Overview

Each year, too many children start kindergarten unprepared to learn. Many never catch up. The reasons are complex, but clearly the multitude of systems that should be supporting young children too often fail in that mission – from family to schools to government. SPARK sought permanent improvement in the systems that affect children’s learning.

SPARK Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids™ – an initiative of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation – worked to create a seamless transition into school for vulnerable children ages 3 to 6. SPARK supported partnerships of selected communities, schools, state agencies, and families to ensure that they work together effectively for children’s early learning. With the initiative serving as a catalyst or “spark,” the goal was to ensure that vulnerable children are ready for school and schools are ready for the children.

The initiative had grantees in eight locations: District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina and Ohio.

SPARK was based on four key principles:

1. Strong partnerships among families, providers, community organizations and ready schools ensured that all children can learn and succeed in school.
2. Quality was a critical element of a child’s early learning, from birth through the early years of school.
3. Parents and families at home and working with early-care providers were critical to ensuring that children succeed in school.
4. School leaders and teachers, working with the community’s support, created smooth transitions from early-learning settings so that children can succeed in school.

Nine Pathways to Ready Schools	Report on the Development of a National Ready Schools Action Group	2006 Elections Impact Analysis: Emerging Shifts and Opportunities on Policies Supporting Families and Children to Age 8