Industry and Education Partners to Develop Reading Metrics

In 2012, Dalton-Whitfield leaders declared their commitment to helping all students achieve grade level reading by third grade.  In an effort to ensure progress towards this goal, the Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership has decided to work together as a community to establish common grade level reading metrics.  Shaw Industries, Mohawk Industries, and J&J Industries have each volunteered a Six Sigma expert to work with representatives from each school system on this project.  The scope of the group’s work is as follows: 

1) Examine existing data to determine how variables like poverty are impacting student success;

2) Decide upon a common metric(s) for third grade reading level and grades up to third; and

3) Decide upon a benchmark on the metric(s) that will establish success.

The team hopes to have a recommendation for the school systems in early January of 2014, prior to the schools’ spring budget determinations.

Archway Presents to Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce

 

On October 31, the Archway Partnership shared information about local initiatives with the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. At the meeting, Archway Partnership chairman Lynn Laughter, Vice-Chair Don Cope, and Archway Professional Melissa Lu refreshed the board on select poverty statistics indicating the need for community collaboration: 

 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Fact Finder.
Poverty line is considered to be $21,954 (GA County Guide).

 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Fact Finder.
Median Household Income is defined as the income of the householder and all other individuals 15 years old and over in the household, whether they are related to the householder or not (U.S. Census Bureau). Inflation adjusted income has been adjusted using an inflation-adjusted calculator found at http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm and is based on the 2013 year.

Archway representatives then shared with the Chamber Board Archway's 2013-2014 priorities:
     1) Get Students on Grade Level Reading by Third Grade
     2) Prioritize a Greenways, Parks, and Trails Project
     3) Further Explore the Concept of a Business Incubator

The presentation shared can be viewed here.

GPEE Bus Tour Visits Dalton-Whitfield County

On October 29, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education bus tour visited Dalton-Whitfield County to learn more about community-wide education efforts.  More than 80 representatives from around the state visited the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy, where they had an opportunity to learn about Archway Partnership and Archway-initiated efforts including the Early Childhood Community Coalition; Readers to Leaders; Explore Experience; and Design, Engineering and Manufacturing Camp.  Participants also had the opportunity to learn about other educational opportunities sponsored by Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Dalton State College, and Whitfield Middle School STEM programs.

Following a tour of the Career Academy and exhibit visits, representatives were treated to a dinner prepared by culinary arts students from local high schools. During dinner, participants had an opportunity to learn more about Archway Partnership’s work and other community-wide education initiatives.

Below are some images highlighting the event.

Archway Education Professional Katy Green (center) discusses early childhood education initiatives with two bus tour visitors.

 

Pam Partain (right), Chair of Archway Partnership’s Readers to Leaders (R2L) Committee, explains R2L’s mission and the community’s commitment to literacy.

 

Archway Professional Melissa Lu (center) shares Archway Partnership efforts with representatives. 

Archway Work Group: Early Childhood Community Coalition

August and September have been very exciting months for the Early Childhood Community Coalition (ECCC). The ECCC is a united voice of community partners who advocate, collaborate, strategize, and provide solutions to support healthy prenatal awareness and early childhood development by: (1) Engaging the community in prenatal to pre-k issues including the importance of emergent literacy, school readiness, and healthy lifestyle choices; (2) Empowering and providing all young children in the community with the best start in life by building parent and educator capacity;  and (3) Enhancing collaboration among organizations to maximize resources for the betterment of the children and community. The vision of this committee is to “prepare children, from birth to age five, for success in school and life.”

The ECCC is dedicated to supporting healthy prenatal awareness, as early and regular prenatal care increases the chances of a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. The committee members are currently in discussions with many different agencies to discuss the awareness of healthy prenatal care and solutions for providing prenatal care for women who are uninsured and may not have the financial means to pay for prenatal care.

This committee is also dedicated to early literacy and school readiness for young children. The ECCC is currently strategizing ways to bolster parent and educator capacity of early literacy and school readiness, as well as ways that the community can support early literacy and school readiness efforts. For example, Readers to Leaders along with White’s Pediatrics, the local library, and funding by faith-based organizations have begun the Reach Out and Read program. Reach Out and Read is a program that pediatricians discuss literacy milestones with parents and provide children a free book at each well visit from the ages of 6 months through 5.   The committee is in the midst of expanding this program with other pediatric offices in the community.

ECCC is also joining forces with Readers to Leaders to develop a community-wide grade level reading strategic plan, which is part of the national and state Grade Level Reading Campaign to increase the number of children reading on grade level by third grade. The ECCC will develop the Birth to Five literacy plan to support this community effort.

 

Archway Executive Committee Prioritizes Issues for 2013-2014

At the September Archway Partnership Executive Committee meeting, members prioritized the following key issues to focus on in 2013-2014:

·        Get students reading on grade level by third grade.

·        Prioritize greenways, parks, and trails projects.

·        Pursue funding for a business incubator.

At the meeting, the group also formally voted to form a work group to develop measurements related to the goal of getting all students on third grade reading level. 

Readers to Leaders Considers Next Steps

At the September Readers to Leaders issue work group meeting, members discussed how the community can meet its goal of getting all students reading on grade level by third grade.  At the meeting, the group discussed ideas including:

·        Assisting the library in expanding its summer reading program to sites throughout the county.

·        Assisting Whitfield County Schools in adding more sites and programming for its Lunch ‘n Learn school readiness program next summer.

·        Working with adult literacy programs to support parents as their children’s first teachers.

·        Supporting Dalton State College’s School of Education in hosting a Christmas reading event, a summer reading and writing camp, and curriculum nights.

·        Joining the Grade Level Reading Campaign and a similar campaign for English language learners.

Over the next month, a smaller group will meet to engage in strategic planning for Readers to Leaders.

To view the minutes from the meeting, click on the following link:  http://www.archwaypartnership.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/September-2013-minutes.pdf

City of Dalton Hosts Grand Opening for Mt. Rachel Hiking Trail

On August 21, the City of Dalton hosted a grand opening for the new Mount Rachel Hiking Trail, a 1.6 mile walking and biking trail that originates just outside of downtown Dalton.    The grand opening of the trail represents more than three years’ worth of work and collaboration across many different groups.   In 2010, City Manager Ty Ross solicited the support of the Archway Partnership Executive Committee in applying for grants that were ultimately obtained and utilized to construct the trail.  In 2011, the City of Dalton worked with University of Georgia graduate students in the College of Environment and Design to create concepts for the trail.  Mr. Ross noted that “[t]he Archway environmental design students’ work greatly contributed to the original Mt. Rachel concept and many of their suggestions were directly incorporated into the constructed improvements.  For example, amenities such as bike racks, picnic shelters, restrooms, and water fountains were all wisely suggested by the students as things that they would desire in such a facility.” 

Photo courtesy of Northwest Georgia Healthcare Partnership

To learn more about the hiking trail, view coverage in the following Dalton Daily Citizen article: http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x865759471/-A-lot-of-fun