The data across all six of our outcomes provide compelling cases for community collective action. In an effort to prioritize the work of the collective partnership, three areas of focus for initial action were discussed, selected and approved by the Leadership Council.
Given these outcomes, our partnership is working to execute a “Start Early, End Well” strategy for change in our community.
10% increase in 3rd grade reading proficiency
10% increase in partner districts high school graduation rate
12% increase in postsecondary entry
Ensuring children are ready to learn when they enroll in kindergarten is key to preventing adverse outcomes – poverty, poor health, crime – throughout their lifetimes. Furthermore, an analysis of pre-K programs across the country showed students attending quality pre-K programs were 33% less likely to repeat a grade through 8th grade compared to students not enrolled in Pre-K.
Reading proficiently by the end of third-grade is critical. According to the Children’s Reading Foundation, up to half of printed fourth-grade curriculum is incomprehensible to students who read below grade level. Additionally, about 31% of poor African American students and 33% of poor Hispanic students who did not hit the third grade proficiency mark, failed to graduate high school.
Almost one-in-five young Tulsans enter adulthood without a high school diploma and only 53% of area graduates complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the passport to college, and there is a 30% increase in postsecondary enrollment with low and middle-income students if the FAFSA is completed.