The Challenge
The most urgent challenge revolves around early childhood education. The goal in Coffeyville has been to break the cycle of poverty. Coffeyville has a long history of generational poverty. In order to work toward the goal of goal of improving early childhood education in the county, Coffeyville Public Schools leadership knew it had to impart a lasting impact. When Superintendent Dr. Craig Correll arrived in 2008, test scores were far below state and national averages. The school district tracked past student progress through the years, and recognized students within their cohorts came into kindergarten with low engagement and remained lower than their peers throughout their school careers.
- 85%of a child's brain structure is formed by age five
The Solution
The primary solution in Coffeyville was to build a high-quality early childhood center, staffed with high-quality early childhood professionals. Coffeyville currently serves 75 percent of four-year-old children and 50 percent of three-year-old children in the community. By establishing a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Coffeyville Coalition for Early Education) public-private partnership, the district managed to leverage resources that would not have otherwise been available working in isolation.
Is This a Repeatable Model?
This model is not only repeatable but scalable. Superintendent Correll was appointed to the Governor’s Council to specifically address this issue. It’s critical that this model have the flexibility to scale both up and down for various communities across Kansas. One recommendation proposed to Gov. Laura Kelly, was to create a state-wide public-private partnership dedicated to early childhood education. In October 2019, Superintendent Correll moderated a panel discussion at the Governor’s Symposium on Early Childhood Education, on the formation of public-private partnership opportunities at the state level.
Lessons Learned
The Coffeyville Public School District learned, through engaging local stakeholders, the importance of setting clear expectations, both short- and long-term — for the community at-large. One meaningful lesson the district learned was establishing one true champion from the private sector early in the process. This enabled easier conversations with private sector leaders and professionals.
Critical Partnerships
- Coffeyville Superintendent of Schools
- Business CEOs
- Local Head Start Director
- Local Community College President
- Coffeyville Community College Foundation
- John Deere Foundation
- Coffeyville Public School Foundation
- City of Coffeyville
- Small businesses
- Parents As Teachers
- Community Health Clinic of Southeast Kansas
- University of Kansas Autism Telehealth Screening
- Boys and Girls Club
- Coffeyville Community College
- Kansas Children’s Cabinet & Trust Fund
What Are the Program Results?
The results of the program have all been positive. More students in pre-kindergarten, more students coming to kindergarten prepared to learn, and more childcare opportunities for families and businesses. The local community college now collaborates with the program and offers tuition scholarships for any parent whose child attends the Early Learning Center. This effectively addresses poverty at two different generational levels — that of the young child and of the young adult.
Addressing Childcare and the Impact of COVID-19
Dr. Correll led initial efforts to unite county school districts and parochial schools in planning and responding to the global pandemic. Emergency Management and the Montgomery County Health Department was contacted to convene a meeting with the entire educational system in the county to develop a strategy prior to schools closing in April 2020. All four public schools and the six parochial schools have drafted a universal hazard mitigation plan to safely reopen schools. The consistency and unity created by the plan has drawn support throughout the county. The hazard mitigation plan creates shared responsibility and decision making equally across every school in coordination with the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Health Department. There is no conflict in operation, information, or consistency, and that directly benefits the safety and public health of not only students and staff, but the entire county.
