1. School Readiness: Children 0 – 5 meet developmental milestones and are assessed to be ready to enter kindergarten. 2. Grade Level Reading: Students successfully transition into the next grade with appropriate reading skills. 3. Working through a collaborative effort, assist low income single parents with health, education and income resources to improve family support of children's learning.

1. Support and enhance a quality early care and learning continuum of services. 2. Increase children's access to books through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. 3. Provide resources to support in-school tutoring for grade-level reading. 4. Provide resources for afterschool and summer learning that will improve children's reading skills. 5. Support local collaboratives that work with young children and their parents to improve family stability and the child's development.

- Evaluation of effectiveness UWSM has been committed to measuring the effectiveness of the programs and services it provides and funds since 2000 when Outcome Measurement was formally introduced to its investment process. United Way staff have provided outcome measurement training not only to --- Community assessment and strategic planning UWSM has conducted formal community assessments and community conversations to discern where our resources could best address critical community issues. With that information we conducted a thorough five year strategic plan that provides the vision and strategies for the work we do. - Quality staffing Given United Way's focus on early education, a new position was created, the Director of Education, to lead United Way's community impact work. We have also recruited an Americorps Vista to work with community outreach around early education.

• Program impact measures • Annual evaluation of progress in organization goals • Participation in United Way Worldwide's Organization Assessment process

• 85% of children in UWSM funded early learning programs met social/emotional skill benchmarks and 82% met communication and language skill benchmarks • 92% of four year olds in UWSM funded quality early learning programs, demonstrated academic skills that support kindergarten readiness • 14% of children in UWSM funded quality child care and early learning programs were referred for further developmental assessment assuring early intervention for problems that might delay learning • 80% of children in UWSM funded afterschool tutoring programs at least two hours per week were promoted to the next grade • Mini-grants were provided through Excel by 5 to support early child care and learning programs secure curriculums that align with Mississippi's Early Learning Guidelines. (Hancock County) • 1312 children enrolled in Dolly Parton Imagination Library • Working with elementary schools in local communities, engaged volunteers to work with in-school and summer reading programs