http://www.impact.upenn.edu//us-domestic-issues/feed Content from the US Domestic Issues Reports for the Center for High Impact Philanthropy en-us info@sp2.upenn.edu Copyright {gmt_date format="%Y"} {gmt_date format="%Y-%m-%dT%H:%i:%s%Q"} http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/create_young_readers_and_lifelong_learners/ http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/create_young_readers_and_lifelong_learners/#When:02:16:12Z Download the pdf. Nearly half of low-income fourth graders cannot read at a basic level. Children who do not reach reading proficiency by the end of third grade risk never catching up and are in danger of dropping out later. Until third grade, students are mastering reading and writing; after third grade, they depend on those skills to master everything else. How You Can Help Support programs that strengthen early literacy, at the pre-school and/or early elementary stage. Some programs focus on providing extra support directly to at-risk students, while others concentrate on curriculum and on improving teachers’ skill and knowledge. High Impact Opportunity Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) is an example of an early literacy program focused on professional development of teachers. It trains pre-K through third grade teachers in literacy techniques and provides books and coaching to help teachers implement strategies in their classrooms. Several randomized control studies have verified the effectiveness of CLI training in increasing the number of children achieving literacy benchmarks on time. In New York, an internal evaluation estimated that for every 100 students in participating classrooms, an additional 32 made benchmarks. We estimated that for less than $600 per student, CLI enables an additional student to hit literacy benchmarks. Other benefits include improved teacher satisfaction and retention. Take Action CLI currently operates in nine states, plus the District of Columbia, and has recently received a federal grant to expand the program. Other models that have succeeded in improving early literacy include the Success for All whole school reform model and the Reading Recovery program, a school-based tutoring program focused on at-risk first graders. Tips Look for teacher training programs in which mentors, coaches, and instructors are seasoned and successful classroom teachers themselves; where coaching is sustained over time; and where teacher preparation is supported by active strategies such as modeling and group assessment of student work rather than lecturing. For more discussion of effective teacher development, see pages 26-28 of High Impact Philanthropy to Improve Teaching Quality. For more on CLI and other programs to support preschool and early elementary school children, see pages 18-25 of Pathways to Student Success. << Previous Opportunity: Help new teachers succeed Continue to International Opportunities >> http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/help_new_teachers_succeed/ http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/help_new_teachers_succeed/#When:02:06:10Z Download the pdf. Too often, new teachers are placed in the toughest classrooms, left to sink or swim. Nearly a third leave the profession after three years, and those who stay do not reach peak effectiveness until their fifth year. This pattern is damaging to children: students taught by new teachers tend to learn less than those who have the benefit of more experienced teachers. Moreover, high teacher turnover is associated with lower levels of student achievement and is a huge financial burden for school districts. How You Can Help Help new teachers become more effective faster and retain effective teachers longer by supporting comprehensive new teacher mentoring programs. These programs pair new teachers with more experienced ones, who serve as instructional coaches over several years. High Impact Opportunity The New Teacher Center (NTC), which operates in multiple locations, helped pioneer the comprehensive teacher mentoring model and has measured teacher effectiveness through gains in student learning. NTC found that teacher effectiveness improved significantly, at a modest cost of $34 – $40 per secondary student. Those mentored in NTC’s two-year program were as effective as fourth-year teachers who had not completed the program. In California, the six-year teacher retention rates for program participants represented a 16 percent increase over other California teachers and a 76 percent increase over national averages. Mentoring programs can also help build a cadre of “master teachers” within a district, keeping the most experienced teachers in classrooms and providing career paths other than administration for outstanding teachers. Take Action Check out NTC’s web site for philanthropic opportunities. Many districts and schools also have their own mentoring programs, although these need to be carefully screened for quality. Contact your school and/or district officials to find out if there is a mentoring program in place. Many districts have an associated nonprofit education fund that can accept private donations. Tips To achieve the impact described above, mentoring needs to focus on the actual work in the classroom — as opposed to giving general social support — and it must occur regularly over a sustained period of time (at least two years). In selecting any program aimed at supporting new teachers, look for instructors, mentors, or coaches who are selectively recruited for their ability to be effective teachers of both students and adults. For additional tips and information on this and other newteacher support programs, see pages 19-25 of High Impact Philanthropy to Improve Teaching Quality. Next Opportunity: Create young readers and lifelong learners >> << Previous Opportunity: Redesign schools for better learning http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/redesign_schools_for_better_learning/ http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/redesign_schools_for_better_learning/#When:01:49:25Z Download the pdf. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that more than 5,000 schools, serving approximately 2.5 million students nationwide, are “chronically failing,” which means that the students are at risk of failing to master the skills required to progress through school, graduate, and go on to college or a job. How You Can Help Support effective whole school reform designed to maximize learning time for students and teachers, make the curriculum more rigorous and engaging, and address issues such as school leadership, teacher recruitment, professional development, and evaluation, which are critical for teacher effectiveness and student success. High Impact Opportunity Several whole school reform programs in charter and regular public schools have had excellent results. Students at Green Dot, a California-based charter organization serving high-need populations, showed greater growth in learning and a 12 percent improvement in graduation rates over students in comparable schools. 86 percent of graduating students went on to attend two- or four-year colleges. In New York, Generation Schools, a design for restructuring a regular public school, outperformed a comparison group of schools on various student achievement measures and graduated 90 percent of seniors on time even though only 20 percent started ninth grade at grade level. 90 percent of graduating students were accepted to college, compared to the national average of about 68 percent. Take Action You can support Generation Schools or Green Dot, both of which plan to expand to other communities. While not all whole school designs are effective, you can identify other strong whole school reform programs by checking out our short list on page 57 of High Impact Philanthropy to Improve Teaching Quality. You can also take advantage of the due diligence performed by venture philanthropy firms such as the NewSchools Venture Fund and SeaChange Capital Partners. Further information on high performing schools serving low income students is available on the web sites of the Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Awards program and the Effective Practice Incentive Community (EPIC). Tips Costs vary with design and locality, but after the start-up phase — when philanthropic capital is usually most needed — many whole school reform designs have the same per-student costs as other schools in the district or state. For more tips and discussion of models, see pages 46-58 of High Impact Philanthropy to Improve Teaching Quality and pages 40-47 of Pathways to Student Success. Next Opportunity: Help new teachers succeed Previous Opportunity: Keep families healthy http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/keep_families_healthy/ http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/keep_families_healthy/#When:01:37:40Z Download the pdf. The current economic situation has forced more and more families to postpone medical visits or forgo them altogether. Many families must make painful tradeoffs between health and other basic needs, such as food and housing. Lack of healthcare can lead to more serious illness and higher costs in the future. Maintaining family health now reduces costs and suffering later. How You Can Help The more than 7200 community health centers (CHCs) in the U.S. provide a critical safety net in rural and urban areas where the need is greatest. More than just clinics, CHCs offer comprehensive primary and preventive care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay or type of insurance. They also offer such services as translation, home-based programs, and referrals to social services. High Impact Opportunity CHCs have shown impressive results at an average cost of $560 per person per year. They improve patient outcomes and save billions of dollars by averting more costly hospital stays and emergency room visits. Studies have shown that communities served by CHCs had fewer low-birth-weight infants and better blood pressure control, compared to national averages, despite higher risk populations. Take Action You can play a strategic role in helping CHCs meet heightened demand for healthcare, provide services not covered by insurance, and reach the newly poor and uninsured. Use the mapping tool: findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov, to find a center near you. Those listed are either Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or centers that have similar essential features needed to produce the impacts we describe above. If there is no nearby CHC on this site, your city, county, or state health departments can direct you to the local health safety-net providers. Or you can contact your local United Way chapter by phone or by searching the 211 system: www.211.org under “health center” or “medical care.” Tips The most urgent unmet needs differ greatly depending on the particular community served and state funding levels. Learn how your financial contributions can support local priorities by talking to a center’s executive director or medical/nursing director. For additional tips on how to assess CHCs and questions to ask, see our guide High Impact Philanthropy in the Downturn, pages 23-25. Next Opportunity: Redesign schools for better learning >> << Previous Opportunity: Give children a strong start in life http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/give_children_a_strong_start_in_life/ http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/give_children_a_strong_start_in_life/#When:00:06:30Z Download the pdf. Children who do not have enough healthy food, good healthcare, and opportunities to learn face obstacles that put them at risk throughout their lives. Supporting these children and their parents can have huge payoffs in preventing illness, improving education outcomes, and averting future costs to society. How You Can Help Help first-time parents succeed and give children a strong start in life by supporting nurse home visitation programs for low-income mothers pregnant with their first child. Nurses provide in-home counseling about healthy pregnancy practices, childcare, and planning for future pregnancies, education, and employment. High Impact Opportunity Operating in more than thirty states, Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) matches a registered nurse with a low-income expectant mom starting from early pregnancy through the child’s second birthday. NFP has demonstrated a 48 percent decrease in child abuse and neglect, a 67 percent reduction in children’s behaviora and intellectual problems at age six, and an 83 percent increase in the mothers’ labor force participation. A cost-benefit analysis found that the program returned $5.70 for each dollar invested to help the neediest families. This means that for every high-risk family served, society saw $34,148 of net benefits from increased tax revenues and reductions in the costs of crime, welfare, and other such expenses. Take Action Use this online mapping tool to locate current NFP programs and their local implementing partners. To find other home visitation and outreach programs in your area, contact your local community health center or public health department, which can identify good local nonprofits. Tips Trust is essential in serving vulnerable families in their homes. Communities often view nurses as a particularly credible source of information. Knowledgeof the local culture allows home visitors to communicate health messages effectively. The best programs often train and employ members of the community as part of their outreach teams. For more information on this model and our analysis of this philanthropic opportunity, see pages 20-22 of High Impact Philanthropy in the Downturn. Next Opportunity: Keep Families Healthy >> << Previous Opportunity: Provide emergency food for hungry families http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/provide_emergency_food_for_hungry_families/ http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/provide_emergency_food_for_hungry_families/#When:23:51:29Z Download the pdf. Historically high rates of unemployment, home foreclosure, and lack of access to affordable medical services have left families increasingly unable to meet that most fundamental need: to put food on the table. In 2010, 17.2 million American households, approximately one in seven families, found it difficult or impossible to provide enough food for all their members. How You Can Help By financially supporting food banks, which distribute donated and discounted emergency food, you can contribute to dramatically decreasing the number of hungry families. High Impact Opportunity Conventional drives collect packaged food, producing a mix of food that often does not match family needs or provide good nutrition. There is a better and more cost-effective way. Regional food banks, like Feeding America West Michigan and Philabundance, can feed a family of four for as little as $16 – $40 per week. The USDA estimates that buying the same amount of food at retail prices could cost $160 – $230 or more. How do they do it? By using cash donations to obtain deeply discounted and donated food provided by national food and grocery companies, food banks create balanced diets at a fraction of the cost. Take Action Make monetary donations, instead of food contributions, to your regional food bank. To locate a food bank in your area, visit www.feedingamerica.org and enter your zip code or state for a list of emergency food providers. Tips To expand your impact, look for organizations that work to improve people’s access to food — such as mobile pantries, telephone hotlines, and multiple convenient locations. Seek out those which offer healthy food options, such as fresh vegetables and fruits. For more examples and tips, see our guide High Impact Philanthropy in the Downturn, pages 29-31. Next Opportunity: Give children a strong start in life >> http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/high_impact_holiday_giving_in_the_u.s/ http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/high_impact_holiday_giving_in_the_u.s/#When:23:34:10Z High Impact Holiday Giving is for individuals and their advisors who seek to optimize the social impact of their philanthropic activities during this traditional season of giving. These pages share what we have learned over the last five years, presenting our best opportunities for making a meaningful difference in people's lives in the United States. View the complete guide or click below to view each opportunity. Download the complete pdf of the report for reading, saving, and/or printing by visiting our Investment Analysis. Provide emergency food for hungry families Give children a strong start in life Keep families healthy Redesign schools for better learning Help new teachers succeed Create young readers and lifelong learners http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/social_media/ http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/social_media/#When:16:21:07Z Welcome to our Social Media home page for U.S. Domestic Issues. Here you will find social media resources for connecting to and learning about some of the organizations we mention in our investment guides and reports. You can download all of our products for free by visiting our Investment Analysis page and creating a member account. The Center for High Impact Philanthropy can be found on various social networks, many of which you can find on our "FOLLOW US" page. Our Center also follows organizations that we have mentioned in our work, and social networks are a great way to keep up with news and events. Please check back as we continue to update these resources as more and more organizations develop a presence on the social web. Teaching Quality @ImpactTeaching Twitter List: Our @ImpactTeaching twitter is for updates, news, and conversation related to teaching quality for high-need secondary students. We have created a list of nonprofits, districts, funders, and other resources we mention in High Impact Philanthropy to Improve Teaching Quality: Focus on High-Need Secondary Students. Blogs on Teaching Quality: You can read blogs related to teaching quality on our High Impact Philanthropy blog. The Education Pathway Blogs on The Education Pathway: You can read blogs related to Pathways to Student Success: A Guide to Translating Good Intentions Into Meaningful Impact on our High Impact Philanthropy blog. http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/follow_updates_on_twitter_impactteaching/ http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/follow_updates_on_twitter_impactteaching/#When:14:41:48Z We've put together a list of nonprofits, districts, funders, and other resources we mention in High Impact Philanthropy to Improve Teaching Quality: Focus on High-Need Secondary Students. You will find updates from these organizations in this feed. You can follow this twitter list here: http://twitter.com/ImpactTeaching/teaching-quality new TWTR.Widget({ version: 2, type: 'list', rpp: 30, interval: 6000, title: 'List of Nonprofits, Districts, Funders, and Other Resources Mentioned', subject: 'High Impact Philanthropy to Improve Teaching Quality', width: 500, height: 600, theme: { shell: { background: '#009351', color: '#ffffff' }, tweets: { background: '#ffffff', color: '#444444', links: '#009351' } }, features: { scrollbar: true, loop: false, live: true, hashtags: true, timestamp: true, avatars: true, behavior: 'all' } }).render().setList('ImpactTeaching', 'teaching-quality').start(); http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/jumpstart_read_for_the_record_2010_chip_reads_the_snowy_day_by_ezra_jack_ke/ http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/jumpstart_read_for_the_record_2010_chip_reads_the_snowy_day_by_ezra_jack_ke/#When:18:42:34Z October 7, 2010 marks the day of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record campaign which aims to break a world record for having the most people read the same book on the same day. This event is also in partnership with the Pearson Foundation. The Center for High Impact Philanthropy wanted to participate in this event by reading this book online. You can also participate by visiting: http://www.readfortherecord.org/site/PageServer?pagename=prepare_online. In Pathways to Student Success: A Guide to Translating Good Intentions Into Meaningful Impact, Jumpstart was identified by our Center as a Promising Practice for “Building school readiness skills through increased time in one-on-one relationships with trained, caring adults.” Autumn Walden and Ashley Bernard took some time out of their day to read and record The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. You can listen to this recording on our podcast channel and on iTunes. We’re happy to be a part of this great event to promote reading and literacy not only in the United States, but around the world. Please visit the Center’s website to find out more about our work in U.S. Education: http://www.impact.upenn.edu/us-domestic-issues/reports/category/education/. You can follow Jumpstart on twitter at @Jumpstartkids and find them on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jumpstartkids. Keep up with the Center for High Impact Philanthropy’s education work on twitter by following @ImpactTeaching and @ImpactPathways. Download the mp3 file: http://impactsp2.podbean.com/mf/web/28nc/DW_20101007_Autumn-AshleySnowyDay.mp3