Overview
Strong educational opportunities are fundamental to any region’s success. To objectively measure achievement in our region’s schools, we focus on our six community indicators based on proven research. These points along the education continuum are the keys to achieving our cradle-to-career vision and critical for the success of every child.
2020 District Reopening Strategies
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in March, 2020, metro Atlanta school districts closed their buildings and transitioned to virtual learning for the remainder of the school year. While everyone is awaiting guidance from public health experts around reopening dates and processes, our region’s school districts have been busy preparing contingency plans for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. An important consideration in these plans is the projected learning loss students might experience as a result of schools’ abrupt transition to virtual learning; projections suggest that the region’s proficiency will drop by 3.6 points in ELA and 4.9 points in math.
In light of this, Learn4Life reviewed district strategy documents and interviewed metro Atlanta’s superintendents, who together are responsible for educating more than 600,000 students, to ask how they plan to deliver instruction in the coming months. The following is not a comprehensive list of every strategy, but rather a selection of innovative practices that have the potential to scale across the region.
Change Action Networks
Change Action Networks are comprised of practitioner groups, districts, nonprofits, and communities actively working in the field to collaboratively improve outcomes identified as top priorities by the Leadership Council. The networks exist to develop and execute community-level plans to address the underlying causes (contributing indicators) impacting our key student achievement indicators (community indicators).
By working together, the network can eliminate duplication of services and unnecessary strain on existing resources while still being able to serve the largest number of students with the best services possible.
Indicator 1 – Kindergarten Readiness
Kindergarten readiness is linked to future academic achievement and success in life. As kindergarten school readiness results improve, third-grade reading and math scores rise correspondingly. A child’s readiness to start kindergarten is the most important educational milestone in the child’s life. Learn more
Indicator 2 – Third-grade Reading Proficiency
Literacy is critical to a child’s academic success, and children need to acquire these basic reading skills early on. Children who are behind in third grade often remain behind in reading for the rest of their school careers. Children who cannot read well struggle in other subjects, including math, science and social studies. Learn more
Indicator 3 – Eighth-grade Math Proficiency
Middle school is when students study algebraic concepts, and mastery of algebra is strongly linked to high school success and college enrollment. Learn more
Indicator 4 – High School Graduation
Earning a high school diploma is critical for postsecondary enrollment, career attainment, higher income and other measures of success. High school dropouts have higher unemployment rates and earn significantly less over the course of their lifetime. Learn more
Indicator 5 – Post-Secondary Degree or Credential Program Enrollment
Enrollment in college or another type of post-secondary program is one of the critical transitions in the cradle-to-career pipeline. Learn more
Indicator 6 – Post-Secondary Degree or Credential Completion
The U.S. labor market demands a more educated workforce. Occupations that once required only a high school diploma now require post-secondary education, including two- and four-year degrees, certifications and other industry-recognized credentials. This trend will continue as more industries require their employees to have specific skills and the knowledge necessary to compete in a global and technology-based economy. Learn more
