Learn4Life released its second annual “State of Education in Metro Atlanta” report. This year’s report highlights the cradle-to-career approach driving this collaborative effort to improve outcomes for all students. It also celebrates effective literacy strategies impacting students across the eight school districts that are a part of the L4L partnership.
 
“Throughout metro Atlanta, the idea of regionalism is taking hold. Our business, philanthropic and educational leaders seek proven solutions to improve education for all of our students,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “In this first year, Learn4Life brought together diverse stakeholders to build a deeper understanding of our region’s educational challenges. By leveraging the talents and resources across metro Atlanta, Learn4Life has identified proven solutions that we can scale for the benefit of each and every child.”
 
Working with dozens of leaders across the region, Learn4Life is identifying and elevating “bright spots” of success to scale throughout metro Atlanta. In its first year, the initiative identified and has worked to scale three proven solutions to help address some of the underlying factors of our region’s third-grade literacy challenges.

Vision To Learn: physical health - free eyeglasses for 39,000 students in need

Reach Out & Read: early education - engaging pediatricians to support literacy

Read Right from the Start: teacher preparation - proven literacy professional development for educators
 
Third-grade reading proficiency is one of six community-level indicators that Learn4Life has identified as the keys to achieving a cradle-to-career vision of success for every child. Others include: kindergarten readiness, eighth-grade math proficiency, high school graduation, post-secondary enrollment and post-secondary attainment.
 
“The 2018 ‘State of Education in Metro Atlanta’ Report serves as a call to action to each stakeholder in the region to come together to support strategies that have been proven to address the root causes of academic underperformance,” said Ken Zeff, executive director of Learn4Life. “Learn4Life’s first year was marked by collaboration and action. We now have identified an initial set of strategies that are proven to move our region forward.”
 
Launched in 2016, Learn4Life brings together school systems, local communities, businesses, and nonprofits to improve education outcomes based on common goals and shared benchmarks. Four civic institutions anchor the initiative – Atlanta Regional Commission, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the United Way of Greater Atlanta – which is governed by a larger leadership council comprised of a diverse group of senior executives.
 
Eight participating school superintendents across the five-county region are at the nexus of the program. Learn4Life is designed to serve over 600,000 students among all eight participating school districts: Atlanta Public Schools, City Schools of Decatur, Clayton County Schools, Cobb County Schools, DeKalb County Schools, Fulton County Schools, Gwinnett County Public Schools, and Marietta City Schools.
 
“The daunting scale of the region was something no single organization could tackle from their vantage point,” commented Alicia Philipp, president of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. “But together, we could see a horizon for positive change firmly grounded in quantitative and qualitative strategies. It’s going to take all of us working together, but we can do this and build a model of collaboration and progress.”