairview, 57% Williwaw, 62% W.Tyson

School Selection: Williwaw, Fairview & William Tyson 50-69% of students are “ready” At least 50 students enter kindergarten at the school annually. At least 50% of students are EDS At least 33% of incoming kindergartners are Limited English Proficient (LEP) Network partners are already providing services to children and families in areas Schools exist in a geographic cluster. Focus on 4 year olds for first year.

Who’s Involved? 15 Early childhood & family serving organizations – AK Native Cultural Charter School – thread – CCS Early Learning – Best Beginnings ** – Anchorage Public Library – AK Literacy Program – RuAL CAP – Kids’ Corp Inc. ** – ASD-Early Education – ASD-Special Ed – Cook Inlet Native Head Start – Program for Infants & Children – CITC/ARISE – Success by Six – Boys & Girls Clubs of AK Corporate/University – Alyeska Pipeline – UAA-College of Education Network Leadership Co-Chairs: Abbe Hensley & Dirk Schumaker Action Team Chairs: Data Team: Hattie Harvey, UAA – Action Project 1: Stephanie Schott & Gena Graves Action Project 2: Linda Carlson

Network Projects/Next Steps 1) Finalize projects & complete action plans  Friday, August 29 th – final planning meeting 2) Investigate bright spots  Schools that are beating the odds 3) Build relationship with school communities 4) Data Team:  Building a foundation for common/shared measures  Collecting data from network partners on programs, youth served  Working with action teams/network to use data for continuous improvement 5) Action Team: Family Engagement project  READY for Kindergarten! or other similar program likely 6) Action Team: Pre-K project  Linking preschool program attendance/curriculum to readiness at kindergarten entry (example)