Success for All Foundation Receives Major Gift to Fund School Improvement Initiative

BALTIMORE, Aug. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --  The Success for All Foundation (SFAF), a pioneer in whole-school improvement, is proving that schoolwide success can be replicated. SFAF has been awarded a multi-year grant to create scholarships to allow elementary schools in disadvantaged areas to implement its powerful approach to increase student achievement. "We are thrilled that this funding will establish scholarships for schools eager to adopt SFA's transformative approach, beginning in January 2025," said Julie Wible, CEO of Success for All Foundation.

Success for All's goal will be to dramatically improve reading achievement for participating schools in disadvantaged areas.  According to the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), considered the nation's report card, only 19% of 4th graders in economically disadvantaged areas read proficiently.  In contrast, schools implementing Success for All have substantially greater success.  In Steubenville, Ohio, third graders in Success for All partner schools achieve 95% proficiency in Literacy on Ohio state assessments, in spite of the high poverty levels in the community. 

Success for All was developed by Robert Slavin and Nancy Madden, educators and researchers at Johns Hopkins University.  The approach provides extensive professional development in methods such as cooperative learning, classroom management, frequent assessment and feedback, use of data to guide instruction, strategies for English learners, and family support.  Success for All implementation involves school-wide collaboration among teachers, school leaders, and the community to utilize research proven strategies for success.  Teachers work together to create common routines to support a positive school climate with high expectations for success and positive peer interactions.  New classroom instructional routines focus on student engagement and discussion, with students working together in cooperative teams.  Parents become involved to listen to their child's reading daily and celebrate progress. School leaders engage staff in goal setting and progress monitoring to creates shared responsibility for success.  Success for All Foundation provides school and classroom resources, guidance, training, and extensive coaching for partner schools over the first three years of implementation to assist schools with implementation. 

This new scholarship initiative will fund much of the start-up cost for implementing Success for All beginning in January 2025 for 30 schools, and for an additional 50 schools in January 2026, and January 2027.  Schools in low-income communities focused on higher levels of reading achievement will be eligible to apply for a scholarship.

 "Success for All has provided a solution to reach all students where they are in their learning journey and has accelerated growth in a significant way," said Paula M. Escala, Senior Director and Superintendent of Schools

 "The SFA program turned my professional life around concerning instruction and leadership. The skills, cooperative learning and partner reading, the structure, and the impact that the different components have upon children is unbelievable. We have gone from the lowest school in our district to the highest, and we have 95% economically disadvantaged children," said Jerry Allen, former Principal, Lackland City Elementary School,

Early reading success is critical for long-term academic and personal achievement, as children who struggle with reading are four times less likely to graduate from high school. This initiative aims to close these gaps by ensuring that all students receive the high-quality instruction they need to thrive.

"Early reading failure is not only a catastrophe for individual children, it is also a key driver of inequality.  Education researchers disagree on much, but they are united in this conclusion: We have the tools right now to ensure success in early literacy.  We just need to use the evidence.  This grant funding will support schools as they make real and lasting differences for all kids," said Wible.

Success for All plans to award scholarships to 130 schools over the next three years, setting 100,000 children on a path to success. This initiative is about more than immediate gains; it's about creating enduring change in education.

Learn More: https://www.successforall.org/school-success-scholarships/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessforAll

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/success-for-all-foundation

Contact
Anna Fox
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SOURCE Success for All Foundation