Education is a building block of healthy communities. When people have access to quality educational opportunities, families and communities are better positioned to thrive.
This project, titled Evaluating the Effectiveness of One City Schools: Preparing Children for School Success and Healthy Lives, led by One City Schools, supported the comprehensive evaluation of the school’s innovative early childhood education model. Through the project, One City Schools and its UW–Madison partners examined how the school’s approach to teacher development, family engagement and community partnerships contributed to positive educational and health outcomes for children and families. Evaluation findings helped identify strengths and opportunities for growth, informed ongoing program improvement and provided insights to support future expansion efforts and broader conversations about early childhood education and educational equity.
The Challenge
For decades, Wisconsin has experienced some of the nation’s largest racial disparities in education, employment and health outcomes. In Madison, fewer than 15 percent of Black and Latino children have been reading at grade level, while many perform in the lowest quartile of reading and math proficiency. These educational disparities contribute to long-term inequities in economic opportunity, health and well-being. One City Schools recognized that addressing gaps in health outcomes requires addressing their root causes, including access to high-quality early childhood education, educational opportunity, family stability and supportive services.
Project Goals
Through a two-generation approach that supports both children and their families, One City sought to close gaps and improve outcomes for children. Through this approach, the project aimed to:
Provide professional development, coaching and support to educators implementing One City’s innovative educational models.
Build teacher knowledge and skills through ongoing training and mentoring.
Conduct a responsive evaluation to assess implementation, outcomes and impact.
Use evaluation findings to strengthen programs and support continuous improvement.
Results
As a result of this award, One City Schools completed a thorough evaluation of the school’s early childhood education model. Leaders, teachers, families and students participated in interviews and data collection activities that provided insight into school successes and opportunities for growth. The project produced reports highlighting organizational accomplishments, areas for improvement and lessons learned. Through approximately 70 meetings and events involving nearly 100 participants, the project strengthened existing partnerships between One City Schools, the Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative, the Center for Research on Early Childhood Education and the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. The evaluation advanced understanding of how One City’s two-generation approach to early childhood education, family engagement and community partnerships can help address educational disparities and support positive outcomes for children and families.
