Powerful Schools gives every child the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential. This means making college or career readiness the expected path for ALL children. Through literacy programs, arts and after-school classes, we work in pre-schools and elementary schools to prepare children right from the start.
Powerful Schools believes in an holistic approach to education. This includes striving to not only meet each of our programs expected outcomes, but also aligning all of our programs to our core values: the 4 E’s of Education.
Our Program Model
The overall intent of Powerful Schools’ is to reduce the academic achievement gap by creating strong partnerships with public schools to help children thrive. Through academic intervention, in and out-of-class learning, family learning and school readiness programs we are ensuring that all children succeed both in and out of school. We provide enhanced learning opportunities and one-on-one student support in schools where they do not have the resources or expertise to provide them. Our program offerings include:
Learning Intervention: Students who are struggling to read and score significantly lower than their peers on reading/comprehension testing receive individualized, one-on-one reading support from a trained reading tutor for a half-hour each day. In most cases students work with the same tutor over the course of the year, providing struggling students with the consistent support they often lack at home.
In-Class Learning: In-class artist residencies and writing coaching for teachers that increase classroom-wide student engagement in literacy and arts through alternative teaching methods that reach non-traditional and traditional learners alike. Last year we offer programming in 63 classrooms in five schools, serving more than 1,500 students.
Out-of-Class Learning: After-school and summer classes that align to individual school goals, which extend the learning day and develop skills, self-esteem, and confidence of participating children. Last year we offer over 250 different classes, serving more than 1,600 students.
Family/Community Engagement: Family Literacy Nights and the Motheread/ Fatheread series (for limited English proficiency families) are aimed at increasing the level of at-home reading by children with their families, reinforcing to parents the importance of family engagement, regardless of their ability to speak English.
School Readiness: Through a partnership with the Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation we are providing early literacy and arts learning to pre-school students attending CDSA pre-schools to help prepare them for a smooth kindergarten transition and make sure they are adequately prepared for Kindergarten.
Powerful Schools is proud to be part of the Community Center for Education Results (CCER) Road Map Project, a local initiative that includes Seattle and all of the S. King County School District’s formed to increase outcomes for kindergarten readiness, 3rd grade reading proficiency, middle school preparedness and college & career readiness.
Each of our programs has multiple assessment and evaluation indicators that map to The Road Map’s key outcome goals.
Click here to learn more about the results we are seeing in our partner schools!
