Pathways to Ready Schools

To encourage communities to play a more significant role in getting kids ready for school and schools ready for kids, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation launched Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) in 2001. This nationwide initiative emphasized community-based collaboration and the development of strategic infrastructures to support early care and education and school readiness among at-risk children. As part of this initiative, the authors were charged with developing a definition of a ready school. Following consultation with experts, a literature review, and four site visits, the authors identified the following nine pathways to ready schools: children succeed in school; a welcoming atmosphere; leadership; connections to early care and education; connecting culturally and linguistically with children and families; parental involvement; partnering with the community; using assessment results for individual student progress and improving school performance; and quality improvement including professional development and training.