SUCCESS AT SCHOOL

> AS THE NATION'S SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO EDUCATE OUR KIDS, ONE GROUP DID A SURVEY THAT FOUND THAT PARENTS AND TEACHES SUPPORT OPPOSING OPINIONS WHEN IT COMES TO READINESS.

THE MAJORITY OF PARENTS FEEL THEIR KIDS ARE PREPARED.

TEACHERS ARE SAYING, WELL, NOT SO MUCH.

THE GOOD NEWS IS, THERE IS A PROGRAM TO HELP YOUNG SCHOLARS IN GRADES K-8.

HERE WITH THE DETAILS ON A NEW INITIATIVE, ALL FOR FREE, IS WENDY LOPEZ, VICE PRESIDENT AT LEARNING HEROES.

WELCOME TO 'METROFOCUS.'

GREAT TO BE HERE.

TELL US WHAT IS THIS PROGRAM THAT CAN HELP CLOSE THIS GAP?

YEAH.

SO WE'RE CALLED LEARNING HEROES, AND WE EQUIP AND INFORM PARTS WITH RELEVANT, EASY-TO-USE RESOURCES.

AS YOU MENTIONED, WE HAVE NOW DONE AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF RESEARCH.

WE START BY LISTENING TO PARENTS AND UNDERSTANDING THEIR MINDSETS, THEIR CONCERNS, THEIR PRIORITIES, WHAT THEY REALLY NEED.

AND FOR OVER TWO YEARS, WE HAVE FOUND THAT 90% OF PARENTS ACROSS DEMOGRAPHIC ROUTES, YES YOG A FIS, BELIEVE THEIR CHILD IS ON GRADE LEVEL.

WE KNOW FROM STATE AND NATIONAL PERFORMANCE DATA, THAT NUMBER IS CLOSE TO ONLY A THIRD OF STUDENTS BEING ON GRADE LEVEL.

ANOTHER STUDY FOUND ONLY 39% OF TEACHERS BELIEVE THAT STUDENTS ARRIVE PREPARED FOR GRADE LEVEL WORK.

AND SO WE RIGHT NOW ARE LASER FOCUSED ON LEANING INTO THAT PERCEPTION GAP.

AND BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT IF PARENTS HAVE A MORE CLEAR AND ACCURATE PICTURE OF HOW THEIR CHILD IS PROGRESSING, AND HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS, THEY CAN BEST SUPPORT LEARNING AT HOME AND PARTNER WITH THEIR CHILD'S TEACHER.

SO A BIG PART OF CHANGING ONE'S PERCEPTION IS AN ASPECT OF TRUST, AND THAT PARENTS WOULD HAVE TO TRUST YOU TO BE ABLE TO CLEARLY POINT OUT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE NOT SEEING.

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT DOING THAT?

SO WE HAVE CREATED THE READINESS CHECK.

IT'S A NEW TOOL THAT HELPS PARENTS GET A SENSE OF HOW THEIR CHILD HAS LEARNED FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS THAT WE KNOW ARE NECESSARY TO LEARN NEW ONES IN THIS NEW YEAR.

IT'S REAL EASY TO USE.

BASICALLY, THE PARENT HAS THEIR CHILD ANSWER THREE TO FIVE SHORT QUESTIONS IN MATH AND READING.

AND THEN THEY IMMEDIATELY GET THAT INFORMATION AROUND THEIR CHILD'S PROGRESS.

AND I THINK MOST INNOVATIVE IS THAT THEY ARE THEN DIRECTED TO HIGHLY CURRATED SPILL SPECIFIC RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN USE AT HOME.

BY HAVING THIS INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY AT THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, YOU TALKED ABOUT TRUST.

SO IMPORTANT.

PARENTS CAN BRING THIS INFORMATION TO THE CHILD'S TEACHER TO HELP GET A JUMP ON THE SCHOOL YEAR TO HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF THE SPECIFIC SCHOOLS THAT STUDENTS NEED SUPPORT WITH.

IS THIS ALSO SOMETHING -- IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY GREAT INNOVATION, THE BACKSIDE IS THERE COULD BE ABUSE.

IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN USE TO GET YOUR KID AHEAD, SO INSTEAD OF BEING GRADE READY, YOUR KID IS AHEAD.

GREAT QUESTION.

THIS IS MEANT TO BE A GUT CHECK.

WHAT WE FOUND IN OUR STUDY IS PARENTS RELY HEAVILY ON GRADES, AND GRADES ARE IMPORTANT.

BUT THERE ARE MEASURES.

SO THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE AN ASSESSMENT, BUT RATHER A GUT CHECK.

ANOTHER WAY TO JUST GET A SENSE QUICKLY AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WHAT ARE THOSE SKILLS YOUR CHILD MIGHT NEED MORE SUPPORT WITH.

WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO HAVE IDENTIFIED THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS AND HELPED US DEVELOP THOSE QUESTIONS.

SO ESSENTIALLY IT'S ABOUT GETTING A JUMP-START ON THE SCHOOL YEAR.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD ALSO BE WELL UTILIZED FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE IN UNDERFUNDED SCHOOLS, WHOSE SCHOOL DISTRICT MIGHT NOT BE AT THE SAME TEACHING OR READINESS LEVEL.

YEAH.

WE'VE KREE CRATED IT FOR ALL STUDENTS.

BUT ABSOLUTELY, EVERYTHING WE CREATE IS AT NO COST.

IT'S AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.

AND SO ABSOLUTELY, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS MAKE SURE ALL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THEM.

AND IN A WAY THAT IS EASY FOR THEM TO USE, Z PART OF THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES.

I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE PARTNERING WITH US.

TELL US ABOUT THAT CONNECTION.

WE'RE GO GRATEFUL TO BE WORKING WITH WNET.

WE'VE COLLABORATED WITH SOME VIDEOS THAT HIGHLIGHT NEW YORK, JUST WALKING PARENTS HOW TO USE THE TOOL.

WE'VE ALSO DONE A BLOG.

I'M JUST EXIDED ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP.

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR CREATING THIS PROGRAM.

IT SEEMS LIKE AN OBVIOUS THING.

BUT YEAH, IT CLEARLY TAKES ONE TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM.

THANK YOU FOR SOMETHING ME.

TO LEARN MORE HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD SUCCEED, VISIT US AT METROFOCUS.ORG.