Morris: Report highlights good things about education

Taken from the Tricounty Cradle to Career’s 2015 Regional Education Report. More.

By Kyra Morris | Want to read something good about education in South Carolina and specifically Charleston? Several years ago, the greater community came together to create an organization whose purpose is to maximize resources and foster an environment of collective impact where young people of all socio-economic backgrounds can reach their fullest potential. New initiatives within schools from pre-school through post-secondary are in place to support youth development from cradle to career.

Inspired by Anita Zucker and many other community partnerships, the Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative was formed. Cradle to Career was modeled after a program in Cincinnati called Strive. Strive experienced fast and ongoing success with a 72 percent increase in kindergarten readiness and reduced drop-out rates among high school students. Although the collaborative does not implement programs, it aligns resources that provide students and their families with continuous stream of support.

“For the first time leaders from our region’s top businesses, school systems, colleges/universities, foundations, not-for-profits and governments have agreed to align our efforts to ensure every child in the tri-county region will graduate from high school prepared for either further education or employment in the modern workforce.”

— Anita  Zucker, Chair and CEO, The InterTech Group

Five education and career goals were published in 2013:

• Every child will be prepared for school
• Every child will be supported in and out of school
• Every child will succeed academically.
• Every child will graduate high school prepared for either further education or employment in the modern workforce.
• Every student enrolled in a post-secondary education will complete successfully and will enter a career.

Health is also a component of Cradle to Career. It is critical to make sure children, parents and businesses received the support they needed to be successful. The desire is not for a narrow focus on health, but a broad perspective, making sure people have the basics like sufficient food to eat and also the knowledge of good health habits and with access to good health.

Total community involvement is another aspect of the collaboration. The resources are gathered and communicated to align the work talent needed within organizations with the education of our young people from birth to early adulthood. For example the Economic Scorecard for our community was published and circulated by the Charleston Chamber of Commerce and others. This provides guidance for the education needed and the gaps that exist. With the use of this report we can encourage the business community to enter education and the education community to interact more closely with businesses.

An example of the collaborative and its support is the Education and Development for Graduation and Employment (EDGE) academies. These are also called “career academies.” These are schools within high schools that have a career focus. Academies for the past several years focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), health sciences and hospitality/culinary, and now a Financial Services Academy began in Dorchester County. The idea is to get students involved and excited about a career pathway before they graduate high school. The programs integrate traditional education with career focused education along with business intern opportunities. Students can finish high school with skills already established to start jump start careers in their chosen field.

Another outcome is that students see firsthand that their education leads to benefits both economically and personally. The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce started a program a couple of years ago that funds scholarships for qualified students coming out of the academies. These scholarships provide 100 percent of the costs of education to those who choose to pursue associate’s degrees. Also from these inspired moves, many businesses are hiring these young people and providing pathways to combine work and education.

The Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative (TCCC) released its first Regional Education Report in January of 2015. The report provides a comprehensive overview of key educational outcomes for public school students in the tri-county area (Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties) at eight assessment points ranging across the continuum from kindergarten readiness to postsecondary. The report is not a glowing report of success so far in our education system. There is so much that needs to be done.

The focus though is not on the negative, but on the opportunity. The TriCounty Cradle to Career Collaborative provides a foundation and a forum for all of us to get involved. Positive things are happening. If you want to keep reading good things about education in South Carolina and especially Charleston, it may be up to you. You can make a difference.