EDUCATION ENDS POLICIES MONITORING (E-3) 2017 United Way of Acadiana UnitedWayofAcadiana.org
E-3 E-3EDUCATION EDUCATION
YOUTH GRADUATE FROM
HIGH SCHOOL ON TIME IN A SINGLE YEAR, MORE THAN 62,000 PEOPLE ENGAGED AS PART OF THE UNITED WAY OF ACADIANA MOVEMENT FOR EDUCATION.
n United Way of Acadiana has engaged with the community
to facilitate youth graduating from high school on time. This engagement is evident in the diverse ways that UWA strategically mobilizes resources and volunteers. Embracing a collective impact approach, UWA has fostered multiple collaborations around a common vision for education. n UWA has built comprehensive impact strategies through a
revision and refinement of the UWA strategy map in order to align investment strategies with local aspirations to help youth graduate from high school on time.
These connections include directly serving 59,707 children with valuable programming, books, school supplies, mentors and readers.
n UWA has attracted and grown new resources for education
The movement has activated 2,604 citizens who care about ensuring children have what they need to be successful. They give resources, donate time, learn more as parents and/or advocate on key developments impacting Education in Acadiana.
initiatives, with particular success around The Leader in Me, through notable increases in workforce campaign designations, increased corporate sponsorships, and greater numbers and awards of private foundation grants. n Collaborations with each school district in the UWA service
delivery area have grown deeper and stronger through relationship-building and have provided solutions for students in each parish.
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THE NINE-YEAR PROGRESS OF GRADUATION RATES IN ACADIA, LAFAYETTE, ST. MARTIN AND VERMILION PARISHES IS AS FOLLOWS:
PROGRESS TOWARD COHORT GRADUATION RATE GOAL*
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MOBILIZING RESOURCES ACTIVIATING PACT PARTNERSHIPS FOR EDUCATION From July 2016 to June 2017, United Way of Acadiana’s partnerships through PACT Grants reached 25,984 students in Acadia, Lafayette, St. Martin and Vermilion parishes. A total of $563,197 in PACT Grants supported 19 distinct programs, managed by 18 organizations. These funded partnerships provided support to children in all four parishes of our service delivery area. Funded work aligns with UWA evidence-based strategies, based on research that shows that early interventions and high quality experiences can make some of the most significant differences for children to find pathways to success and, ultimately, to on-time high school graduation. Among some of the strongest predictors of success in school include early social and emotional development (prior to school-age), early grade literacy (particularly by 3rd grade), and strong social-emotional skills and good attendance in school.
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As part of our strategic goal to help more youth graduate on time, UWA maximizes impact toward this end through the following four researchbased components:
- SCHOOL READINESS - KIDS ON TRACK - ENHANCING ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN - GRADUATION AND BEYOND PACT Partners have reported excellent program execution and performance with good utilization of resources, which exceed service delivery targets by 64%. Services and activities of funded programs are delivered directly to students by UWA partners, and data is collected quarterly from each partner for analysis of overall impact.
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REPORTED RESULTS FROM PARTNERS
The current UWA strategy map emphasizes the proactive nature of community impact work in education framed with a “Cradle to Career” view. In the current grant cycle, programs in the Education focus area selected from eight strategies within four research-based components that align with the overarching Education goal of youth graduating high school on time. The chart below illustrates the alignment of PACT grant-funded programs for the 2015-17 cycle with the UWA strategy map, along with UWA direct service programs.
Success Story: Faith House: Ready Reader Program A three-year-old boy, diagnosed with Autism, came to the shelter with his mother and 1-year-old sister. Prior to arriving at the shelter he and his sister had very limited communication skills (except for a few single words), relying heavily on their mother to communicate their needs, through sign language that they developed at home. The Ready Reader instructor sensed that the boy desired to communicate with people more, but was fearful. She attempted to learn his home signs, but at times he still became frustrated. The Instructor noticed that he appeared fascinated with a particular girl at the shelter, and began to encourage play between them. As they played he began to copy words she said, and would say them back to her. Quit quickly he began to connect words into sentences. He was still not at a typical 3-year-old vocabulary level, but by the time that they left the shelter he had a much wider vocabulary. His mom was ecstatic.
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Success Stories: Empowering the Community for Excellence: After School Tutoring Program Amy is a second grade student at South Crowley Elementary School. At the beginning of this school year, she struggled with grasping the concept of paragraph editing and received D’s and F’s when tested in this area. After a matter of weeks of attending one-on-one instructive sessions, her grades improved to B’s and C’s. Amy’s mother is thrilled with her progress. St. Martin Parish School Board: Telehealth for Tots The Telehealth For Tots program has proven to be a success by accomplishing one of the main goals of the program, reducing absenteeism. The data has shown a significant decrease in absences for the 2015-2016 school year. Last school year, this school had 148 students with 1,055 absences (6.9 per student). This year, there were 677 absences for 133 students(5 per student). St. Martin Parish School Board: Access to Care A 7 year old Stephensville student presented with area of sores on his arms and 1 leg. Due to the availability of the Telemedicine equipment, the Registered Nurse on site was able to link with a Nurse Practitioner over 70 miles away to assess the identified areas of concern. This technology allowed the Nurse Practitioner was able to diagnose his condition and prescribe the appropriate medication through the use of e-prescribing. The care he received at school allowed his parent to remain at work and the student to remain at school. He did not lose as much instructional time for this exam as he would have for an off-site doctor’s visit. The student was also re-examined a week later at school and was found to be healed.
EDUCATION
CRADLE TO CAREER
Be Proactive: Children achieve their potential through a dynamic array of educational opportunities.
Success Stories: Boys and Girls Clubs: Be GREAT Formula for Impact Program David, fourth grader at Evangeline Elementary, had many anger and disciplinary issues and was sent to N. P. Moss Prep. Through the efforts of Boys & Girls Club programming, David is learning anger management techniques and his disciplinary problems are improving. He has since been able to go back to his regular school, Evangeline Elementary. He has been given a few techniques to assist him in controlling his anger and the staff are seeing the positive results of this which we are truly grateful for. Evangeline Area Boy Scouts: Scout Reach The Adams family has been greatly impacted by scouting. Joe’s father noticed positive changes in his son after 6 short months. 10-yearold Joe often stayed to himself and didn’t associate with other youth his age before getting involved in the cub scouts. After Joe joined cub scouts, his father noticed that he began to come out of his shell because he had the chance to interact with other boys who were in his same age group. It’s as if Joe has found a new set of siblings. The biggest change that Joe’s father has noticed in his son is that he is more obedient to his parents than before he joined scouting. Scouting has also had an impact on Joe’s mother, Debbie. She is supportive of the cub scout program and has taken on a leadership role with the Pack. She serves in an administrative Chair role and regularly attends scout activities with her son. Her work in scouting is a good fit for her and allows her to use knowledge and abilities that she had before becoming a scout leader. Not only does Joe’s father enjoy attending events with his son, but, when it comes to scouting, he says that he “enjoys every bit of it.” He enjoys walking into his son’s school and seeing the smiles on the faces of the other boys who have joined the Cub Scout Pack.
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MOBILIZING RESOURCES ACTIVIATING BREAKTHROUGH OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION THE LEADER IN ME United Way of Acadiana began working to bring FranklinCovey’s The Leader in Me operating system to interested schools after witnessing the amazing success achieved at Martin Petitjean Elementary School in 2009. Based on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Leader in Me allows administrators, faculty, staff and students the opportunity to practice and celebrate the 7 Habits daily. Infusion of this leadership system had an immediate impact on schools across United Way of Acadiana’s service area, causing an increase in attendance rates, a decrease in discipline referrals and ultimately a positive impact on academic performance. Overall, The Leader in Me system Has proven to promote an increase in student engagement, student motivation and student leadership. The process created leaders who are empowered with an awareness of their own choices and are hence better able to achieve their potential, develop necessary 21st century skills, and access more opportunities for a better life. In 2016, United Way of Acadiana rose to the challenge presented by school districts, parents and community leaders, and committed to providing the opportunity to implement this culture-changing process in every interested school within its fourparish service area. Additionally, UWA collaborated with neighboring United Way organizations to support implementation in St. Landry and Iberia parish schools. Over the course of three years, UWA has increased the footprint of The Leader in Me from 15 schools in three parishes to 48 schools in six parishes. Currently, over 25,000 students in grades PreK through 12 are learning how to be proactive, set goals and synergize with others. 8
Amazing transformations are occurring at area schools. The outcomes witnessed align beautifully with the UWA mission to create a strong foundation for our community through education. During the 2017-18 school year, United Way of Acadiana will continue to expand the reach of The Leader in Me. Work to bring The Leader in Me to at least 90% of interested schools in the UWA service area will continue through collaboration with multiple community partners. Funds will be leveraged and relationships formed as we move forward with this ambitious plan. In an effort to provide ongoing support to area Leader in Me schools, United Way of Acadiana offered several opportunities for collaboration during the 2016-17 school year. Spring 2016: Blue Ribbon Recognition Martin Petitjean Elementary School in Acadia Parish, the reason United Way of Acadiana became involved with The Leader in Me in 2009, was named a National Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award winner for their work in closing the achievement gap. Martin Petitjean was one of six Louisiana schools recognized at this level. September 2016: 7 Habits Signature Training in Vermilion Parish James A. Herod Elementary and Eaton Park Elementary in Abbeville learned during the summer of 2016 that the two
campuses would be restructured resulting in dramatic grade level and faculty shifts. Students at James A. Herod had been immersed in The Leader in Me for one year by then; however, Eaton Park had not yet begun implementation. United Way of Acadiana worked closely with FranklinCovey Corporation to schedule a comprehensive training ensuring that faculty and staff at both schools would be prepared to implement The Leader in Me when students arrived in August. Fall 2016: Lighthouse Recognition Leader in Me schools that complete a rigorous training regimen and participate in an extensive on-site review by FranklinCovey to ensure fidelity of implementation earn the Lighthouse distinction. Other Leader in Me schools aspire to achieve the same level of greatness and look to these leaders as they strive for excellence. In the fall of 2016, Plantation Elementary School in Lafayette reached a milestone in their Leader in Me journey by earning Lighthouse status. Plantation Elementary joins five other Lighthouse schools in United Way of Acadiana’s service area. Of the nine Lighthouse schools located in Louisiana, Acadiana is home to six of them. Spring 2017: Regional Support from OneAcadiana OneAcadiana worked with regional partners to identify four key workforce challenges local employers face. Employers’ desire for improved soft skills among entry-level workers rose to the top of the list. OneAcadiana and their members immersed themselves in The Leader in Me by visiting local schools, and soon realized that through immersion in this system, every student is developing necessary 21st Century skills like soft skills. OneAcadiana joined UWA in its commitment to regional implementation of the system. In early 2017, OneAcadiana released its Regional Workforce Development Strategy, in which they pledged to support The Leader in Me as a means of preparing employees for entrance into the workforce. Spring 2017: Funding for Regional Expansion Dr. Kip Schumacher of Schumacher Clinical Group learned of the success students at area Leader in Me schools were experiencing, and he wanted to get involved in United Way of Acadiana’s fight for education. Dr. Schumacher chose to support UWA in its efforts to provide this culture-changing system to local children by generously donating $1.4 million for the expansion of the system. Not only did his generous gift make it possible for United Way of Acadiana to support implementation in schools within its four-parish service area, but it also made collaboration with St. Landry/Evangeline United Way and United Way of Iberia possible. Because of Dr. Schumacher’s generosity, all three United Way organizations worked together to bring The Leader in Me to twelve schools in 2017.
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MOBILIZING RESOURCES
SCHOOLS HAVE SHARED
ACTIVIATING BREAKTHROUGH OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION
IS CREATING CHANGE:
INDIVIDUAL STORIES OF HOW TLIM
THE LEADER IN ME •
By the fall of 2017, 48 schools in the Acadiana area will be implementing The Leader in Me, impacting approximately 25,000 students in grades Pre-K through 2. During the 2017-18 school year alone, UWA has built the capacity for 12 new schools to implement The Leader in Me system through various partnerships:
• 1 new school in St. Martin Parish launched in 2017 with partnership leveraged with the I Am a Leader Foundation
• 4 schools received grant funding directly from United way of Acadiana
• 3 schools in Acadia Parish continued implementation with PACT grants
“Just three short years ago, before implementation of The Leader in Me, teacher turnover was at an all-time high. On average, 19 of the 55 teachers on staff left our school each year in search of better opportunities. That number dropped to 6 last year, and I am excited to report that I will only have to replace five this upcoming school year. I know The Leader in Me is making a difference not only in the lives of my students, but also for my teachers.” Angela Godwin, Principal, Eaton Park Elementary, Abbeville
“At the beginning of the 2016-17 school year, we set a rather ambitious Accelerated Reader goal. We challenged our students to earn 27,000 AR points while maintaining 85% accuracy on AR tests. By the end of April, our students have surpassed that goal by earning 40,182 points and achieving 88% accuracy on their tests. The Leader in Me taught our students how to set and achieve personal goals that aligned perfectly with our school goal.” Kimberly Etie, Principal, Milton Elementary/Middle, Milton
• 7 new schools will be implementing The Leader in Me system through partnerships with St. Landry/Evangeline United Way and United Way of Iberia
• 4 schools in St. Landry Parish • 3 schools in Iberia Parish • To date, nearly 25,000 students at 48 schools in the United Way of Acadiana’s service area have been positively impacted by The Leader in
“The Leader in Me is doing wonderful things for the children in our community...the children who need it most. I have heard Breaux Bridge Junior High students using the 7 Habits language outside of school on many occasions. They tell others that they should SYNERGIZE and THINK WIN-WIN. I wish adults would listen closer and employ some of those Habits too!” Brenda Hobbs, Breaux Bridge City Alderman
“Last year, Javonte wore a hoodie every day and never took the hood off. It was as if he was hiding from everyone else. He also experienced extreme anxiety. So much so that he cried over the thought of boarding a school bus for a field trip because he had never ridden one before. After experiencing The Leader in Me for less than one year, Javonte is no longer wearing his hoodie and he is the drummer in the school band. He performs in front of the entire school, and is excited to visit with community members. He is truly finding his place.” Denise Frederick, Principal, Breaux Bridge Junior High
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ACADIANA’S THE LEADER IN ME SCHOOLS SCHOOLS WITH DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM UNITED WAY OF ACADIANA ACADIA PARISH: Martin Petitjean Elementary* Ross Elementary* Central Rayne Elementary* Iota Elementary Crowley Kindergarten Armstrong Middle Church Point Elementary Rayne High
Woodvale Elementary Paul Breaux Middle Ridge Elementary Charles Burke Elementary Ernest Gallet Elementary
ACADIA PARISH:
Evangeline Elementary
Rayne Catholic School*
Youngsville Middle
IBERIA PARISH:
Holy Family School
Daspit Elementary
Ossun Elementary
Jeanerette Elementary
Lafayette Middle
North Street Elementary
Broussard Middle
St. Charles Street Elementary
Carencro Middle Edward J. Sam Accelerated
Judice Middle* Prairie Elementary Westside Elementary J. Wallace James Elementary Duson Elementary Carencro Heights Elementary Scott Middle Milton Elementary Acadian Middle
ST. LANDRY PARISH: Grolee Elementary
LAFAYETTE PARISH: Plantation Elementary*
OTHER SCHOOLS IMPLEMENTING TLIM AND PARTNERING WITH THE UWA IN THE LEADER IN ME COALITION
ST. MARTIN PARISH:
Lawtell Elementary
St. Martinville Primary
Highland Elementary
Breaux Bridge Junior High
North Elementary
Breaux Bridge Elementary Catahoula Elementary Teche Elementary VERMILION PARISH: Herod Elementary
LAFAYETTE PARISH: St. Pius Elementary *denotes TLIM Lighthouse School
Eaton Park Elementary
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MOBILIZING RESOURCES INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING FOR SCHOOL READINESS EARLY HEAD START As a result of a grant received from the Office of Head Start through the US Department of Health and Human Services-Administration for Children and Families, we now provide Early Head Start Services to children in the Lafayette Parish’s 70501, 70503, 70506, and 70507 zip code areas, and in Vermilion Parish. During the 2016-17 school year, a total of 116 children and/or pregnant women received services. Enrollment priorities include children with special needs, children in foster care and homeless families. Working in partnership with families, our program strives to enhance children’s development physically, emotionally, cognitively and socially.
COGNITIVE: overall growth 8.3% Children become problem-solvers and show the ability to connect past, present and future experiences. LITERACY: overall growth 8.7% Children express an interest in books, identify letters and notice rhyme, alliteration, and smaller units of sound.
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EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM FOCUSES ON 7 DEVELOPMENTAL AREAS FOR SCHOOL READINESS: SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL: overall growth 8.8% Children develop confidence, identity and healthy relationships with adults and other children. PHYSICAL: gross motor overall growth 3.0% Children demonstrate gross motor skills and safe healthy habits. PHYSICAL: fine motor overall growth 4.6% Children demonstrate fine motor skills and safe healthy habits. MATHEMATICS: overall growth 4.9% Children develop and use mathematical skills and concepts. LANGUAGE: overall growth 8.3% Children use expressive and receptive language, develop communication skills and distinguish sounds. In addition to these six developmental areas, the Early Head Start program also focuses on family and community engagement, health, social skills and emotional development.
CHILDREN ENROLLED IN UWA’S EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT GAINS ACROSS ALL 7 DEVELOPMENT AREAS. •
76 children completed a complete program year
•
46 of the 76 children had 100% improvement in 3 domains of Social and emotional development, Physical Development and Language
•
22 of the 76 children had 100% improvement in the 2 domains of Social and emotional development and language
•
All 76 children had 85% improvement in one more of the essential domains
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MOBILIZING RESOURCES INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING FOR SCHOOL READINESS DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) was launched in 2009 to support kindergarten readiness in all communities in our service delivery area. Since the program launched, over 21,000 young children, birth to age 5, have received free books through this program. In the most recent external evaluation report published by the UL Lafayette Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning, children in high-poverty situations are more likely to benefit from participation in the program. These young children are better prepared to enter school, and their parents indicate that they are spending more quality time reading to their children now that books are available. Specifically, the subgroups of male students and African American students showed significant levels of impact. UWA’s Women United supports efforts to enhance early learning opportunities for children and increase the overall quality of life for children in Acadiana. Through campaign efforts, 163 female philanthropists raised $79,512 to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in 2016. Women United also raised $5,250 in sponsorships and an additional $9,226 through ticket sales for their annual luncheon. $2,109 in in-kind donations were also accepted, resulting in an impressive amount raised of $96,097 to support DPIL.
PARISH
CHILDREN PARTICIPATING AS OF JULY 31, 2017
TOTAL CHILDREN AGED OUT
TOTAL CHILDREN IMPACTED
Acadia Lafayette St. Martin Vermilion Total
1,847 5,454 1,196 1,609 10,106
2,052 5,869 1,688 1,605 11,214
3,899 11,323 2,884 3,214 21,320
DID YOU KNOW? Nearly 90 percent of a child’s brain development occurs before the age of five. United Ways across the region have partnered with KATC-TV3 to help make more books available to children in early care and education centers. In 2017, we collected nearly 2,300 books, which were distributed to 14 Early Head Start and Head Start centers, 10 elementary schools and 2 middle schools across Acadiana.
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MOBILIZING RESOURCES INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING FOR EARLY GRADE LITERACY UNITED WAY READERS Just 30 minutes of extra reading time = stronger readers! During the 2016-17 school year, 161 volunteer tutors, donated 1,628 hours of their time to help 260 first- and second-grade students at 15 schools with additional reading practice through United Way Readers. Studies conducted by the Picard Center show United Way Readers provides strong outcomes on the DIBELS assessment among first and second graders. In a recent study, second grade students scored 12 points higher on the Oral Reading Fluency component of DIBELS than their peers who were not a part of the program. This is important because once a student achieves fluency it enables them to focus their attention on comprehension and meaning of the text. In the prior study, first-graders who participated in UWR scored nearly 17 points higher on the DIBELS assessment than their classmates on similar reading levels and from similar backgrounds who did not receive the additional tutoring. Our volunteers are passionate about reading with children through United Way Readers and feel they are making a difference in these students’ lives. Sharane Gott, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana, never misses her weekly time as a United Way Reader. “There are few places one person can make a difference and this is one,” Gott said. Sometimes it’s slow progress and sometimes it’s substantial. But, there’s always progress.”
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MOBILIZING RESOURCES INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING FOR EARLY GRADE LITERACY STUFF THE BUS 43,758 School Supplies Generated for our Local Teachers & Students
The Stuff the Bus school supply drive ensures that students enter school with the tools needed to be successful throughout the school year. In August 2017, individuals across Acadiana donated more than 47,758 school supplies, enough to serve 1,750 students. 50 volunteers from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Soul Camp donated 150 hours of service to sort and package these school supplies. Supplies were distributed to 68 schools across our 4 parishes. Each school received care packages containing school supplies for at least 25 students. ToysRus donated 277 backpacks, which were filled with school supplies and given to several school in Acadiana. UWA also distributed “Kits for Kids” to 25 Acadiana teachers. I n 2 017, S t u f f t h e B u s s p o n s o r s i n c l u d e d C ox Communications, Cargill and Lafayette Schools Credit Union. Additionally, volunteers from Cox Communication and Cargill delivered these supplies to schools across Acadiana.
15 LOCAL COMPANIES HOSTED INTERNAL SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVES: 705 Target JC Penney Jones Walker Lafayette General Health Lafayette Schools Credit Union Progressive Insurance South Louisiana Community College Stuller T-Mobile (Ambassador Caffery location) ToysRus Women’s and Children’s Hospital Wright, Moore, DeHart, Dupuis & Hutchinson, LLC Youngsville Baseball
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2017 DAY OF ACTION Each year in June, hundreds of people around Acadiana come together to harness the volunteer spirit and improve the conditions in which they live. On June 8, 2017, 335 volunteers donated 1,340 volunteer hours to refurbish playgrounds at Acadiana Park, Heyman Park, and J.W. Faulk. A team of volunteers from Cox Communications, the official sponsor of 2017 Day of Action, also built Little Free Libraries to be placed strategically in Acadiana.
MOBILIZING RESOURCES INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS IN EDUCATION DISASTER RESPONSE GRANTS Just as the 2016-17 school year was about to commence in Acadiana, torrential rains brought severe flooding that damaged thousands of homes, businesses and schools in the region. Several teachers, students, and schools were impacted. Local public schools and families did not have the necessary school supplies to be successful for the school year. In less than one month after the devastating August 2016 floods, the Greater Acadiana United Way Disaster Fund had collected $250,000. United Way of Acadiana’s Board of Directors approved $179,100 to be distributed to organizations for immediate flood response and designated the remaining $70,900 for long-term recovery. On September 1, 2016, UWA awarded $179,100 in Disaster Response Grants to 13 organizations to meet the immediate needs of thousands of flood survivors. In less than six months, these organizations served more than 21,400 residents impacted by the flood through Disaster Response Grant activities. United Way of Acadiana awarded the Lafayette Parish School System Department of Student Services a $15,000 Disaster Response Grant, which enabled them to purchase replacement materials and supplies for schools and students. These included school uniforms for more than 560 students, 250 backpacks and 130 boxes of school supplies that were distributed to 42 schools.
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LEVERAGING PUBLIC CAPITAL FOR EDUCATION According to the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, public capital factors are the dynamic and diverse ecosystem of relationships, networks and norms on which healthy communities depend. By uncovering and leveraging area communities’ public capital, UWA has made intentional choices about the types of efforts pursued to leverage our resources and time to help youth graduate from high school on time.
CONTINUED PARTICIPATION AND STAFF SUPPORT TO LAPESC (LAFAYETTE PARISH EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS COALITION) (Lafayette Parish only) LaPESC is bound by a common interest to reduce the achievement gap in Lafayette Parish public schools. Sixteen influential organizations are the backbone of LaPESC, ranging from institutions to grassroots organizations and representing diverse perspectives with a passion to get things done.
The investment of time and leadership in LaPESC is valuable because it has leveraged our ability to collectively impact the way communities hold itself accountable for public education.
In 2016-17 LaPESC offered continued support for the LPSS Vision 2020 strategic plan, helped inform stakeholders on the new Every Student Succeeds Act and how its implementation can proceed, and together with key partner and LaPESC member OneAcadiana launched a public relations campaign to support the proposed 2017 halfcent sales tax put to a public vote. Through social media, traditional media, signs and posters, public forums, and editorials, LaPESC member organizations rallied support for the tax measure that would have replaced hundreds of temporary classrooms with actual buildings across the LPSS district. Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful in 2017, as the ballot measure failed. But Superintendent Dr. Aguillard responded that LPSS was committed to returning to the polls once more feedback is given by the community. 18
INSPIRING ACTION OR ATTENTION TOWARDS EDUCATION 890 people raised their hands this year in support of education, giving more than 10,000 hours of service
to help students or enhance their school environments. These projects include beautifying of school grounds, putting much-needed school supplies in the hands of students, reading to elementary school students, and providing age-appropriate books to local students and young children throughout Acadiana.
WORKING WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS Collaborations with each school district in our service delivery area foster relationship building and provide solutions for students in each parish. The table below demonstrates the direct service programs delivered during the period under review.
PARISH
SUPERINTENDENT
DIRECT SUPPORTS SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS
Acadia
Mr. John Bourque
Stuff the Bus: School Supply Drive The Leader in Me funding (8 schools) United Way Readers: (High School Connect Model)
Lafayette
Dr. Donald Aguillard
Stuff the Bus: School Supply Drive The Leader in Me funding (22 schools) SOUL Camp United Way Readers Acadiana Symphony - Do-Re-ME! Economics of Staying in School (Junior Achievement of Acadiana) Project Unify (Special Olympics)
St. Martin
Dr. Lottie Beebe
Stuff the Bus: School Supply Drive The Leader in Me funding (5 schools) PACT program helps students access care at school-based health centers PACT Telehealth allows remote health-care access using technology Early intervention program with 16th Judicial District United Way Readers
Vermilion
Mr. Jerome Puyau
Stuff the Bus: School Supply Drive The Leader in Me funding (2 schools)
I report compliance on E-3. September 22, 2017 Margaret H. Trahan, President / CEO
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United Way of Acadiana 215 E. Pinhook Rd. Lafayette, LA 70501 UnitedWayofAcadiana.org