2016 Grade-Level Reading Self-Assessment Tool

DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016

The Self-Assessment is designed as a tool to help communities reflect on and share what’s working in their efforts to improve reading proficiency for low-income children by the end of the third grade. It also serves as the official application for the 2017 All-America City Awards and the source of information that the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading will use in identifying communities for 2016 Pacesetter Honors.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the Self-Assessment, please contact Susanne Bell at [email protected] or 443-974-3532. To be considered for Pacesetter Honors and the All-America City Awards, please complete and submit your self-assessment by January 31, 2017.

Thank you for using this Self-Assessment tool and for sharing information about your efforts and progress with others engaged in grade-level reading efforts all across the country!

Background Information

If you previously filed an online Letter of Intent prior to October 1, 2016, for the 2017 All-American City Award and/or 2016 Pacesetter Honors, please click to link your Letter of Intent to this application. You will not need to repeat the requested background information, unless you need to update some information.

If you did NOT file a Letter of Intent by October 1, please click , and you will be directed to a set of background questions to complete, including contact information for the person completing this application.

Section A: Measurable Progress towards Solving the Problem Description of your community's measurable progress within the past five years in outcomes for low- income children in school readiness, school attendance, summer learning, and/or reading proficiency in the early grades.

A1. Select the Solutions Area(s) for which you have made measurable progress for low-income children:

School Readiness School Attendance Summer Learning Grade-Level Reading

A2. Select Specific Progress Indicator(s) on which you have data on measurable progress for low-income children:

1 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016

School Readiness – More children from low-income families are ready for school and developmentally on track, or fewer children entering kindergarten with undetected, undiagnosed, and untreated conditions or delays that can impede learning. If you need assistance with this, including sample measures, see School Readiness TA Guidance. This link will open in a new window.

School Attendance –Fewer children from low-income families are chronically absent and missing school due to asthma or other health-related concerns. For assistance, including sample local measures, see the School Attendance T.A. Guidance. This link will open in a new window.

Summer Learning – More children from low-income families are maintaining or increasing their reading levels over the summer. For assistance, including sample local measures, see Summer Learning T.A. Guidance. This link will open in a new window.

Grade-Level Reading – More children from low-income families are reading at or above grade-level at the end of first, second, and third grade.

A3. What specific measure are you using to report progress? (e.g. XXXXX) [250 characters max.]

A4. For what specific age group, grade or cohort are you reporting data? [250 characters max.]

A5. What was your baseline number AND percent for this age group, grade or cohort? [100 characters max.]

A6. When was this baseline data collected? [100 characters max.]

A7. What is your most recent number AND percent for this age group, grade or cohort? [100 characters max.]

A8. When was your most recent data collected? [100 characters max.]

A9. What instrument or tool was used to collect this data? [500 characters max.]

A10. What is the source of the data? [500 characters max.]

A11.Does the data reported above represent community-wide, population-level progress for low- income children in your community? Yes/No

A12. If No, what plans do you have for scaling your success beyond a single school or program site? ( Click here for an example of how one community has addressed this. This link will open in a new window.) [3000 characters max.]

Section B: Destination

Description of current/revised goals and priorities

2 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016 B1. In view of where you started your grade-level reading journey, where you originally planned to be at this point, and the actual progress you have made and reported in Section A above, how close is your community to achieving what you intended in each solution area (school readiness, school attendance, summer learning, overall grade-level reading)? What have you learned in the process?

B2. Looking ahead, what adjustments to your goals/destination, if any, have you made? What are the greatest challenges you are facing to achieving these goals? How do you propose to address those challenges?

Section C: Strategy

C1. Please refer to the four Key Strategies for Success in improving school readiness. Which one of these (if any) have you most successfully implemented? Please briefly describe your efforts. [3000 characters max.]

C2. Are there other school readiness strategies that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of each. [3000 characters max.]

C3. Please refer to the four Key Strategies for Success in improving school attendance. Which one of these (if any) have you most successfully implemented? Please briefly describe your efforts. [3000 characters max.]

C4. Are there other school attendance strategies that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of each. [3000 characters max.]

C5. Please refer to the four Key Strategies for Success in improving summer learning. Which one of these (if any) have you most successfully implemented? Please briefly describe your efforts. [3000 characters max.]

C6. Are there other summer learning strategies that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of each. [3000 characters max.]

C7. Please refer to the nine strategies for supporting parent success listed on the infographic. Which one of these (if any) have you most successfully implemented? Please briefly describe your efforts. [3000 characters max.]

C8. Please refer to the eight health determinants of early school success listed on the infographic. Which one of these (if any) have you most successfully implemented? Please briefly describe your efforts. [3000 characters max.]

C9. Which of the following promising and/or evidence-based programs are you utilizing across your strategies? Select all that apply.

 AARP-Experience Corps  Abriendo Puertas  Children’s Literacy  ABCD (Assuring Better  ACE Readers Initiative Child Health and  BELL  Children's Health Fund Development)  Breakfast in the  Early Learning Ventures  ABCmouse Classroom

3 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016  Evidence-based home  Mind in the Making  Reading Recovery visiting programs, such  Minnesota Reading  Ready Rosie as Nurse-Family Corps  Save the Children Partnership, Parents as  myOn  Scholastic programs or Teachers, Early Head  Nemours Bright Start products Start, and others  Parent Leadership  SmartyAnts  First Book Training Institute  Start Making A Reader  Girls, Inc.  Parents as Teachers Today (SMART)  Green and Healthy National Center  Success for All Homes Initiative  Parents for Public  text4baby  Help Me Grow Schools  Too Small to Fail  HIPPY  PBS Parents  Triple P-Positive  Horizons  Playworks Parenting Program  Imagination Library  Raising A Reader  Vision to Learn  Incredible Years  Reach Out & Read  Vroom  Jumpstart  Reading Partners  Y Readers

C10. Are there other significant promising and/or evidence-based programs you are replicating and wish to highlight? If so, please describe here.

C11. Are you planning to expand any of the above promising and/or evidence-based programs that you are already replicating in your community? If Yes, please provide the name and a brief narrative description of each. [3000 characters max.]

C12. To what extent is your local grade-level reading effort placing a priority on providing supports, services, and/or interventions for children and families served by public housing?  We don’t do this.

 We talk about it but haven’t taken action to build it.

 We’re working on it – we’ve taken steps to do this. Please describe briefly here.

 We have a number of good examples. Please describe briefly here.

 We have many great examples. Please describe here.

C13. To what extent is your local grade-level reading effort using specialized high‐tech, high‐touch solutions (such as phone apps, text messaging, computer programs, etc.) to reach, engage, and support children and families?  We don’t do this.

 We talk about it but haven’t taken action to do this.

4 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016  We have many great examples. Please describe here.

Section D: Data

Driving with data to establish baselines, set targets, track progress, disaggregate for subgroups, and ensure accountability

D1. To what extent does your coalition gather and monitor data regularly and use it actively to guide implementation and track progress.  A great deal  Somewhat  Very little  Not at all

D2. What data platform or system technology is your local grade-level reading coalition using to collect and aggregate data from partner organizations and other sources in order to identify gaps, track/monitor progress, and develop strategies? Check all that apply.  Clear Impact Scorecard (formerly Results Scorecard)  NFocus  Social Solutions ETO  School district data system  State-developed data system. (Please briefly describe below.)  University-based data system  We are not currently using a special or dedicated data platform or system technology to collect and aggregate data for our coalition to use.  Other locally-developed data system. (Please briefly describe below.)  Other (Please describe below.)

D3. Please briefly describe your data platform, if requested above. [1500 characters max.]

D4. To what extent does your local grade-level reading coalition share relevant data with parents and the community about key progress indicators and measures?  A great deal  Somewhat  Very little  Not at all

D5. Are you using disaggregated data (on the basis of family income or socio-economic status) to track the effects of your local efforts on low-income children? Yes/No

Section E: Connecting for synergy

5 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016 E1. Have you identified and affiliated with one or more change initiatives underway in your community? Yes/No

E2. If yes, please check all that apply.  Promise Neighborhoods  Ready by 21  Community Schools  Strive  United Way  Educational improvement or reform initiatives — e.g., school improvement, PBIS (positive behavior intervention supports), RTI (Response to Intervention), etc.  EC-Link City or Community Planning Efforts - Your City’s Strategic Plan, Youth Master Plan or other plans concerning kids  Other (Please describe here.)

E3. If yes, please briefly describe the most significant benefits you have realized from connecting your grade-level reading efforts to the change initiative(s) you identified. [2000 characters max.]

E4. My local grade-level reading coalition is coordinated by an organization that views the campaign as a major priority and has the capacities needed for its leadership role.  Strongly Agree  Agree  Disagree  Strongly Disagree

E5. There is a solid core of local partners that are taking the lead in managing strategy implementation and are performing effectively in their roles.  Strongly Agree  Agree  Disagree  Strongly Disagree

E6. Which of the following key National Civic League process criteria have you explicitly incorporated into your local grade-level reading efforts? Select all that apply.

 Civic Engagement and Collaboration — comprehensive citizen/resident engagement in decision making and action planning, cross-sector collaboration (business, local government, nonprofits, military, etc.) and regional collaboration.

 Inclusiveness and Diversity — recognition and involvement of diverse segments and perspectives (ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, age, sexual orientation, gender expression, people with disabilities and others) in community decision making.

6 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016 E7. We have increased the overall number of stakeholders engaged in our local grade-level reading effort over the past year.  No, we have not increased the number the stakeholders engaged in our effort.

 We’ve talked about it but haven’t taken action.

 We’re working on it – we’ve taken steps to increase the number of stakeholders engaged.

 We have increased the number of stakeholders engaged.

 We have greatly increased the number of stakeholders engaged.

 Please indicate approximately how many stakeholders were added during the 2016 calendar year and describe your efforts that led to the increased overall number of stakeholders engaged.

E8. We have increased the diversity (ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, age, sexual orientation, gender expression, people with disabilities and others) of the stakeholder groups engaged.  We have not done this.

 We’ve talked about it but haven’t taken action to increase the diversity of the stakeholder groups.

 We’re working on it – we’ve taken steps to increase diversity.

 We have increased diversity of stakeholders engaged.

 We have greatly increased the diversity of stakeholder engaged.

 If Yes, briefly describe your efforts that led to the increased diversity of stakeholders engaged and the resulting change.

E9. Over the past year we have increased or strengthened collaboration across institutional sectors (business, nonprofit, library, government, higher education, social service, health, faith, philanthropic, neighborhood/civic groups) in our community.

 Strongly Agree  Agree  Disagree  Strongly Disagree  If Strongly Agree or Agree, briefly describe your efforts that led to new or strengthened collaborations.

E10. Have you mobilized volunteers to support the goals of your local grade-level reading effort?  We don’t do this.

7 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016  We’re working on it – we’ve taken steps to do this. Please describe briefly here.

E11. If you have mobilized volunteers, approximately how many during the 2016 calendar year? Enter numbers only.

E12. Parents and community residents have been engaged in defining goals, creating plans and implementing action steps?

 We don’t do this.

E13. Those who are particularly affected by our local initiative have equal involvement in leadership and decision making, particularly parents of children in the 4th quartile and community residents who reflect that segment.

 We don’t have this.

E14. Leaders and organizations in our local effort go beyond just making opportunities available but instead actively and creatively seek to include diverse stakeholders and unheard voices in shaping decisions.

8 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016  We have many great examples. Please describe here.

E15. Stakeholders address challenges proactively, facing issues head on, rather than ignoring them or blaming others.

E16. Though stakeholders may disagree over ideas, these disagreements do not typically lead to a breakdown in progress.

E17. Our local grade-level reading effort has sought out community members and organizations that have not previously been involved with education and grade-level reading.

E18. We are working with other nearby communities in your efforts.

 We don’t do this.

9 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016  We’re working on it – we’ve taken steps to do this. Please describe briefly here.

E19. Please describe briefly the most effective strategies you have used to engage funders in your local grade-level reading effort. [3000 characters max.]

E20. Are you working to build a funder coalition committed to achieving the goals of your local grade- level reading effort? (Click here for more information on funder coalitions.) Yes/No

E21. If Yes, please explain.

E22. Which, if any, of the following opportunities for messaging and mobilizing did you incorporate into your local grade-level reading effort in 2016?

 Summer Learning Day

 Superintendents' Call to Action/Attendance Awareness Month

 Read Across America Day

 National Volunteer Week

E23. If you checked one or more of the opportunities above, please tell us briefly how you incorporated the opportunity into your local work and how it helped you make progress. (500 words)

Section F: Success and Sustainability

F1. What aspects of your community’s work do you believe others would benefit from learning about? You are invited here to present exemplary work in one or more aspects of the Campaign's framework for success, scale, and sustainability. Please click on the specific element(s) below that you wish to address and insert your narrative in the space provided.

1. Aligning, linking, stacking, and bundling the most proven and promising strategies, programs, and practices 2. Integrating efforts to support parent success and address the health determinants of early school success. 3. Driving with data to establish baselines, set targets, track progress, disaggregate for subgroups, create early warning and response systems, tailor strategies, and ensure shared accountability. 4. Building cross-sector collaboration, community-wide mobilization, and a coalition of local funders committed to achieving the result. 5. Prioritizing children and families in public housing and reaching those children who are especially vulnerable (children with learning differences, foster care, homeless, incarcerated parents, dual language learners).

10 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016 6. Utilizing technology to expand reach, mobilize constituencies, improve service delivery, and/or streamline operations

Section G: Updated Information on Your Community and Your Local Campaign

G1. Geographic boundary currently covered by your community plan for grade-level reading. Select one.  City  County  Entire metro area  Multiple counties (Please list by name below.)  Neighborhood (Please list by name below.)  School district/s  School feeder pattern (Please list by name below.)  Small town  State  Other (Please specify below.)

G2. If you selected multiple counties, neighborhood, school feeder pattern or other, please provide more detail. [1000 characters max.]

G3. Community size (total population) covered by your local grade-level reading effort. Indicate specific range by selecting one of the following categories.  under 10,000  10,000-24,999  25,000-49,999  50,000-99,999  100,000-199,999  200,000-499,999  500,000+

G4. Name(s) of all school districts within the geographic territory that your local grade-level reading coalition covers, whether or not your grade-level reading effort is actually working with those districts. [3000 characters max.]

G5. School districts that are directly involved as a partner in your local coalition and/or whose children and families are the focus of your community plan for grade-level reading. [3000 characters max.]

G6. Total number of students (K–12 total only; not total for each individual grade) in each district listed in #4 above. Please list by school district name. [3000 characters max.]

G7. Percent and number of K–12 students on free and reduced-price lunch for each district listed in #4 above. Please list by school district name. [3000 characters max.]

G8. If available, please provide the total number of children ages 0-8 in geographic area covered by your grade-level reading effort. If you are not sure, please provide your best estimate. Enter numbers only. [15 characters only.]

11 DRAFT 6.1 July 29, 2016 G9. Of this total, how many of these children are from low-income families? Again, if you are not sure, please provide your best estimate. Enter numbers only. [15 characters only.]

G10. Using this spreadsheet, please provide updated contact information for (a) individuals and organizations that are members of your sponsoring coalition and for (b) local funders investing in and/or involved with your local Campaign effort, along with the name of the program officer and email address. Please provide any other helpful details (e.g., amount of funding? for what time period?). Download the spreadsheet, complete it and then upload it here. [Upload to the Self-Assessment portal.]

Section H: Please use this space to recommend key topics for potential "peer learning & action cohorts" in which you would be interested in participating in the coming year.

Section I By submitting this Self-Assessment, my community (please check all that apply):

a. Would like to be considered for a 2017 All-American City Award, presented by the National Civic League and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

b. Would like to be considered for 2016 Pacesetter Honors by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (Please note that Pacesetter Honors will be awarded only to communities that are official members of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Network of Communities as of January 31, 2017.)

c. Does NOT wish to be considered for either recognition (2017 All-American City Award; 2016 Pacesetter Honors)