SUCCESS BY 6®
What is Success By 6®?
Success By 6 is an initiative with a vision, goals, strategies, and an action agenda for our community’s youngest children. With the future of our community's children in mind, this initiative is being implemented by a group of public and private, business and community leaders to actively pursue solutions to the problems that inhibit our children from reaching their potential.
Why It Matters
- 90 percent of brain development happens within the first three years of life.
- Quality early childhood programs for low-income children generate an overall 16 percent rate of return on investment.
- 53% of incoming kindergartners in Boone County tested below what is expected from a child entering kindergarten in areas such as phonics, vocabulary, and letter recognition.
- More than half of children entering kindergarten within Cincinnati Public Schools are not on track for school readiness in early literacy and language development.
- In a sample of 2,800 kindergarteners in Cincinnati Public Schools, 14.5% were found to have moderate to severe dental deficiencies during screenings, requiring immediate referral to a dentist. 10% were considered overweight.
Community Impact
Boone County Success By 6®
- Conducting fourth year of kindergarten assessments for every child entering kindergarten to gauge status of school readiness. Measuring trends in school readiness over time and using findings to improve strategies of the initiative
- Kindergarten teachers can now be more proactive in addressing the needs of each individual student. Developmental delays, that may have taken a teacher many months to recognize, are now known before the first day of school.
- A 40’ mobile unit delivers information and screening services directly into neighborhoods and to early care and education centers and local events, providing all Boone County residents with access to services to help their children succeed; over 5,000 have accessed programs on board the vehicle.
- Creating community awareness by distributing over 350,000 pieces of direct mail to Boone County households, through newspaper advertisements, guest columns, a new interactive Web site, and publication of the Boone County Success By 6 Early Childhood Toolkit, which includes information and activities to help parents prepare their child for school.
Success By 6® Hamilton County
- Conducted a second year of kindergarten assessments for every child entering kindergarten in Cincinnati Public Schools to gauge the status of readiness in literacy and language development, as well as health characteristics.
- Published Successful Starts: A look at Kindergarten Readiness in Hamilton County.
- Published Getting to the Goal Line report which outlines the next phase of work and identifies resources needed to assure school readiness.
- Developed and distributed 10,000 copies of Simple Steps parent kit to assist parents in their role as their child’s best teacher using the developmental milestones, parent tips and activities to stimulate age-appropriate development.
- Expanded shared reading in collaboration with The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County to enhance children’s language and literacy development, using the evidence-based dialogic reading method to train parents and child care providers.
To learn more about what this exciting initiative is doing for the Newport area schools click the link below!
Newport Schools, United Way Collaborate
Your Child Deserves the Best pdf