Shared Success: Great Lakes 2016 Philanthropy Report

Education and Literacy;Nonprofits and Philanthropy

Shared Success: Great Lakes 2016 Philanthropy Report

At Great Lakes we work to make postsecondary degrees, credentials and certificates accessible to as many students as possible. Specifically, we focus our philanthropy on helping those who traditionally have the most to gain from college, but who often have the least support in getting there: students from low-income homes, students of color and first-generation students.

This Report highlights our belief that overcoming barriers to graduation requires engaging both students and colleges—with success being their shared goal. In it you'll find details on many of the 50 grants we launched in 2016, several key findings and our goals for the coming year.

August 1970

Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Midwestern) / Iowa;North America / United States (Midwestern) / Minnesota;North America / United States (Midwestern) / Wisconsin;North America / United States (Midwestern) / Ohio;North America / United States (Southern) / Arkansas;North America / United States (Midwestern) / North Dakota

The Greater Kansas City Early Care and Education Landscape Study Final Report: Jackson County, Missouri

Children and Youth;Education and Literacy

The Greater Kansas City Early Care and Education Landscape Study Final Report: Jackson County, Missouri

The report includes data that will allow districts, schools, centers, funders, and supporters to better understand who is accessing early childhood services, what services are being accessed, and who is providing those services.

The survey showed that schools, centers, and homes differed with respect to children served, program characteristics, and staff characteristic. Likely as a result of their access to more sources of revenue, school-based programs were more likely to be accredited, to have appropriately educated teachers who receive fair compensation and benefits, to offer services such as transportation and summer school, and to use strategies to engage families compared to centers and homes. The focus on formal learning opportunities varied with respect to program type. School-based programs were most likely to use a curriculum and to assess kindergarten readiness (100% and 71%, respectively), followed by centers (74% and 50%, respectively), then homes (65% and 32%, respectively).

August 1970

Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Midwestern) / Kansas

The Greater Kansas City Early Care and Education Landscape Study Final Report: Jackson County, Missouri

Children and Youth;Education and Literacy

The Greater Kansas City Early Care and Education Landscape Study Final Report: Jackson County, Missouri

The report includes data that will allow districts, schools, centers, funders, and supporters to better understand who is accessing early childhood services, what services are being accessed, and who is providing those services.

The survey showed that schools, centers, and homes differed with respect to children served, program characteristics, and staff characteristic. Likely as a result of their access to more sources of revenue, school-based programs were more likely to be accredited, to have appropriately educated teachers who receive fair compensation and benefits, to offer services such as transportation and summer school, and to use strategies to engage families compared to centers and homes. The focus on formal learning opportunities varied with respect to program type. School-based programs were most likely to use a curriculum and to assess kindergarten readiness (100% and 71%, respectively), followed by centers (74% and 50%, respectively), then homes (65% and 32%, respectively).

August 1970

Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Midwestern) / Kansas

The Greater Kansas City Early Care and Education Landscape Study Final Report: Jackson County, Missouri

Children and Youth;Education and Literacy

The Greater Kansas City Early Care and Education Landscape Study Final Report: Jackson County, Missouri

The report includes data that will allow districts, schools, centers, funders, and supporters to better understand who is accessing early childhood services, what services are being accessed, and who is providing those services.

The survey showed that schools, centers, and homes differed with respect to children served, program characteristics, and staff characteristic. Likely as a result of their access to more sources of revenue, school-based programs were more likely to be accredited, to have appropriately educated teachers who receive fair compensation and benefits, to offer services such as transportation and summer school, and to use strategies to engage families compared to centers and homes. The focus on formal learning opportunities varied with respect to program type. School-based programs were most likely to use a curriculum and to assess kindergarten readiness (100% and 71%, respectively), followed by centers (74% and 50%, respectively), then homes (65% and 32%, respectively).

August 1970

Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Midwestern) / Kansas

Evaluating College Savings Plans: A Case Study on Arkansas and Mississippi

Education and Literacy;Parenting and Families;Poverty

Evaluating College Savings Plans: A Case Study on Arkansas and Mississippi

In an effort to improve family economic security in rural communities, Southern Bancorp Community Partners (SBCP) sought a sustainable funding source in 2013 for Arkansas's Aspiring Scholars Matching Grant (ASMG) Program, a savings incentive for low-to-moderate income families that matches funds saved for a child's college education in the 529 GIFT Plan, and investigated the possible creation of a matched 529 savings program in Mississippi. SBCP authored this paper to illustrate and examine the current options of college savings accounts offered in both states and analyze the causes behind low participation in each state's 529 plans.

August 1970

Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Southern) / Arkansas;North America / United States (Southern) / Mississippi

Shuttered Public Schools: The Struggle to Bring Old Buildings New Life

Community and Economic Development, Education and Literacy

Shuttered Public Schools: The Struggle to Bring Old Buildings New Life

Large-scale public school closures have become a fact of life in many American cities, and that trend is not likely to stop now. This report

looks at what happens to the buildings themselves, studying the experiences of Philadelphia and 11 other cities that have decommissioned large numbers of schools in recent years: Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Mo., Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tulsa and Washington.

August 1970

Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Midwestern)-Missouri-St. Louis County-St. Louis, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Missouri-Jackson County-Kansas City, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Michigan-Wayne County-Detroit, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Illinois-Cook County-Chicago, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Ohio-Cuyahoga County-Cleveland, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Ohio-Hamilton County-Cincinnati, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Wisconsin-Milwaukee County-Milwaukee, North America-United States (Northeastern)-Pennsylvania-Allegheny County-Pittsburgh, North America-United States (Southern)-District of Columbia-Washington, North America-United States (Southern)-Georgia-Fulton County-Atlanta, North America-United States (Southern)-Oklahoma-Tulsa County-Tulsa

Getting Better at Teacher Preparation and State Accountability

Education and Literacy

Getting Better at Teacher Preparation and State Accountability

Profiles the goals, activities, implementation, and challenges of the twelve states that won Race to the Top federal funds to improve teacher quality and preparation program accountability; analyzes their strategies; and makes policy recommendations.

August 1970

Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Northeastern)-Delaware, North America-United States (Southern)-Florida, North America-United States (Southern)-Georgia, North America-United States (Southern)-Maryland, North America-United States (Northeastern)-Massachusetts, North America-United States (Northeastern)-New York, North America-United States (Southern)-North Carolina, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Ohio, North America-United States (Northeastern)-Rhode Island, North America-United States (Southern)-Tennessee, North America-United States (Western)-Hawaii, North America-United States (Southwestern)-New Mexico-Bernalillo County-Albuquerque, North America-United States (Southern)-Georgia-Fulton County-Atlanta, North America-United States (Southern)-Maryland-Baltimore, North America-United States (Northeastern)-Massachusetts-Suffolk County-Boston, North America-United States (Northeastern)-Connecticut-Fairfield County-Bridgeport, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Illinois-Cook County-Chicago, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Ohio-Hamilton County-Cincinnati, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Ohio-Cuyahoga County-Cleveland, North America-United States (Southwestern)-Texas-Dallas County-Dallas, North America-United States (Western)-Colorado-Denver County-Denver, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Michigan-Wayne County-Detroit, North America-United States (Southwestern)-Texas-Harris County-Houston, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Indiana-Marion County-Indianapolis, North America-United States (Southern)-Florida-Duval County-Jacksonville, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Missouri-Jackson County-Kansas City, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Nebraska-Lancaster County-Lincoln, North America-United States (Northeastern)-New York-Long Island, North America-United States (Western)-California-Los Angeles County-Los Angeles, North America-United States (Southern)-Kentucky-Louisville Jefferson County Metro Government-Louisville, North America-United States (Southern)-Georgia-Bibb County-Macon, North America-United States (Southern)-Tennessee-Shelby County-Memphis, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Minnesota-Hennepin County-Minneapolis, North America-United States (Southern)-Tennessee-Davidson County-Nashville, North America-United States (Southern)-Louisiana-Orleans Parish-New Orleans, North America-United States (Northeastern)-New York-New York County-New York City, North America-United States (Western)-Nebraska-Douglas County-Omaha, North America-United States (Western)-California-Santa Clara County-Palo Alto, North America-United States (Western)-California-Los Angeles County-Pasadena, North America-United States (Northeastern)-Pennsylvania-Philadelphia County-Philadelphia, North America-United States (Northeastern)-Pennsylvania-Allegheny County-Pittsburgh, North America-United States (Northwestern)-Oregon-Multnomah County-Portland, North America-United States (Northeastern)-Rhode Island-Providence County-Providence, North America-United States (Western)-California-Sacramento County-Sacramento, North America-United States (Western)-California-San Diego County-San Diego, North America-United States (Western)-California-San Francisco County-San Francisco, North America-United States (Western)-California-Santa Clara County-San Jose, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Minnesota-Ramsey County-St. Paul, North America-United States (Northeastern)-New Jersey-Mercer County-Trenton, North America-United States (Southwestern)-Arizona-Pima County-Tucson, North America-United States (Western)-Washington-King County-Seattle, North America-United States (Southern)-District of Columbia-Washington

Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness, The

Education and Literacy

Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness, The

Examines flaws in evaluations of teacher effectiveness that lead districts to allow poor performance to go unaddressed. Recommends a comprehensive system, to be used accountably and integrated with human capital policies, and efficient dismissal policies.

August 1970

Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Southern)-Arkansas, North America-United States (Western)-Colorado, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Illinois, North America-United States (Midwestern)-Ohio

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