Our Blog

15 Oct

Strategies for closing the 3rd grade reading achievement gap

By Rebecca Parshall Third-Grade Reading 1

What are the highest performing schools doing to improve literacy for low-income students? Learn4Life’s Early Literacy Network recently asked this question, and then reviewed schools’ third grade reading proficiency data to find these metro Atlanta schools. (Here is the full data pack; schools are represented by dots). It turns out there is quite a wide distribution of schools, even among schools with very similar student populations. We selected a handful of schools that were scoring–or

04 Oct

Georgia Pre-K: An Investment in Equity

By Erica Fener Sitkoff Partners in Education, Third-Grade Reading 1

Years of experience advocating for quality early learning in Georgia has revealed the incredible work being done, by so many, to emphasize the importance of a quality early childhood education to successful lifetime outcomes. As a mother of a 5-year old child, and as Executive Director of Voices for Georgia’s Children, a nonprofit working to advance laws, policies, and actions that improve children’s lives, both my personal and professional lives are directly affected by our

30 May

The Scholarship Academy Equips Students to Pay for College

By Jessica Johnson Post-Secondary Success 2

Last week, the country celebrated with recent Morehouse College graduates as they learned that their entire student loan debt had been cancelled by billionaire philanthropist and 2019 commencement speaker, Mr. Robert F. Smith. But for thousands of young college enrollment hopefuls, that “miracle” debt cancellation simply will not come. This time of year can be likened to the “Tale of Two Cities” opening line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of

19 May

Carrying Each Other: True Collective Impact

By Brad Bryant Cradle to Career, Partners in Education 1

“One life, but we’re not the same We get to carry each other, carry each other One” Lyrics from “One”, U2 In the late 1970s, four Dublin bandmates known as Feedback were told by their priest that they could not pursue both their faith and rock music. Thankfully, they did not heed that advice. Those musicians, known today as U2, saw a different path for success. For over four decades, U2 has found a way

10 May

The State of Education in Metro Atlanta Review

By Rebecca Parshall Cradle to Career, Partners in Education 2

Learn4Life released its third annual “State of Education in Metro Atlanta” report. At the report release event, our region’s superintendents shared their perspectives on how k-12 school districts can help bridge students to and through post-secondary attainment. They also discussed the importance of continuing to work toward improvement on key indicators, such as third-grade reading and eighth-grade math proficiency. Dr. Stephen Green, DeKalb County School District, Dr. Grant Rivera, Marietta City Schools, and Dr. Morcease

30 Apr

Join Our State of Education in Metro Atlanta

By Rebecca Parshall Cradle to Career, Partners in Education 1

Join us on Monday, May 6 from 8:00am-10:00am via live stream for the release of the 3rd annual State of Education in Metro Atlanta report. Superintendents and other community and business leaders will discuss the current state of education performance for our region’s 600,000 students. We will also review Learn4Life’s progress toward scaling cradle to career strategies to improve early grade literacy and post-secondary success. Hear from education leaders, including: Morcease Beasley, Superintendent, Clayton County

30 Apr

Math Bright Spots Identified: STEM Certification and STE(A)M Truck

By Rebecca Parshall Eighth-Grade Math 2

Learn4Life is pleased to announce the identification of the 8th grade math network’s bright spots—strategies that are working to improve 8th grade math proficiency in our region. After a rigorous process of data and factor analysis and review of more than fifteen bright spot proposals, the math network and L4L’s executive committee selected STEM Certification through the Georgia Department of Education and STE(A)M Truck. Both of these strategies positively affect the network’s focus factors of

12 Apr

April 17 ‘Unlikely’ Documentary Screening

By Rebecca Parshall Post-Secondary Success 1

Please join us on April 17 at Georgia State University’s Rialto Center for the Arts for a reception, screening and panel discussion for the film ‘Unlikely.’ This documentary is about the obstacles students face in earning college degrees and how universities and organizations are helping students overcome those obstacles. https://www.unlikelyfilm.com/ Wednesday, April 17 5 pm: Reception 6 pm: Screening 7:45 pm: Panel discussion moderated by WABE’s Martha Dalton RSVP for free tickets here. Rialto Center

12 Apr

STEM Certification Transforms Learning

By Dr. Lya Snell Eighth-Grade Math 3

Learn4Life’s math network is working to scale strategies that raise 8th grade math proficiency in our region. We are proud to partner with the Georgia Department of Education to help more schools become STEM/STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) Certified. STEM and STEAM Certification is a process through which schools shift their instructional practices to an integrated curriculum that is driven by exploratory, project-based learning and student-centered development of ideas and solutions to real-world problems

01 Apr

Play + Tools = Authentic Learning

By Jason Martin Eighth-Grade Math 3

Most Atlantans would think twice before handing a hammer to a kid in a park with the suggestion, “go play!” Yet this is exactly what some parks are doing in Great Britain and increasingly here in the US. The belief that risk, authenticity and play go hand in hand is something most older grandparents might muse to the younger generation, entreating them with “in my day, and with nothing more than a stick and tire,

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