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The Minneapolis Youth
Coordinating Board (YCB) received $1 million for its School Readiness
Initiative to ensure that all Minneapolis children enter kindergarten
ready to learn.
What is the
School Readiness Initiative?
The School
Readiness Initiative is an effort to mobilize time, talent and
resources to boost the number of children who enter Minneapolis
kindergarten ready to learn. The initiative is funded by a federal
government grant through the Early Learning Opportunities Act (ELOA)
and a 15 percent match from the YCB.
The Initiative will
focus on three primary strategies that will work to ensure more
Minneapolis children enter kindergarten ready to learn:
What
Will the School Readiness Initiative Do?
A variety of
partners will collaborate under the direction of Carol Miller, YCB
Deputy Director of Early Childhood, to:
How Is It
Funded?
The total
funding amount is $1,160,655 ($986,557 federal ELOA grant and
$174,098 YCB share). The federal grant is for work completed between
September 30, 2002 and February 28, 2004. An extension is possible.
Why is School Readiness Important?
When children
start school without certain skills, they are at a disadvantage that
is difficult, if not impossible, to overcome – often resulting in poor
school performance throughout their school experience.
Currently, only half
of entering Minneapolis kindergartners have the skills necessary for
learning success, as measured by the Minneapolis Public Schools’
kindergarten assessment. This assessment measures children’s
pre-literacy skills including recognizing letters, numbers and colors;
understanding that letters make sounds; and knowing that one reads
from left to right, front to back and top to bottom.
Helping
children enter kindergarten ready to learn will save millions of
dollars in remedial work at all ages and contribute to better
performance on standardized tests and higher graduation rates.
Dedicating the Initiative
The YCB’s
School Readiness Initiative is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Mary
McEvoy. McEvoy was a leader in early education research and dedicated
her personal and professional life to improving the lives of young
children. Prior to her untimely death in a plane crash that also
claimed the lives of Sen. Paul Wellstone and seven others, McEvoy was
a key partner in developing the School Readiness Initiative and had
planned to provide important leadership on various aspects of the
Initiative’s work. The YCB dedicated the Initiative to McEvoy’s memory
in honor of her commitment, her dedication and her spirit. McEvoy was
a Professor of Educational
Psychology and a Faculty Affiliate with the Center for Early Education
and Development at the
University of Minnesota.
Read the YCB
Statement of dedication. Visit the
Mary McEvoy Memorial
web page.
School Readiness Initiative
Partners
Minneapolis
Public Schools
Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network
Hennepin County Children, Family and Adult Services
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Minneapolis and Hennepin County Public Libraries Early Literacy
Initiative
Minnesota Dept. of Education
Greater Minneapolis Day Care Association
Center for Early Education and Development (CEED)—Univ. of
Minnesota
Metro State University
Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children
Minneapolis Dept. of Health and Family Support
Minneapolis School Readiness Collaborative
Ready 4 K
For
more information about the Youth Coordinating Board, contact:
Carol Miller
YCB Deputy Director of Early Childhood
612-348-8983
carol.miller@co.hennepin.mn.us
310-1/2 City Hall
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-673-2060
http://www.ycb.org
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