The Commit Partnership is second member in the Cradle to Career Network to demonstrably improve outcomes and change systems
CINCINNATI, OHIO — StriveTogether, a national nonprofit working to improve education for every child, today announced Dallas County is the second community in the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network to earn the “Proof Point” designation.
Communities in the Cradle to Career Network commit to improving outcomes for major milestones in a child’s life. The work is coordinated by local partnerships — in the case of Dallas County, the Commit Partnership — with progress measured along a cradle-to-career continuum, from kindergarten readiness through postsecondary success and employment. Proof point communities demonstrate that systems are changing and 60 percent of key indicators of success across six outcomes are maintained or improved year after year.
“We sincerely appreciate this recognition from StriveTogether for helping to create the systemic changes needed to improve outcomes for every single student in Dallas County,” said Todd Williams, The Commit! Partnership founder and executive director. “Our educators, funders, nonprofits and corporate partners deserve the most credit for their increasing focus on the levers we know through data and research will drive student achievement. We’re absolutely committed to continuous learning within this work — and we won’t stop until every student is receiving an excellent education.”
Some of Commit’s achievements across Dallas County include:
- Aligning 100-plus partners through Best in Class, a communitywide initiative to recruit and retain effective, diverse teachers and school leaders. In one case, Dallas Independent School District piloted a program to relocate highly rated teachers and principals to lead turn-around schools, a strategy that already has been replicated in another neighborhood school district.
- Increasing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid completion rates across three school districts and two nonprofit service providers. Participating campuses helped 63 percent of seniors (1,686 students) complete the FAFSA, up from 48 percent the previous year.
- Contributing to 5,800 additional students enrolling in pre-k through Early Matters Dallas over the last three years, representing the largest urban county growth in Texas in three years. Local and state policies have changed to support this shared vision, including a $30 million budget reallocation by the Dallas ISD Board to expand quality pre-k for 3- and 4-year-olds.
“We are thrilled to name Commit! as our second proof point community,” StriveTogether Interim CEO Jennifer Blatz said. “This is a huge win not only for Dallas County, but for the Cradle to Career Network as we prove once again that real change is possible when people come together around a shared vision. We’re stronger together, and we can, in fact, reduce disparities and achieve more equitable outcomes for kids.”
In September 2016, StrivePartnership was the first cradle-to-career partnership to receive the proof point designation. StrivePartnership started in 2006 when a group of leaders from various sectors throughout the Cincinnati area came together with a common goal to improve academic achievement.
In 2010, StriveTogether was established to be the support system for a network of communities like Cincinnati intent on closing gaps in opportunity and achievement, and it became a national nonprofit in 2017.
About StriveTogether
StriveTogether is a national nonprofit working to improve education for every child. We coach and connect partners in 70 communities and work together to get better results for six goals. Communities using our approach have seen measurable gains in kindergarten readiness, academic achievement and postsecondary success. The StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network reaches 8.2 million students, involves 10,800 organizations and has partners in 32 states and Washington, D.C.