Great We Grow
Preparing Our Youngest Children for Kindergarten & Life
Education starts at birth, with 90% or more of all brain development occurring before age 5. When children are ready for kindergarten and can read proficiently in third grade, they are more likely to graduate from high school, earn higher wages, stay out of the criminal justice system and live healthier lives. But today, 48% of our children in Hillsborough County are not prepared for kindergarten.
About Great We Grow
Great We Grow is a strategic collaboration, funded and facilitated by the Conn Memorial Foundation, to reimagine how we support our youngest children from the moment they are born. We bring together families, preschools, elementary schools, out-of-school time providers and community partners to break down silos and improve children’s educational journey.
Great We Grow is a replicable partnership model that’s designed to bring positive outcomes to more communities. Today, we are funding partners in three areas to improve kindergarten readiness and transition:
- Through the Tampa Preschool Partnership, partner schools work together to help families choose the best option for their child’s elementary school and ensure they’re ready when they start kindergarten.
- Pilot projects in Town and Country and Southshore empower local schools to work together to develop better feeder patterns from preschool to elementary school and improve kindergarten readiness.
2023-24 Great We Grow Highlights
- As part of the Tampa Preschool Partnership (TPP), 74% of 4-year-olds met or exceeded the end-of-year STAR assessment achievement score, while 75% of partner VPK students achieved a learning gains score of 55% or higher.
- In Town and Country, partner schools are working to ensure that at least 70% of VPK students and 30% of PEEPS students are ready for kindergarten based on end-of-year STAR assessment results. During the 2023-24 school year, 2 of 5 4-year-old classrooms met the 2026 program objectives. Additionally, the percentage of kindergarteners at partner schools who met or exceeded the achievement score on the end-of-year STAR increased, as did third-grade achievement in ELA year-over-year.
- In Southshore, 66% of 4-year-olds stayed at Corr Elementary for kindergarten, an increase of 13% from the previous year and exceeding our stay rate objective (60%). Although only 39% of Corr kindergarten students were ready for kindergarten, they showed a 10% learning gain by the year’s end on the STAR assessment.
Explore Our Partners’ Impact
Meet our Great We Grow partners, see their strategies and outcomes, and find out what the results mean for future action.
