Our Work
Our Approach
Our Evidence
Achieving Outcomes through Collective Impact
Summit Education Initiative is the backbone of collective impact efforts to increase educational attainment in Summit County, Ohio. Collective impact is an approach that unites diverse community partners to improve outcomes and transform systems. An essential element of collective impact work is a backbone organization.
Collaborative Action Networks
A standing network of partner organizations working to achieve outcomes associated with a strategic area of focus and a strategic committee. CANs identify metrics for their outcomes and use continuous improvement processes to set and attain goals. CANs support a strategic area of focus and the greater collective impact vision.
Collaborative Action Teams
A time- or task-bound team formed to accomplish a specific objective that improves outcomes for a Collaborative Action Network (CAN). CATs can consist of practitioners, subject matter experts, community partners or stakeholders whose interests or responsibilities align with the objective.
Support Solutions
In the absence of existing solutions that effectively meet system needs, SEI may develop or provide solutions in collaboration with local partners. Support Solutions are research-validated, evidence-based tools, interventions, resources or materials that target specific partner needs.
Kindergarten Readiness
All children deserve a strong start at the beginning of school. Summit Education Initiative works in partnership with the Early Care and Education team of the Summit County First Things First collaborative to increase kindergarten readiness and school success at this first critical transition point. We have three strategies for increasing kindergarten readiness:
- Increase access to high-quality preschool experiences.
- Measure and describe child development at the end of preschool.
- Increase the proportion of students who begin kindergarten on track for success.
Collaborative Action Networks
3Ts Community Project
High-quality education and information to encourage healthy interactions between infants and parents in the home.
Readiness Coalitions leaders Network
This Network is the leaders of each district that come together to hear county-wide data, collaborate and brainstorm best practices that would drive an increase in kindergarten readiness in Summit County.
Collaborative Action Teams
16 for SUCCESS Videos
This Network is a group of Principals from Summit County preschool that meet to discuss how to increase kindergarten readiness.
Early Childhood SUCCESS Kits
This Network is a group of Principals from Summit County preschool that meet to discuss how to increase kindergarten readiness.
Local Readiness Coalitions
District leaders (Principals and Curriculum Specialists) from Summit County engage local community partners in their districts to participate in the kindergarten transition process and how that looks in their respective communities.
Get Ready For School
A program that helps incoming, kindergarteners get comfortable with classroom routines, practice crucial early learning skills and explore their school before their first day.
Support Solutions
Summit Readiness Screener
A one-on-one kindergarten screener based on the 47 early learning skills.
Transition skills Summary
A snapshot of a child’s readiness for kindergarten at the end of preschool. Preschools and parents receive a report.
16 for Success Kits
Kits are given to preschoolers transitioning to kindergarten. It reinforces the 16 skills identified are highly predictive of kindergarten readiness.
CLASS Act Scholars
This program supports and empowers preschool teachers with coaching and resources that increase children’s learning through high-quality interactions.
3rd Grade Reading
Reading skills at the end of third grade are one of the strongest predictors of student success for years to come. Reading can open doors to increased opportunities for learning. Our Third Grade Reading Action Team, comprising teachers, literacy coaches, and school and community leaders, works to support schools and teachers as they accelerate reading achievement across Summit County. There are three strategies for increased success in this area:
- Identify schools or communities with the greatest need for literacy development support.
- Increase teacher capacity through literacy coaching.
- Identify and replicate effective volunteer tutoring programs.
Collaborative Action Networks
3rd Grade Reading Achievement Team
A group of teachers, literacy coaches and
school and community leaders that are working to support schools as they accelerate reading achievement across Summit County.
Support Solutions
Key Steps to reading success
An 8-week, family-centric program to help kindergarteners get on track for 3rd grade reading.
8th Grade Math
Middle school is a critical time for students, especially when it comes to mathematics. Math becomes more challenging during the middle school years. Students who finish eighth grade with skills above the minimum standards are far more likely to be successful in high school and to graduate prepared for high-skilled careers and college. Unfortunately, less than half of all students demonstrate strong math skills by the end of eighth grade. We are working to change that with three strategies across a select number of pilot school districts and classrooms:
- Increase student motivation and confidence.
- Help parents support their children at home.
- Develop high-quality, low-stakes assessments.
Collaborative Action Networks
Middle Grades Network
A collection of 20 school teams working to increase student success in middle grades. Each school team consists of at least one administrator, school counselor and teacher. The Network meets four times each year to review evidence of student outcomes, and to share best practices.
Collaborative Action Teams
Algebra Accords
Educators and partners across Summit County are working toward an ambitious goal: we want at least half of all students to complete Algebra 1 before high school. Through the Algebra Accords, partners will develop plans and strategies to meet this challenge together.
Support Solutions
Math Challange Events
Math Challenge Events are half-day experiences in school that encourage collaboration and creative problem-solving. Math challenges are facilitated by community volunteers. The goal of this work is to build confidence and interest in math, and to remind students that learning math can be fun and engaging.
Career Awareness Videos
We ask community members who work in Summit County to participate in a 30-minute interview to increase student awareness about the different career opportunities! These videos are veiwed by middle and high school students to demonstrate the relationship between personal interests and career pathways.
9th Grade Success
A good start to high school sets a foundation for success that lasts for years. Students who have a good start are sometimes more than four times as likely to graduate prepared for career and college, compared with their peers. But transitioning to high school isn’t always easy. Some students struggle with attendance issues, passing courses or earning strong grades. Our work to promote ninth grade success centers on three strategies:
- Miss no more than 8 days of school.
- Earn at least 6.5 credits by the end of ninth grade.
- Maintain a B or B+ average.
Collaborative Action Networks
Ready High school Network
A collection of school teams working to increase 9th Grade student success. The Network meets four times each year to review evidence of student outcomes and to share best practices.
College & Career Readiness
After high school, students follow a variety of pathways into adulthood. Our goal is to prepare students for success in any career or college pathway they choose. For most pathways, the skills needed for success are similar. We have three strategies in our college readiness work:
- All students graduate from high school with a plan to be employed, enrolled or enlisted.
- All students who plan to attend college after high school will complete a FAFSA.
- Increase the proportion of students who earn a “college ready” score on college placement tests.
Collaborative Action Networks
College Attainment Team
This team is working to increase the number of individuals earning degrees or high-value credentials in Summit County.
Collaborative Action Teams
FAFSA Completion Campaign
A collection of 23 school teams working to increase student success in middle grades. Each school team consists of at least one administrator, school counselor and teacher. The Network meets four times each year to review evidence of student outcomes, and to share best practices.
Support Solutions
Practice ACT Scoring and Reporting
SEI supports Summit County High School students with the opportunity to take the Practice ACT Test administered at their schools in spring every year. SEI provides free-of-cost Practice ACT testing, scoring, and reporting results to at least one cohort of students from each school building.
Post Secondary Success
Most jobs of the future will require some form of certificate or degree beyond the high school diploma. We coordinate efforts to support young adults in their transitions to life after high school, and also conduct outreach efforts to connect older adult students with opportunities to complete their degrees. Here is how we are working towards our goal of 90 percent of individuals from Summit County who enroll in college to persist toward earning degrees:
- Recruit adults to return to college or attend for the first time and earn a degree.
- Develop training courses designed to better educate individuals about postsecondary options and possibilities.
- Strength the transition from high school to post-secondary enrollment.
Out of School Time
Collaborative Action Networks
Out of School Time Network
Out of School Time Network is a group of Summit County organizations that either lead or coordinate Out of School Time Programs and activities for students K-12 and help provide students with extended learning opportunities.
Collaborative Action Teams
Social Emotional Learning in Out of School Time Programs
The SED(SociAL Emotional Development) vision is to have socio-emotionally flourishing children and youth in Summit County Out of School Time (OST) Programs. The CAT is working to justify this definition of SEL and scale up a research-based standard measure of SEL assessment (DESSAMini and Full-Length Assessments by Aperture Education) in PreK- 12 OST programs.
OST Program Quality Measures
The PQA (Program Quality Assessment) vision is to be accountable for every student by catering to their needs through high-quality OST programming. Thus bringing in three-tier student-program-system-level changes in Summit County.
Support Solutions
Youthview OST Surveys
YouthView OST is a social-emotional survey developed by Summit Education Initiative for Out of School Time Providers that could drive positive action at the student, program and OST Organization levels.
OST Network Portal
The OST Dashboards provide a secure platform where the after-school programs manage programs and participants and access student-level academic and behavioral data from participating Summit County Schools after families have authorized data sharing with the OST organizations.
Research and Program Evaluations
SEI provides free program evaluations for school districts, OST Summer or shorter-term OST programs. These program evaluations demonstrate the program’s impact on students’ academic outcomes.