READY is a cross-sector partnership guided by the vision of local collective impact initiatives, Upstream Investments and Cradle to Career. Built on the premise that prevention focused policies and interventions have long term impacts, READY garners local support for increasing the quality of early childhood education and facilitating the transition of young learners from early childhood education to Kindergarten with the ultimate goal of closing the achievement gap. 

 

Since 2013, the READY project has conducted ongoing background research to support the pilot and scaling of a common kindergarten readiness assessment in Sonoma County. The school readiness assessment is paired with a parent survey to gather information on early learning experiences and family activities of children entering kindergarten. In Fall 2015 , the project transitioned to an evidenced-based, classroom friendly tool called the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile (KSEP).

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READY is funded by First 5 Sonoma County and supported by Cradle to Career Sonoma County,

Upstream Investments, & Health Action.

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READY's VISION

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• Expand the use of READY data to strengthen early learning programs in Sonoma County: Use school readiness data to advocate for increased access to innovative, culturally appropriate early learning programs benefiting low income families for whom English is a second language. As the READY work grows, expand the scope of data sharing with early learning partners so READY data can be used for continuous quality improvement and to guide decision making.

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• Expand support to teachers: Expand partnerships with early learning experts to support teachers to integrate school readiness ratings into beginning of the year routines, as well as how to use the results to inform practice and instruction in a meaningful way.

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• Continue to strengthen connections between early learning programs and the K-12 school system. Foster a deeper understanding of the strengths and limitations of school readiness assessments and how data can be used to advocate for early interventions and program enhancements. Work closely with key partners to align and strengthen the relationship between the early learning community and K-12 school districts.

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• Support Innovative Early Childhood investment strategies.  Align school readiness findings with County-wide collective impact initiatives to promote public-private partnerships and self-sustaining community involvement to stimulate action at multiple levels within the community.

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