Spartanburg Academic Movement Chapter 5

SUPPORTING ACHIEVEMENT COUNTY-WIDE CRADLE THROUGH CAREER

Impact 2020 - 2021 SAM CHAPTER 5 | FALL 2021

IMPACT noun: the action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another verb:

SUPPORTING ACHIEVEMENT COUNTY-WIDE CRADLE THROUGH CAREER

have a strong effect on someone or something

Impact The impact stories shared within Chapter 5 come directly 2020and- 2021 from students, parents, teachers, school administrators

nonprofit program providers across Spartanburg County.

SAM CHAPTER 5 | FALL 2021 We value the voices of those we serve.

We sincerely thank those who participated in our surveys and in-person interviews.

CONTENTS SAM Chapter 5 is the sixth annual report of the Spartanburg Academic Movement. It serves to update the Spartanburg community, our action partners, and funders on progress made across the seven stages of learning we monitor as well as initiatives underway in support of each.

More extensive information and resources about the work of SAM, our Strategic Initiatives, and digital copies of all previous annual reports can be found on our website www.learnwithsam.org.

Dedication

2

SAM Board of Directors

4

SAM Staff

5

The Story of SAM

6

County-Wide Context

8

National Engagement

9

Bridging The Data

12

Kindergarten Readiness

14

Early Grades Reading

16

Middle Grades Math

18

High School Graduation

20

Post-Secondary Enrollment

22

Post-Secondary Persistence

24

Post-Secondary Completion

25

Impact in Process

27

Families and Children

28

Stepping Forward

30

Partner Spotlights

32

Initiatives

33

Shared Vision Partners

35

Funding Partners

36

1

DEDICATION In August of 2020, Dr. John Stockwell retired as SAM’s executive director.

Chapter 5 is dedicated to him, without whom none of SAM's IMPACT over the last decade would have been possible. He discovered the StriveTogether cradle-through-career perspective and Theory of Action® that united the focused work of the Children's Services Alliance and the College Hub, already underway in Spartanburg County. He became a champion for the collaborative action, collective impact, and continuous improvement practices that drive our work to engage every community resources to build a true cradle-through-career network of support for children and families. Through him, the vision became clear:

John C. Stockwell, Ph.D. Founding Executive Director & Board Director

Economic mobility, anchored in academic achievement, countywide, cradle through career.

In October 2020, Dr. Stockwell was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest honor bestowed to a South Carolina resident, acknowledging the deep impact he has had, not only to SAM and Spartanburg County, but to our state through the many facets of his leadership. While the pandemic limited our ability to celebrate all of his accomplishments, Chapter 5 Impact honors his legacy. We are thankful he continues his service as a member of the SAM Board of Directors.

O

2

ver the years, we have shared SAM's story in book format: from the Preface, our first annual report, through our most recent, Chapter 4: Continuous Improvement, where we highlighted the launch of our John T. Wardlaw Institute for Continuous Improvement.

the impact of numerous challenges completely out of our control, the impact we have made in times of crisis, and it speaks to the goal of our work. The entirety of SAM's story can be found within the full text of our chapters available online:

We decided to call this report IMPACT, reflecting so much of what has occurred over the past two years:

WWW.LEARNWITHSAM.ORG

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

T

he resounding story of 2020 was, without question, COVID-19. The pandemic has impacted every life across our nation and will have lasting effects on our children and their futures. In this report, we share the stories of those we serve along the cradlethrough-career continuum, reflecting the new landscape of the world around us and the future we are building together.

We have felt impact from external influences beyond our control. We have created impact with COVID-19 recovery resources.

addressing equity in our approaches since, more than a decade ago, we began using data to drive our work to strengthen our community.

We are building impact with the knowledge, resources, and county-wide commitment to a stronger, better future for all our residents.

While there is still great work to be done, we as a community, can truly say we've moved beyond the point of simply talking about the challenges we face.

In many ways, SAM and Spartanburg County have been at the forefront of social issues,

Jennifer C. Evins SAM Board Chair ‘20-21

Craig D. Haydamack SAM Board Chair ‘21-22

Russell W. Booker, Ph.D. SAM Executive Director

3

SAM BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Board sets the long-term vision for the Movement, defines its mission, and develops its strategic plan. It recruits partners, assists in raising funds to sustain operations, guides the work of the staff, and plays the central role in sustaining county-wide leadership commitment to the Movement.

CRAIG D. HAYDAMACK // CHAIR

Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Milliken & Company

Dr. DARRYL OWINGS // VICE-CHAIR

Superintendent, Spartanburg School District 6

Dr. INGO ANGERMEIER // TREASURER

President, Wofford College

CURT SIDDEN

CEO, American Credit Acceptance

KATHY SINCLAIR

Founder, Patient Strategies International

VP, Human Resources, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

B. COLE ALVERSON // ASSISTANT TREASURER

ALLEN SMITH

Dr. KIRA L. REAVES // SECRETARY

R. TODD STEPHENS

Spartanburg County Administrator

Chief Human Resources Officer, Spartanburg School District 7

WILLIAM BARNET, III

CEO, Barnet Development

MELVIN BREWTON

Spartanburg School District 4 School Board

KATHY DUNLEAVY

Community Volunteer

SHAUNTÉ EVANS

CEO, Spartanburg Housing Authority

PHIL FEISAL

President, Spartanburg Regional Medical Center

President, Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce County Librarian, Spartanburg County Public Libraries

PAIGE STEPHENSON

President & CEO, United Way of the Piedmont

Dr. JOHN STOCKWELL

Retired Executive Director, Founding Member

MOLLY TALBOT-METZ

President & CEO, Mary Black Foundation

ALONZO THOMPSON

Police Chief, City of Spartanburg

COMMITTEE MEMBERS Bryan Boroughs

Dr. RANDALL GARY

Superintendent, Spartanburg District 5

Vice President & General Counsel, Institute for Child Success

TROY HANNA

Gregory Castillo

President & CEO, The Spartanburg County Foundation

Student, USC Upstate

DR. BENNIE HARRIS

J. Derham Cole, Jr.

Chancellor, USC Upstate

Dr. ARACELI HERNANDEZ-LAROCHE

Vice President for System Affairs, The University of South Carolina

USC Upstate Director, South Carolina Centro Latino Alianza Spartanburg

Breana Dogan

SUSU JOHNSON, EMERITA MEMBER

Leslie Lang

Johnson Development Associates

AVI LAWRENCE

President, Contec, Inc.

Dr. G. MICHAEL MIKOTA

President, Spartanburg Community College

JOHN CHRIS MILLER

President & CEO, Denny’s Corporation

4

Dr. NAYEF H. SAMHAT

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

Student, Wofford College Associate Pastor for Young Adults and Missions, First Presbyterian Church-Spartanburg

Wes Lehrer

Spartanburg Market President, Truist

Patrena Mims

Executive Director, The Bethlehem Center

SAM STAFF Dr. Russell W. Booker

Jasmine Stewart

Carmen Levitt

Meghan Smith

Director of Administrative Affairs

Director of College and Career Readiness

Rita Mims

Beth Thompson

Administrative Assistant

Director of Collective Impact & Data Manager

Emilee O’Brien

Ida Thompson

Director of Advocacy

Early Learning Liaison

Dr. Jennifer Parker

Kim Atchley

Executive Director

Training Associate

served as Director of Communications during the creation of Chapter 5

Director of Child, Youth, and Family Initiatives

Savannah Ray

Director of Educational Engagement and Partnerships

CONSULTANT AND INTERN SUPPORT Starr Yamaguchi-Dunbar

AmeriCorp VISTA (2020-2021)

Lynne Shackleford

Director of Communications

Ron Fairchild

Smarter Learning Group

Dr. Eric A. Hayler Hayler Group

Haiden Lancaster Vivian Ann Shaver

Continuous Improvement Coach and Trainer

Intern (2021-2022)

Lilly Simmons

AmeriCorp VISTA (2021-2022)

THE SAM TEAM

5

THE STORY OF SAM The Spartanburg Academic Movement formed and launched as a non-profit 501(c)(3) in 2013, building upon two predecessor non-profit enterprises in Spartanburg County: the Children’s Services Alliance and the College Hub. The first was an alignment of early childhood development research and service providers; and the second, an effort to align services to increase the percentage of the county’s adult population 25 years and older holding bachelor’s degrees.

The two groups did important work, but the Boards of Directors recognized the agendas of each represented two distinct markers on a very long and complex cradle-through-career academic achievement spectrum, and interventions along that spectrum must be aligned, targeted, and shared collaboratively across Spartanburg County. This recognition led to a merger and rebranding as the Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM).

A critical impetus to the merger was the establishment and early success of a collaborative action movement launched a few years earlier in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, soon to be replicated in a few cities and counties around the United States. The movement was called StriveTogether and partnerships shared the tagline: “every child … cradle through career.”

The name, the tagline and the collaborative action strategies of StriveTogether aligned with the scope and the sense of purpose shared by Spartanburg County’s two merging boards. In 2013, SAM launched as a StriveTogether partner.

6

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES Through these six years of growth, SAM has sharpened the focus of its work considerably, making it important to re-examine its vision, mission, and values.

Vision, mission, and values are easily skimmed over in reports such as this; yet, if they are well-considered and if their language gives clear direction to the work at hand, they deserve to be read and examined.

They explain the future that an enterprise like SAM dreams about (vision), the work it will undertake to make that dream a reality (mission), and the principles (values) that will guide its work. In the spring of 2019, SAM’s Board of Directors determined it was time to revisit and sharpen SAM’s vision, mission and values.

OUR VISION

OUR MISSION

OUR VALUES

ECONOMIC MOBILITY ANCHORED IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT… COUNTYWIDE…CRADLE THROUGH CAREER

WE ENSURE SPARTANBURG COUNTY’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH REACH ACADEMIC AND LIFE SUCCESS BY CONVENING PARTNERS, ALIGNING RESOURCES AND DRIVING EQUITY.

REACH - TO PICK UP, DRAW TO, EXTEND; A CONTINUOUS STRETCH

R.E.A.C.H. RESULTS We believe in using local research and data to drive community action for continuous improvement.

EQUITY We believe equal opportunity is a basic right and view all aspects of our work through an equity lens.

ADVOCACY We believe in amplifying the voice for public education while shepherding equitable policies on behalf of all children.

COLLABORATION We believe education is a shared responsibility of the community with families as our most important partners.

HUMANITY We believe in the dignity and self-worth of every individual and leading with a humble and compassionate heart.

TOGETHER… SAM uses data and research to identify achievement gaps, work with community partners to reduce and remove those gaps, and ultimately improves economic mobility for all, anchored in academic achievement.

STORY OF SAM

7

COUNTY-WIDE CONTEXT

BY THE NUMBERS POPULATION*

POPULATION BY RACE/ETHNICITY

307,617

20%

3% 2%

Other Race Non-Hispanic

Black Non-Hispanic

2+ Races Non-Hispanic

MEDIAN INCOME

$52,332

68%

2

DISTRICT 2

Boiling Springs, Chesnee

68

DISTRICT 3

Cowpens, Pacolet

DISTRICTS

DISTRICT 4

Woodruff

DISTRICT 5

Duncan, Lyman, Reidville, Wellford

DISTRICT 6

Fairforest, Moore, Pauline, Roebuck

DISTRICT 7

Spartanburg City, central/eastside

2,600 students

3

6 4

11,200 students 7,000 students

Overall, 14% of our population lives below federal poverty levels

3,300+

69,990

children under 18 years of age in Spartanburg County

23.4%

20%

18.9%

18.8%

77.3 22.7 +

30.2%

30%

22.7%

18,207

11.1%

UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE

WHITE ALONE

BLACK ALONE

TWO OR MORE

ALL OTHER RACES

HISPANIC OR LATINO

77.3+22.7

40%

0

TEACHERS

CHILDREN

POVERTY BY RACE

10%

Other Hispanic

7

2,700 students 9,100 students

2%

SCHOOLS

Inman, Landrum, Campobello

10,500 students

7

5

White Hispanic

DISTRICT 1

5,000 students

1

5%

White Non-Hispanic

20.9%

51,783

5 TO 17 YEARS OF AGE

LIVE BELOW POVERTY LEVEL

Source: American Community Survey 2019 5-year estimates *2020 Decennial Census has recently been released with an estimated population for Spartanburg County of 327,997, a 15.4% increase from 2010.

Source: 2020-2021 135 day Active Student Headcount Report, SCDE

8

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

NATIONAL ENGAGEMENT A NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT A NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT

66

THE STRIVETOGETHER CRADLE TO CAREER NETWORK

CRADLE-THROUGH-CAREER PARTNERSHIPS

SAM is a member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career network, a national movement impacting the lives of 13.7 million youth and counting. Network partners are aligned in pursuit of the StriveTogether national impact model with a clear purpose:

29

STATES + WASHINGTON, D.C.

HELPING EVERY CHILD SUCCEED, FROM CRADLE TO CAREER, REGARDLESS OF RACE, ZIP CODE, OR CIRCUMSTANCE.

11M+ YOUTH SERVED

YOUTH DEMOGRAPHICS YOUTH DEMOGRAPHICS 7+ MILLION YOUTH OF COLOR This distribution shows the race of youth from age groups for which network members submitted disaggregated race data.

35%

5%

Lantinx

35% White

Asian

18% Black

1%

Other >1% Race Native Hi/Pi

4% 1%

Multiracial

Indigenous

Source: StriveTogether 2020-2021 Annual Report

NATIONAL ENGAGEMENT

9

THE GRADUATE NETWORK SAM began a key partnership The Graduate! Network in July 2021 in an effort to reach the 34,000 Spartanburg County residents – called “Comebackers” -- whom have attended college, but didn’t earn a degree.

Nationally, there are 45 million Comebackers in the United States. Many left college due to a mismatch with the college or university they began attended, difficulties balancing family and life issues with school, finances, debt or rigor of coursework. Now, they aren’t qualified for jobs that offer competitive wages, but require a college credential.

Student Clearinghouse as those 25 years and older who have earned some college credit, but didn’t earn a degree. Expanding SAM’s partnerships to include The Graduate! Network will provide exposure of programs used in The Graduate! Network partnerships across the country, and eventually, identifying Comebackers and facilitating college re-entry.

SAM understands the importance of providing businesses and industries with a well-educated and trained workforce and The Graduate! Network will help Spartanburg bridge the talent gap.

As part of the 2008 Compact, SAM has narrowed its focus on serving adult learners defined by the National

ENGAGED PARTNERS

SPARTANBURG COUNTY

24.5%

Bachelor’s degree & above

207,762 Total Population 25+ Years of Age

9.4%

9th to 12th grade, no diploma

4.9%

Less than 9th grade

10

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

29.3%

High school graduate (includes equivalency)

21.2%

Some college, no degree

10.6%

Associate degree

15.6%

Bachelor’s degree

8.9%

Graduate or professional degree

BLUE MERIDIAN PARTNERS In the fall of 2020, the Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM) was awarded a $5.6 million investment from Blue Meridian Partners. The funds are being used to increase the internal capacity of SAM and to initiate coordinated COVID-19 recovery, while also expanding existing work to build economic mobility through neighborhood partnerships and equitable access to resources.

This investment is unlocking the potential that has been building as a result of cross-sector partnerships developed over many years. The funding will take SAM’s shared vision for a whole-child approach to building equity and economic mobility into deeper action that addresses needs right now as well as those that will impact our community for generations to come.

The Spartanburg County Foundation will serve as SAM’s fiscal agent for the use and distribution of the funds.

Another focus of the investment is SAM’s expanded emphasis on child and family initiatives with a focus on health and well-being, expanding the organization’s whole-child, two-generation approach to improving educational achievement.

This investment is affirmation of the collaborative work of SAM with community partners. From here, we build a brighter future across Spartanburg – from work already being done, on new initiatives, and the ability to leverage additional support to continue the work after this initial funding.

$5.6 MILLION INVESTMENT

“We are excited to be investing in Spartanburg, partnering with SAM and the Spartanburg County Foundation,” said Tomeka Wigginton, Managing Director at Blue Meridian Partners. “We were compelled

by SAM’s strong track record, their established relationships with place-based and neighborhood organizations, and the demonstrated commitment of the broader community for more equitable opportunity and outcomes. We look forward to supporting their vision moving forward.”

Spartanburg is receiving national attention for what we, as a community, have been doing, but there is much more to be done. Aligning the many collective impact efforts currently underway in our community is central to this work. As we use these resources and technical assistance to codify our efforts across partnerships and build a shared vision, we are confident this partnership will serve as a key step in doing so.

RHODE ISLAND OAKLAND, CA

SALT LAKE CITY, UT

FRESNO, CA

DAYTON, OH LOUISVILLE, KY

BEREA, KY GUILFORD COUNTY, NC

TULSA, OK

MEMPHIS, TN

DALLAS, TX

SPARTANBURG, SC ATLANTA, GA

SAN ANTONIO, TX

BLUE MERIDIAN

11

BRIDGING THE DATA THREE MASSIVE DATA STRUCTURES ARE NOW IN PLACE TO SUPPORT SAM'S EVIDENCE-BASED CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT CAPACITY:

CRADLE THROUGH CAREER

Determining Community Investments in the Birth-to-5 Space

Assessing Investment Effectiveness in the Early School Years

Determining Community Investments in the Birth-to-Five Space

Assessing Investment Effectiveness in the Early School Years

EARLY DEVELOPMENT INSTRUMENT (EDI) Following three months of experience with children in 5K classrooms, kindergarten teachers complete an assessment of each child, yielding measures of vulnerability across five developmental domains and multiple sub-domains, critical to kindergarten readiness.

These vulnerabilities are geo-mapped by census tract, guiding the investment of community interventions in the pre-birth to 5-year-old space. The EDI not only guides interventions by census tract, but provides the means for assessing the impact of these interventions on later learning.

EARLY GRADES EARLY CARE &

EDUCATION

12

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

KINDERGARTEN READINESS

READING

MIDDLE MA

GRADES ATH

STUDENT LEVEL DATA 5K THROUGH 12 Data sharing agreements are in place across all seven of Spartanburg County’s school districts, providing SAM with real-time, student level data from kindergarten through high school.

Informing Adjustments in K-12 Readiness for PostSecondary Achievement

Informing Adjustments in K-12 Readiness for Post-Secondary Achievement

Tracking Post-Secondary Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion

Tracking Post-Secondary Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion

STUDENT DATA TRACKER Through the National Student Clearinghouse, SAM has access to the postsecondary matriculation of Spartanburg County’s high school graduates for eight years beyond graduation. This data covers the nation’s postsecondary institutions from technical certifications through baccalaureate degrees.

This student-level post-graduation data provides the Student Tracker capacity to track graduates’ enrollment, persistence, and completion of and it informs adjustments POST-SECONDARY in K-12 preparation in (College/Career Ready)post-secondary study; POST-SECONDARY support of readiness for post-secondary achievement.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION ENROLLMENT PERSISTENCE/COMPLETION

BRIDGING THE DATA

13

KINDERGARTEN READINESS

COUNTYWIDE

49

%

OUR VISION: ALL OF OUR CHILDREN SHOULD BE DEVELOPMENTALLY READY FOR SUCCESS WHEN ENTERING KINDERGARTEN

OF CHILDREN ENTERING KINDERGARTEN ARE ON TRACK FOR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL (UP FROM 47%)

Results of the the first county-wide administration of the Early Development Instrument (EDI) were released in May 2018, revealing that overall "Readiness" was 47%. Since then, SAM and community partners have been working on multiple fronts: expanding developmental screenings and interventions; promoting "The Basics;" and working in specific communities where data indicated increased vulnerabilities for early learners.

The overall analysis includes deeper calculation using the developmental domain and sub-domain data. These data are used to create targeted interventions to improve overall readiness.

In late summer, SAM received initial data from the 2020 administration of the EDI.

78+12+10 77.3+13+10 67+19+14 10%

12%

78%

PHYSICAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING

77%

SOCIAL COMPETENCE

14% 19%

67%

8%

78%

EMOTIONAL MATURITY

10%

10%

14%

78+13+9 75+15+10

13%

15%

75%

COMMUNICATION SKILLS & GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

ON-TRACK "READY" LANGUAGE & COGNITION

Proportion of Children Developmentally Vulnerable

AT-RISK VULNERABLE

Lowest

Highest

No Data

2020-2021 Early Development Instrument

BUILDING IMPACT The CHEQ (Childhood Experiences Questionnaire) is a 5K parent questionnaire added to this year’s EDI administration. Including it allows us to learn, directly from parents, about opportunities and challenges they may have experienced in raising their young child in our community.

The results allow us to examine the relationships between early childhood experiences, available community resources, and school readiness outcomes on the EDI.

14

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

»

40% of parents/caregivers reported their kindergartner played outside 6-7 times a week (as opposed to not at all, 1-2 times, and so forth) and nearly all (90%) of those students were on track in the physical health and well-being domain.

»

70% reported reading or telling stories most days or every day and 87% of those that responded that way were on track in the Language and Cognitive Development domain, confirming our understanding that reading every day is important to school readiness.

»

If kindergartners had participated with a parent/ caregiver in helping others once a month or

IMPACT STORIES

“

I learned about your ASQ3 screener on the website from a preschool partners conference our district put on. I went to the website and completed it and received a call from SAM. I was surprised that it showed my daughter had some weaknesses in fine and gross motor skills. I decided to go ahead with an evaluation. At the screening, she scored in the 9th percentile for fine motor skills.

As an educated mother, I thought maybe it was just due to a lack of opportunity since she stayed with my mom. We started her Occupational Therapy. She just graduated from OT this summer after a year! I am so thankful for your free screener and support for getting this set up so that she can be off to a great start when she enters school!

”

- Spartanburg County parent

“

Saul* had recently gone to live with his new foster family when they signed him up for child care. The child care center, participating in the ASQ3 program, requests a screening be completed upon entering their program. The screening indicated areas of concern in 4 of the 5 developmental areas covered. Saul was in the scheduling process for other developmental assessments. This tool allowed the child care center and the foster parents to know what areas to focus on while working with Saul during the time they waited for additional assessments to be scheduled. Over the course of 3 months, Saul moved up 60 points on his next ASQ3 screening. He is now on target in 2 areas and close to achieving his target in the other 3 areas. Once speech and occupational therapy sessions start, Saul should reach target goals in all five areas quickly. Since support services can take a few months to get started, the ASQ allowed the child care center and parents to get a jump start on helping him. The huge growth he showed during the 3 month period is a reflection of teachers and parents knowing the need and learning how to help. Regular developmental screening makes a difference!

”

- Kaitlyn Watts, Family Engagement Coordinator Spartanburg County First Steps *Name has been changed

COUNTYWIDE SCREENINGS more (as compared to not at all), they are more likely to be on track in the Emotional Maturity Domain.

»

»

Over half (52%) of parents reported stressful events in the last year – including auto accidents, deaths of immediate family members, COVID-19 concerns with child care closures and job losses.

When parents/caregivers reported not having neighbors to count on (20% of parents reported such), those children were less likely to be on track for success in school across all domains.

700

661

600

596

500

2020

400

423

300

2019

200 100

2021

255 2018

0 KINDERGARTEN READINESS

15

EARLY GRADES READING

COUNTYWIDE

43.7

%

OUR VISION: ALL CHILDREN ARE PROFICIENT IN EARLY GRADE READING SKILLS BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE.

OF 3RD GRADE STUDENTS MEET OR EXCEED PROFICIENCY (DOWN FROM 49.55%)

Interventions: "The Four Schools Project" and embedding Continuous Improvement methodology across schools, grade levels and classrooms countywide.

Equity target: Improve reading proficiency by 3rd grade in the schools with the highest levels of poverty.

Monitoring progress: Countywide data, based on year-end statewide assessments and not administered in 2020 due to the "COVID-pause," still serves as our baseline for monitoring progress.

Percent Proficient by Economic Status All Spartanburg County children

Children not in poverty

Children in poverty

2021

70 60

55.6

55.6

49.6

50 41.7 40

43.3

38.6

40.4

30 20

58.6

NO STATE TESTING

59.7

34.5 30.8

29.0

2016

2017

2018

2020

2019

43.3%

54.8

statewide

43.7

33.8 2021

3rd grade reading and 8th grade math: SC Ready Test File – September 2021

Minding the Achievement Gaps 2019

70 60

58.2

53.0

50 40 30

21.8

20

15.9

10 0 WHITE

16

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

BLACK

16.0

12.6

HISPANIC

2021

IMPACT STORIES FOUR SCHOOLS PROJECT: The specific focus for addressing the needs in our county's four highest poverty schools, and the process to embed Continuous Improvement (CI) practices in classrooms are SAM's two primary interventions to improve reading proficiency.

The 2019 progress made in the Four Schools Project remains a powerful indicator that a strong foundation for long-term improvement has been established. Through the Wardlaw Institute, training in classroom-based CI methods have continued through the pandemic, pivoting from in-person to virtual training and expanding into more schools and grade levels.

Much like the "summer slide," the loss of proficiency and skill during the summer break, the "COVID-slide" has certainly influenced student proficiency.

"Even when the schools were completely closed and our contact was limited, I continued to use the CI goal-setting strategies with my students and talk about what strategies were working to help them learn."

Mary H. Wright Elementary First Grade Teacher

Equity issues centered on poverty and race shifted quickly to include technology access inequity. However, the issues were not just devices and internet, but also training for families in how to use the available resources.

4 Schools Project: 26.7% NO STATE TESTING

% Proficiency (Meets+Exceeds)

3RD GRADE READING PROFICIENCY

30 25 20 15

10

14.7%

2017

16.2%

2018

2019

19.5%

2020

The Four Schools Project as an equity building initiative to improve county-wide proficiency gained national attention in 2020. It is featured in a case study released by the StriveTogether national network, which has resulted in a number of additional national spotlight articles and presentations to change leaders across the country.

2021

SYLVAN LEARNING Partners funded $33,500 in grants for 37 students to complete between 30 and 60 hours of individual tutoring resulting in an average ½ year in growth, average 8.1 percentile growth and 100 percent of parents reporting their student’s confidence significantly improved.

$33,500 IN GRANTS

37

STUDENTS

EARLY GRADES READING

17

MIDDLE GRADES MATH

COUNTYWIDE

32.9

OUR VISION: ALL STUDENTS ARE PROFICIENT IN MATH BY THE END OF 8TH GRADE.

OF 8TH GRADE STUDENTS MEET OR EXCEED PROFICIENCY (DOWN FROM 40.4%)

Proficiency in mathematics is a foundational element for preparing for career success now and in the future. The success evidenced in early grades reading through the application of Continuous Improvement practice is now beginning to reach middle schools across the County. SAM’s first “CI middle schools” have been identified and work has begun to embed CI practices to improve middle grades math skills.

Percent Proficient by Economic Status Children not in poverty

60 50

49.6

54.8

55.0

40.3

40.4

50.9

40 36.0

36.6

30

25.4

24.5

Children in poverty

NO STATE TESTING

All Spartanburg County children

28.8

29.3

46.3

2021

32.9

30.7%

23.0

statewide

20 2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

8th grade math: SC Ready Test File – September 2021

Minding the Achievement Gaps 2019

70 60 50 40

49.0 39.6

30

17.6

20

14.8

24.8 23.3

10 0 WHITE

18

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

BLACK

HISPANIC

2021

%

IMPACT STORIES OUT OF SCHOOL TIME COLLABORATIVE The pandemic has created a shift in how teachers, families, students, and the community work together to help students build specific skills, highlighting relationships as the necessary foundation from which the building of specific skills can take place.

Knowing that relational learning takes place outside the classroom nearly as much as within, has brought attention to SAM’s Out-of School Time Collaborative. The group works to improve, expand, and sustain high quality youth-centered community programming. Throughout the pandemic, the Collaborative has been building capacity of its partners to address the social-emotional needs of youth.

LESSONS LEARNED: MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS "I learned to be more independent with my work."

"It was hard to keep up because my mom didn't have any experience with the e-learning."

"My challenge has been actually being motivated to do the work. But I've grown and I learned to be more organized and to stay focused on a task."

"When the unexpected comes you don't give up, and you have to be prepared."

“We shifted from an emphasis on skills to defining what makes an optimal learning environment. It starts with relationships.”

Karen Pittman, Founder, Youth Investment Forum, and training leader for SAM’s Out-of-SchoolTime Collaborative

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER "RELATIONSHIPS ARE EVERYTHING! My class is so tight this year because of COVID-19. We have had talks about life, and stresses, and the things that should be embedded in class everyday. " MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT “Even though this was a different way of learning for my children I feel I’m more involved and this helps me really appreciate the teacher’s hard work. I will definitely stay more involved in the future.”

COMMUNITY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: YOUTH-DRIVEN PANDEMIC RESPONSE Prior to the pandemic, My Brother's Keeper Alliance (MBK) of South Carolina, a partner in SAM's OST Collaborative, had been providing in-person mentors for youth with a focus on young men of color. Rather than shut down, Executive Director Antiwan Tate and his team developed a safe virtual mentoring program that included call-in elements for youth without internet access. Virtual book and video clubs and an MBK Youth Talk series launched in direct response to MBK's Youth Advisory Board. This engaged all youth and community leaders in discussions about topics ranging from mental health, healthy eating, girl empowerment, and youth entrepreneurship. MBK also offered virtual summer camps.

MIDDLE GRADES MATH

19

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

COUNTYWIDE

88.3

OUR VISION: ALL STUDENTS WILL GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL ON-TIME, READY FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER.

GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL "ON-TIME" (UP FROM 87.8%)

While our county overall graduation rates remained high, there was a significant drop for students in poverty. While the drop is likely an impact of the pandemic, the underlying reasons will continue to be analyzed.

Equity Goal: Reduce the disparity to less than a 4-percentage point difference. It currently stands at 14.6 points.

Graduation Rates by Economic Status All Spartanburg County youth 100

97.5

Youth not in poverty

Youth in poverty

96.9

97.5

96.9

88.2

87.6

87.8

95 90

90.4 87.2

85

87.9

87.3

87.5

80

95.1

87.8

95.9

2021

82.2%

88.3

statewide

81.9

81.3

2020

2021

75 2016

2017

2018

2019

HS Graduation – Overall Graduation Rate for 2020-2021 SC Dept of Education Report

Minding the Achievement Gaps 100 90

88.8 90.1

2020

86.1 85.1

86.1 84.5

BLACK

HISPANIC

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 WHITE

20

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

%

2021

IMPACT STORIES LESSONS LEARNED: Meeting the needs of 2020 and 2021 seniors created impact that is lasting long beyond the virtual, socially distant, hybrid graduation ceremonies. Guidance counselors developed new strategies to reach students, ensure they had completed graduation requirements, and were on track to pursue their future goals.

HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS: "Many parents want to be included in the troubles and in the celebrations! I have been sending emails almost daily (I try to send a BRAG for every NAG), mostly to my seniors. In the past I have taken more of the perspective that these kids are almost grown, but I should have been doing the frequent parent contacts all along, even before e-learning began. I will continue this habit in the future."

"Students and parents took on a greater amount of responsibility for their education.

This responsibility is likely to strengthen their educational effort in the future. Teachers were forced to try new teaching strategies, strengthening their skills."

"I will continue to use online meetings in the future, because in some ways they are more efficient. I think it would be good to create video lessons all the time, because sometimes students are absent when you present a lesson, and some students would benefit by referring back to the videos when they are studying."

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: YOUTH AT THE CENTER School districts, small towns, neighborhoods, news media, civic groups, businesses, and individuals all across Spartanburg County found innovative ways to celebrate graduates. From banners across town main streets to yard signs mysteriously appearing overnight, school parking lot concerts and fireworks, the community came together to prioritize youth and their social-emotional needs during this key learning, developmental, and life milestone.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

21

POST-SECONDARY ENROLLMENT

COUNTYWIDE

63

%

OUR VISION: ALL STUDENTS ARE PREPARED TO PURSUE POST-SECONDARY PROGRAMS OF STUDY.

OF SPARTANBURG COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ENROLLED WITHIN 1 YEAR OF GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL (UNCHANGED)

SAM tracks post-secondary enrollment through the full first year after a student graduates high school. While post-secondary enrollment trends historically follow an inverse correlation to the economy, the pandemic impact has created an environment for analysis and intervention to re-set these patterns. Our goal remains to improve post-secondary enrollment, persistence and completion rates toward meeting the 40/30 Challenge adopted countywide: increase the number of baccalaureate degrees held by our residents to 40% by the year 2030. Enrollment is where that begins.

Enrollment by Institutional Type All

2 Year

70 66.9

4 Year

65.8

66.4

64.0

62.9

37.3

37.5

36.2

34.3

28.5

29.0

27.7

28.6

2017

2018

2019

62.8

Data from the August 2021 National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) report for Spartanburg County demonstrates an enrollment pattern disruption for students not in poverty more than those facing economic challenges.

60 50 40

36.1

30

30.8 20

2015

2016

38.1 24.7 2020

The National Student Clearinghouse Student Data Tracker, August 2021

Minding the Achievement Gaps 70

66.4 65.6 56.2

60

60.4

50

54.5

50.0

2019

2020

71.6 50.0

50.4 50.0

40 30 20 10 0 WHITE

22

BLACK

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

HISPANIC

NOT ECONOMICALLY ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED DISADVANTAGED

Looking more deeply into changes during these uncertain times, we uncover a potential bright spot for our Black students, and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the only demographic groups where improvement in enrollment is observed.

Looking to improve enrollment for all students is part of the SMART START mentoring initiative.

IMPACT STORIES Our local data shows us that if a student completes a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) they are 3x more likely to enroll in college.

FAFSA CLASS OF 2021

1,759 COMPLETIONS

OCT 2020 – JUNE 2021

With that knowledge SAM has supported county-wide FAFSA completion.

CLASS OF 2020

1,741 COMPLETIONS

OCT 2019 – JUNE 2020

FAFSA COMPLETION RATES BY THE NUMBERS

45%

59%

32%

45%

OF ALL MALES

OF THOSE NOT IN POVERTY

OF THE HISPANIC POPULATION

BLACK

58%

39%

57%

55%

OF ALL FEMALES

OF THOSE NOT IN POVERTY

OF THE NON-HISPANIC POPULATION

WHITE

SPARTANBURG COUNTY 72% of those who completed the FAFSA enrolled compared to only 25% of those who DID NOT complete the FAFSA.

DID NOT complete FAFSA

DID Complete FAFSA

80

60

40

20

0

75.39%

24.61%

28.07%

71.93%

DID NOT Enroll in College

DID Enroll in College

DID NOT Enroll in College

DID Enroll in College

POST-SECONDARY ENROLLMENT

23

POST-SECONDARY PERSISTENCE

COUNTYWIDE

76

%

OF SPARTANBURG COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES PERSISTED INTO THEIR SECOND YEAR OF A POSTSECONDARY PROGRAM (DOWN FROM 79%)

OUR VISION: ALL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A POSTSECONDARY PROGRAM WILL RETURN FOR THEIR SECOND YEAR OF STUDY. National studies have clearly demonstrated that students who re-enroll/persist in their post-secondary programs beyond their first year have the highest likelihood of completing their degrees. Through the National Student Clearinghouse data, SAM can follow persistence rates of Spartanburg County high school graduates. Persistence is a key to meeting the goal of the 40/30 Challenge adopted countywide: increase the number of baccalaureate degrees held by our residents to 40% by the year 2030.

Persistence by Institution Type All 100

2 Year

92.4

90 80

79.1

70

65.9

60

2014

4 Year

90.0

89.3

87.8

89.3

77.2

78.8

78.3

78.9

62.1

65.1

66.1

65.2

63.0

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

87.0 Our August ‘20 data demonstrates a disruption to persistence rates. Work is underway with our post-secondary partners to analyze pre/concurrent pandemic barriers to persistence.

76.1

The National Student Clearinghouse Student Data Tracker, August 2021

Minding the Achievement Gaps

2018

2019

100 90 80

80.6 77.6

70

72.1 69.4

76.7 77.4

83.1 79.7

70.6 68.7

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 WHITE

24

BLACK

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

HISPANIC

NOT ECONOMICALLY ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED DISADVANTAGED

This year, SAM invested $50,000 in a Spartanburg Community College intervention to improve student retention and help inform work to improve persistence in other institutions of higher education.

Looking deeper into the change over these uncertain times, we uncover a potential bright spot: persistence for Hispanic students improved slightly despite the pandemic.

COUNTYWIDE

36

%

OF THE CLASS OF 2015 COMPLETED THEIR PROGRAM OF STUDY WITHIN SIX YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION (DOWN FROM 38%)

POST-SECONDARY COMPLETION

OUR VISION: ALL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A POSTSECONDARY PROGRAM WILL COMPLETE THEIR CHOSEN FIELD OF STUDY WITHIN SIX YEARS. Upon review of data and trends for post-secondary completion, SAM’s Board of Directors voted to renew SAM’s strategic focus on the goals and strategies laid out in the Spartanburg County Compact, the document laying forth the imperative to increase the number of residents with baccalaureate degrees.

Why? Because the the data still hold true. Having a four-year degree improves personal economic security and mobility; and, a community with a welleducated, four-year degree holding workforce increases the economic security and mobility for all.

SAM has championed the concept that not every post-secondary path or institution fits for every adult building careers skills; but, that some form of postsecondary training is needed for all. With this renewal of emphasis on four year degrees, SAM’s strategic initiatives will hone in on the messages, resources, and opportunities for our county’s high school graduates to reach this key milestone. It remains the essential goal for building individual economic security and mobility; and remains a foundational draw for increased career paths for all.

CLASS OF 2013

4-year degree

CLASS OF 2014

11%

10%

12%

26%

2-year degree

CLASS OF 2015

26%

26%

No degree

The National Student Clearinghouse Student Data Tracker, August 2021

Minding the Achievement Gaps

2015

48.5

50 40

42.7 43.7 42.3 33.7

30

24.9 25.9

49.8 49.1

28.5 30.7

2013 2014

22.7 23.6 21.1

22.0

20 10 0

WHITE

BLACK

HISPANIC

NOT ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

POST-SECONDARY COMPLETION

25

INVESTMENT BUILDS IMPACT The Blue Meridian Partners collective investment of $5.6 million allowed SAM to award $1.6 million in grants to 33 organizations to support our community’s residents.

Paschall, who has also managed federal grants, said this grant was the “best leveraged grant I’ve ever had when measured dollar-for-dollar.”

The $1.6 million in rapid grants were used for responsive academic recovery efforts due to COVID-19 and to build equity across those systems impacting children and families.

“The impact has been unbelievable,” she said. The grant was also used to build internal staff capacity has two staffers were able to receive their apprenticeship hours and are close to their own certification.

SAM is in a unique position to award these grants as our out-of-school (OST) time providers directly help our youth recover academically, socially and emotionally from pandemic impacts. Each of the grant awardees had demonstrated a commitment to provide highquality programming and a commitment to best practices for youth development.

The City of Spartanburg used their $15,000 grant for summer internship stipends for the six-month program, “Walk in My Shoes.” Twelve interns, ages 14 through 18, worked in the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and shadowed city staff in other departments.

For nonprofit organizations such as HALTER (Healing and Learning through Equine Relationships), PASOs, which educates, connects and advocates for the Latino community, and the City of Spartanburg’s “Walk in My Shoes” internship program, the grant funds bridged a critical gap widened by the pandemic.

Nancy Paschall, executive director of HALTER, said the $15,000 in grant funds were used for a pilot project to expand HALTER services to include mental health.

Participants in the program saw an average of 20 percent to 30 percent improvement in their outcomes, according to the research data.

“We used that data to leverage a $35,000 grant from the Spartanburg County Foundation to expand the program beyond the seven-week pilot program,” Paschall said. “The funds were also used to leverage other grant funds, including a $50,000 international grant which isn’t a given, but we’re hopeful, and we’ve been able to create a partnership with the state Department of Mental Health.”

“These funds were key to recruiting youth who wanted to participate, many of them want to work in parks and recreation or special events fulltime, but they also had a need or desire to work and collect a paycheck and feel valued,” said Kim Moultrie, Director of Parks and Recreation. “These youth helped bring our summer camps back online, which was one of the first programs we brought back into the community centers.”

Through “Walk in My Shoes,” the city creates a pipeline of future employees.

“We’re growing our own talent,” Moultrie said. “Our participants are able to greet those coming into community centers, they know the dress codes, the rules and they work with staff so that by the end of the program, they could pick up the keys to the community centers and go right to work.”

PASOs serves Spartanburg County Latino residents and is based in the Upstate Family Resource Center. Nora Curiel, coordinator for the Spartanburg PASOs program, said the $50,000 grant was used to supplement salaries of two community health workers, financially assist 189 individuals with rent, utilities and medical bills. The funds were also used for three student scholarships.

“It’s very hard for our clients because many of them don’t have a social security card or other documentation needed for medical care, so having direct grant funds and reach those family’s direct need had a huge impact on the families and allowed us to continue serving during a very uncertain time,” she said. “These funds were a blessing for us.”

26

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

IMPACT IN PROCESS RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC $1.6 million in rapid grants were awarded to 33 organizations to support the following focus areas: earliest learners to adult learners returning to college; technology and internet access; mental health supports; scholarships for families; and the faith community engagement.

$1.6 MILLION INVESTMENT

33

GRANTS AWARDED

COVID-19 RECOVERY GRANTS AWARDS Spartanburg School District 1

Spartanburg County Public Libraries

Spartanburg Science Center

Spartanburg School District 2

Spartanburg Housing

Speaking Down Barriers Youth

Spartanburg School District 3

Spartanburg Community College

YMCA of Greater Spartanburg

Spartanburg School District 4

BMW Women’s Scholarship Luncheon

Uplift Outreach Center

BARS Academy

Hub City Farmers Market

Spartanburg School District 5 Spartanburg School District 6 PASO’s First Steps Franklin School Meeting Street Academy Northside Development Group The Bethlehem Center

Bloom Upstate BRUH Mentorship

Big Brothers Big Sisters Girl Scouts of the Piedmont

City of Spartanburg

Spartanburg County Baptist Association

HALTER

Hello Family

Mental Fitness

SAM Summer Shakedown Scholarships

NESSA in Your Neighborhood

Fall Forward Scholarships

IMPACT

27

IMPACT:

FAMILIES AND CHILDREN The story of Wendy Brooks, a single mother of two children, mirrors that of many in Spartanburg County who struggle with taking care of their family, a full-time job and ensuring her children are receiving a strong education with valuable extracurricular activities.

Family resources available at the Bethlehem Center – primarily The Highland Early Learning Center housed there and a youth mentoring center – enabled the Brooks children to remain engaged, involved in quality education programs and healthy during the COVID19 pandemic.

“Early learning is essential to school readiness, and the Early Learning Center in Highland is positioned to make a difference for the children and families it will serve,” said Dr. Russell Booker, Executive Director of SAM. “SAM is working in concert with a number of community partners to ensure all of our children are ready for school.”

Though Wendy earns more than minimum wage, her earnings fall well below the self-sufficiency income needed for a single mother with two children to meet her monthly budget, according to the United Way of South Carolina’s 2020 Self-Sufficiency report.

Her family’s ability to thrive is dependent on her ability to live in the Highland Community, close to valuable resources. The Bethlehem Center provides a myriad of services the Brookses utilize including the 4K program where Lakirabel attends, the Exzel Elite Boxing youth mentorship program, the Bridge Builders mentoring program and an online learning center that provided a safe space to complete online work during virtually learning for her elementary-age son.

“It’s important to me to keep my children busy,” she said. “My daughter loves to pick out books at the Spartanburg County Library and we have books at home from the United Way…My son enjoys karate and we’re lucky that he’s able to receive support there from their mentoring program.”

Wendy and husband are now separated, but they work together to provide support for their two children, Lakirabel, 4, and Octavion, 9. There were times when the family needed financial support. The Bethlehem Center’s assistance was a lifeline for the Brookses as they occasionally used the food pantry for staple food items and leaned on The Bethlehem Center for utility assistance and for resume building and budget counseling.

“It was amazing to see all he learned to do in STEM camp,” Wendy said.

The childrens’ parents are among the more than 62,000 Spartanburg residents 25 years or older who have earned their diploma or GED, but haven’t attended college.

Wendy has taken advantage of the resume building and budget counseling classes at The Bethlehem Center, a main resource in the Highland Community which SAM supports.

Wendy is employed in environmental services at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System so she remained actively employed during the pandemic.

She was adept at learning new health protocols in light of COVID-19 as she sanitized hospital rooms.

SAM is proud to in be partnership with the Highland Community and the Bethlehem Center on a number of other efforts aimed at supporting families like Wendy’s, ultimately making a difference in the lives of our children.

“It was scary not knowing what I was facing each day going to work, and not wanting to bring COVID home to my children, but you do what you need to do,” she

28

said. Wendy was vaccinated soon after the COVID vaccine became available, and her children have remained healthy throughout the pandemic.

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

Octavion also attended a summer STEM camp to fuel his math and science skills.

PICTURED IN FRONT OF THE NEWLY OPENED HIGHLAND EARLY LEARNING CENTER ARE A FEW MEMBERS OF THE SUPPORT NETWORK HELPING TO ENSURE THAT TWO GENERATIONS OF THE BROOKS FAMILY RECEIVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO THRIVE.

(Left to right – back row) Ms. Chezia Simpson, Director, Highland Early Learning Center; Mr. Leroy Jeter, President of the Highland Community Association; Ms. Patrena Mims, Executive Director of the Bethlehem Center; Ms. Wendy Brooks; Ms. Tammy Compton, Spartanburg County First Steps; Mr. Kelvin Hollis, a Bethlehem Center employee.

(Front Row) Octavion Brooks; Mr. Roderick Thompson, boxing coach; Lakirabel Brooks.

THE BIGGER PICTURE Wendy is a single mom, working full-time. Her children are among the 24,000 children in Spartanburg living in single-parent homes. She joins just over half of the single moms in the county who are also renting a family home.

Though she earns more than minimum wage, her earnings fall well below the $45,270 self-sufficiency income needed for a single mother with a school-age child and a pre-school age child to “make ends meet” in Spartanburg County, according to the United Way of South Carolina’s 2020 Self-Sufficiency Standard report.

Wendy lives in Highland, a Spartanburg city neighborhood of nearly 1,500 residents where the median household income is $12,000 per year. Her family’s capacity to thrive is dependent upon having resources nearby to help her bridge the income gap and give her children the support they need to build self-sufficiency into their futures. In Highland, those resources are found at The Bethlehem Center.

To learn more about self-sufficiency in Spartanburg, visit: https://bit.ly/SCSelfSufficiency

IMPACT

29

IMPACT:

STEPPING FORWARD This Q&A summary was adapted from a celebratory in-person meeting held when Shakeira Mack returned home for a weekend visit.

Left to right: Cierra Fowler, community mentor; Shakiera's mom; Shakeira; and START SMART coach Dr. Marchele Garrett

SHAKIERA MACK Shakiera is a graduate of Spartanburg High School and freshman at Wingate University. She was born in Spartanburg and attended eight different schools in District 7 during her K-12 journey where she says her transition to high school was her hardest time and math was a struggle. She played volleyball and basketball, was in Beta Club and participated in JROTC for 7 semesters. She is one of four children in her family. She’s a first generation college student and has been mentored by Spartanburg Housing programs, START SMART, and is now paired with a first-gen mentor at Wingate. She wants to be a social worker.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO PURSUE COLLEGE? Going to Carver definitely paved the way for me because that’s what they’re all about. I was in the AVID program there, a class that helped prepare me for college. I went on a lot of college tours with that class. At Spartan High, that was all they pushed too going to college.

I also think ahead and I want my kids to look at me like “I know my mom went to college so I know I can do this.” I just wanted to be the first one to set an example for generations after me.

WHEN YOU FIRST ENROLLED IN START SMART YOU HAD NOT YET COMPLETED YOUR FAFSA, IS THAT CORRECT? I was so overwhelmed with the college process (FAFSA, applications, deadlines) that I did the program because I was like “Man, I don’t know how to do this stuff.” It kinda scared me because I felt like I didn’t have time to get everything done.

DID YOUR MENTOR HELP YOU COMPLETE YOUR FAFSA? She was answering questions I had. She told me how I could import my tax information from the IRS so I didn’t have to worry about going and getting 1040 forms and all that.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ABOUT COLLEGE? You don’t have to have it all figured out. A lot of kids go to college undecided. You don’t have to have it

IMPACT INITIATIVE: START SMART

30

»

This past year, 22 students enrolled in the text based coaching program, and 12 successfully enrolled in college this fall

»

The 12 that enrolled earned $250 towards their beginning college expenses (books, etc.)

»

The 12 that enrolled went to 7 different colleges/ university (SCC, SMC, USC-Columbia, Converse, USC Upstate, Wingate, Greenville Tech)

»

7 out of the 12 that enrolled are first generation college students

»

16 volunteers participated as coaches sending more than 550 texts throughout the summer back and forth with students

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

2020

2021

Participants

23

22

Enrolled in college

19

12

N/A

7

16

16

1st generation Number of volunteers

all together but you do have to have a plan set out to go to college. And you have to work on your time management skills. You can’t go to college without those because that will sincerely humble you. So I recommend using a planner.

College is scary because you’re there without your parents but I promise when you get there you meet new people. You find yourself. There are people on campus that are just like you.

MARCHELE GARRETT Marchelle works at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and served as Shakiera’s START SMART Coach.

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT MENTORING A STUDENT BY TEXT? Texting is the way of the world now. I don’t really like texting because you can’t get a real feel of who the person is, but it works.

WHAT MADE YOU GET INTO THIS PROGRAM? I had several coaches. One specific person told me “You always have the opportunity to give back. That’s part of being a servant.”

YOU TALK ABOUT HOW COLLEGE IS NOT GRADE 13 BUT WE EXPECT OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO KNON HOW TO NAVIGATE IT ON THEIR OWN. I don’t care if you have a mom/dad in the house. I don’t care if it’s single parents, or if you’re 18 and both parents died. You do not know how to navigate college. It’s up to the community who have been there to help these kids succeed.

WHAT ABOUT THE COLLEGE ENROLLMENT PROCESS WAS SUPRISING? WHAT KNOWLEDGE WOULD YOU LIKE STUDENTS TO HAVE AND WHAT WOULD HAVE MADE IT EASIER FOR SHAKIERA?

The first knowledge they need is “what is college.”

College is you on your own, you’ve got to work, you have deadlines.

The second thing is “how do I get there?” “How do I know what is a suitable college for me?” Most high schools do an assessment of where a student should be career wise, but I think it should go into more depth to say “what college will suit me?” The third thing is having some info sessions for parents to say that the FAFSA needs to be done on 12:01 on October 1st to get the most money from the government. Then lists of scholarships if you’re going to an HBCU (Historically Black College/University) or PWI (Predominently White Institution).

Fourth, it would help if there were organizations that give opportunities to visit. Admissions counselors need to come to the students and say “this is what’s necessary to come to our school.”

"In 2021, we launched specific services to be intentional about how our high school juniors and seniors are doing and connecting them to opportunities.

“Shakeira let us that she was graduating and what her plans were. She signed up for START SMART. We had started building relationships to find out about scholarships for the youth we serve and when we had some we could recommend to her, it was a great opportunity for her to receive more support for college. We hope more young people take that initiative as well."

- Cierra Fowler, Spartanburg Housing

IMPACT PARTNER SPOTLIGHT OneSpartanburg, Inc. has served as a resource to area businesses and non-profits like SAM in navigating best practices for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. From distributing face masks to providing consistent community messaging, information to businesses, nonprofits and government agencies, OneSpartanburg has responded to community needs.

OneSpartanburg has been a longstanding partner in SAM's College and Career Readiness work. When the START SMART initiative launched, it provided a $10,000 grant to get the program running. Included in the grant were incentive funds for students enrolling in post-secondary studies after completing the START SMART mentoring program.

IMPACT

31

IMPACT:

PARTNER SPOTLIGHTS The Bethlehem Center was founded in 1930 by Mrs. Cema Chreitzberg, the Bethel Methodist Church Women’s Missionary Society, and Black community leaders seeking to support residents in Highland.

Centering the needs of young children in the work of The Bethlehem Center, services offered over the decades have grown, addressing early care and education, childcare, family economics, food and housing security, transportation, out-of-school-time activities and more. The center was a pioneer in childcentered community building, recognizing the many facets of life that impact the health, well-being, and positive development of children. Its leaders have understood the power and value of place-based work, long before “place-based” was recognized nationally as a focal point for community growth initiatives.

the Highland Community and build the capacity of its residents for more secure futures and success.

Mims worked tirelessly with Spartanburg County First Steps staff to secure the initial funding for the Highland Early Learning Center and plan for its long-term viability.

The Highland Early Learning Center opened on Sept.

8, 2021, made possible by a $300,000 state grant to expand early learning opportunities in high-poverty communities. The Spartanburg County First Steps partnership as well as support from the Mary Black Foundation are part of the collective-impact effort to improve access to early-learning opportunities.

Bethlehem Center staff and volunteers have also understood that community building must always take a two-generation approach. From its founding mission to provide positive childcare for working mothers, to the myriad of services it provides today, building a resident’s capacity for success while doing the same for their children is what makes the Bethlehem Center the heartbeat of Highland and its nearly 1,500 residents.

Executive Director Patrena Mims and Center staff work with agencies across Spartanburg County and South Carolina to ensure that necessary resources flow into

INVESTING IN: THE HIGHLAND COMMUNITY The Highland Community was awarded $150,000 from SAM's BMP funding to assit children and families disproportionately impacted by the negative consequences of the pandemic and to build capacity with the community. Among the needs identified by Highland community members are: Highland Neighborhood Association: training; improved community communications and outreach resources; support for resident catastrophic loss/ emergency; rental-mortgage, utility and food assistance for residents

32

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

Education: scholarship assistance for HS graduates currently living in Highland; scholarship assistance for Highland Residents attending or returning to college; Providing SOAR Summer Camp and access to recreational, educational, and cultural events to reduce summer and COVID-19 "slide"; outdoor learning and play equipment for the Highland Early Learning Center Bethlehem Center: Technical assistance and infrastructure upgrades

IMPACT:

INITIATIVES

JOHN T. WARDLAW INSTITUTE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The work of SAM's Continuous Improvement (CI) training hub has continued to create impact throughout the pandemic.

Greenbelt training, the first level of Six-Sigma training was provided to 13 educators and community leaders. Each completed projects in their area of work implementing Continuous Improvement practices to solve real-world challenges.

CI 101 and 102 courses pivoted to virtual delivery and provided more than 2,000 professional development hours to area educators.

Once safely possible, CI Refresher courses were offered in-person and virtually to help educators renew their commitment and skills to the practices that have proven to have positive impact in Spartanburg County's highest poverty schools.

Spartanburg Community College has generously supported the work of the Wardlaw Institute with training space. CI 101 for Educators, CI 102 Tools, and CI 101 for Leaders, providing training for community nonprofit and agency leaders will again be offered in-person as pandemic safety protocols allow. This fall, brand new CI courses have launched: Lean for Educators guides teachers and administrators through a deeper understanding of the power that small changes can have - for students, parents, classroom and school success.

Statistics for Educators guides teachers and administrators in learning questions to ask when interpreting data.

To learn more about the John T. Wardlaw Institute for Continuous Improvement, visit: www.learnwithsam.org/ciinstitute.

280+ Teachers trained in Continuous Improvement during the pandemic

IMPACT

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IMPACT:

INITIATIVES

This year, SAM has launched the Center for Resilient Schools and Communities (CRSC). Led by Dr. Jennifer Parker, Director of Child, Youth, and Family initiatives for SAM, the work of the Center is to deeply engage all community members in the child-centered approach. The goal is to build supports and systems that increase children’s success, particularly in neighborhoods where educational disparities exist.

The Center takes a two-prong approach to this work: training for educators and community service providers serving children and families.

1. Evidence-based Poverty and race have long been linked to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that can reduce a child's ability to success in school. Training focuses on identifying and responding to influences that inhibit resilience in children and families with a focus on multi-generation approaches.

engagement and training for parents and community to mitigate 2. Community the impact of stress, ACEs and negative impacts of poverty, learn positive engagement strategies and build life long resilience capacity.

The first series of evidence-based training is the Resilient Schools Training Level 1 - designed for educators, counselors, and administrators working in a school or community environment.

To learn more, visit: www.learnwithsam.org/crsc

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SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

SHARED VISION PARTNERS Many individual and community organizations became vision partners when SAM first organized. They understood the need for the work to be done to improve outcomes for children living across Spartanburg County. In the years since, many have participated in specific collaborative action(*) efforts. Some have also begun to participate in our Continous Improvement(CI) trainings to reframe their internal projects toward collective impact targets.

» AccessHealth Spartanburg * » Adult Learning Center » The Honorable Rita Allison * » Arthur State Bank » AVK Dance Studio * » BabyNet* » BARS Academy * » Big Brothers, Big Sisters * » Birth Matters * » Boys & Girls Club of the Upstate » Carolina Alliance Bank » The Cate Law Firm » Center for Child Advocacy ,CI

,CI

,CI

,CI

,CI

,CI

Studies at USC Upstate *

» Chapman Cultural Center / The Arts Partnership *,CI

» Citizen Scholars Program * » City of Spartanburg * » City of Woodruff » Come Closer Spartanburg » CONNECT * » Converse College * » Department of Juvenile Justice * » Duke Energy » Early Learning Center at Park Hills » Fairway Outdoor Advertising » First African Methodist Church » First Presbyterian Church * » Witney Fisher » Gethsemane Missionary ,CI

,CI

,CI

Baptist Church

» Girl Scouts of SC – Mountains to Midlands *

» Habitat for Humanity of

» Institute for Child Success (ICS) * » JM Smith Foundation » Junior Achievement of Upstate SC » Junior League of the Upstate * » Life With Jesus Ministries * » Longleaf Holdings, LLC » Mary Black Foundation * » Mary Black Health System » McCulloh Therapeutic Solutions » Middle Tyger Community Center * » Miracle Hill Ministries * » Mt. Moriah Baptist Church » My Brothers Keeper * » Northside Development Corporation * » Nurse Family Partnership * » Palmetto Council, Boy Scouts of America

» Parker Champion Construction » PAL * » PASOs * » Piedmont Care, Inc. » Piedmont Community Action » Pro Grin Dental » QualityCounts * » R.R. Donnelley » The Salvation Army » SC Test Prep » SC Works Greater Upstate * » Sherman College of Chiropractic » Spartanburg Area Chamber ,CI

» HALTER * » Help Me Grow * » Help Up Works, Inc. » Hope Remains * » Mary Lou Hightower » Hope Center for Children *

,CI

of Commerce *,CI

» Spartanburg Art Museum * » Spartanburg Community

,CI

,CI

» Spartanburg 7 Teachers Forum » Spartanburg Community College * » Spartanburg Convention

,CI

& Visitor’s Bureau

,CI

,CI

,CI

,CI

» Spartanburg County First Steps * » Spartanburg County * » Spartanburg County Foundation *

,CI

,CI

,CI

Indicators Project *

Spartanburg *,CI

» Spartanburg County Public Libraries * » Spartanburg Herald-Journal * » Spartanburg Hispanic Alliance » Spartanburg Housing Authority » Spartanburg Methodist College » Spartanburg Preparatory School * » Spartanburg School Districts 1-7 * » Spartanburg Science Center » Spartanburg Village Network » Spartanburg’s Way to Wellville * » Spartanburg Youth Theater * » St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School » Summit Hills Retirement, LLC » Eddie Tallon » The Honorable Scott Talley » Town of Lyman » Town of Pacolet * » Truly Yours Web Creations » United Housing Connections * » United Way of the Piedmont * » University of South Carolina Upstate * » Upstate Employers Network » Upstate Futures Group » Upstate Regional Education Center » Upward Sports » Upstate Workforce Investment Board » Walker, Higgins and Associates, LLC » WJ Partners, LLC » Wofford College * » Donna Hicks Wood » Woodruff Community Center » World Relief * » WSPA » YMCA of Greater Spartanburg * » Upstate Family Resource Center * » Urban League of the Upstate* » Virginia College of Osteopathic ,CI

Medicine – Carolinas Campus

» Bob Walker

PARTNERS

35

WITH THANKS TO SAM'S

FUNDING PARTNERS SHARING SAM'S VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES, PRIVATE AND CORPORATE DONORS HAVE SUPPORTED SAM'S OPERATION SINCE 2013.

CORPORATE PARTNERS

» AFL » American Credit Acceptance » American Storage » Bank of America » BMW » Carolina Alliance Bank » Citizens for Seven » CONTEC, Inc. » Denny’s Corporation » Girls for STEAM » Girls for STEAM » Greenville Drive » Hodge Floors » JM Smith Foundation » Johnson Development Associates, Inc.

» Leadership Spartanburg » Michelin, North America » Milliken and Company » Milliken Employee Campaign » OTO Development » Pricewaterhouse Coopers » Pure Barre » Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce » Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System » Spartanburg Water » Swaim Brown PA » The Cate Law Firm » Upstate Family Resource Center » Wells Fargo

FOUNDATION PARTNERS

» Arkwright Foundation » Barnet Foundation Trust » Inman Riverdale Foundation » Mary Black Foundation » Phifer Johnson Foundation

36

SAM CHAPTER 5, 2021

» Spartanburg Community Indicators Project » Spartanburg County Foundation » StriveTogether » The Zimmerli Foundation » United Way of the Piedmont

INDIVIDUAL PARTNERS AND PUBLIC SUPPORT

» Ann & Ingo Angermeier » Kim and Ryan Atchley » Kathleen & Andrew Babb » Sheryl & Russell Booker » Phillip Bridges » Don Broome » Rob Brown » Glen Carson » Margaret Carter » Parker Champion » Alice & Chris Dorrance » Kathy Dunleavy » Jennifer Evins » Lynne & Andy Falatok » Witney Fisher » Ron Fulbright » Nancy & Henry Giles » Lisa O’Connell Hall » Elaine Hare-Sturm » Susu & George Johnson » Colleen Keith » Lindsay Krueger » Barbara Manoski » John Moore

» Jeanie and Patrick O’Shaugnessy » John Poole » Michael C. Russ » Justine Russell » Joe Salley » Kristy Shepherd » Curt Sidden » Allen Smith » Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Smith » Louis Smith » Todd Stephens » Paige Stephenson » John Stockwell and Diane Vecchio » Molly Talbot-Metz » Alonzo Thompson » Ida Thompson » Beth & Josh Thompson » George Todd » Jane & Clay Turner » Sheryl Turner-Watts » Jaime & Ben Wall » Terry Ward » Carolyn & Bob Wynn

PARTNERS

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