initiative report - prosper waco · april 2015 first meetings of education, health, and financial...

2018

Initiative Report

2 2018 INITIATIVE REPORT

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The mission of the Prosper Waco initiative is to build an environment in which all members of our Waco community are able to measurably improve their education, health and financial security.

32018 INITIATIVE REPORT

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter from the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Elements of Collective Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Initiative Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

History of the Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Role of the Backbone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Community Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Transformation Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Prosper Waco Goals

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Financial Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Snapshot of Initiative Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Public-Private Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Get Involved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23


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Maximizing community-wide

potential


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The last year has seen an exciting increase in the momentum of collaboration between

schools, government, non-profits, businesses and others. Partners continue to raise

their hand to join the work our community is doing to improve education, health,

and financial security outcomes. These partners increasingly look for opportunities to

connect their work to others’, fill gaps in needed services, and focus on tracking the

outcomes and impact they create.

A number of collaborative efforts have become reality after significant

planning. In Fall 2017, the Waco Employer Resource Network (WERN)

began serving employees of partner businesses in order to support

working Wacoans and increase employee retention. In WERN’s first

year, the success coach provided more than 750 support services to 220

working individuals. In early 2018, a dozen trained Community Health

Workers began serving high-need neighborhoods in Waco by helping

community members improve their health and access appropriate

healthcare.

More importantly, the Waco community continues to work on systemic solutions to

its poverty-related challenges. Waco ISD created a community partnership to support

several high-poverty campuses and avoid their closure by the state. Hundreds of

community members have stepped up to volunteer their time and resources to

support students and families on these campuses. The McLennan County Behavioral

Health Leadership Team has continued to identify and implement strategic solutions

to the issue of mental health in Waco and McLennan County.

There remains plenty of work to be done, and there are many opportunities to

collaborate. If you are an individual who wants to volunteer, a group that wants to

give, a business that wants to invest in your team and the community—we invite you

to collaborate in helping our community prosper.

Matthew Polk, PhD, MBAExecutive Director

the Waco

community

continues to

work on systemic

solutions to its

poverty-related

challenges.

Letter from the Director


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Elements of Collective ImpactProsper Waco is a collective impact initiative focused on addressing issues facing

the Greater Waco community in the areas of Education, Health, and Financial

Security. Collective impact is an approach to addressing complex social problems

through a focused, collaborative effort that is facilitated and guided by a dedicated

organization called a “backbone.” Prosper Waco has been guided by the work

of FSG, a consulting firm focused on social impact that is leading the national

collective impact movement. FSG’s pioneering work on collective impact outlines

five conditions necessary for a successful collective impact effort:

Common AgendaCommunity partners have a shared vision for change, including a common

understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving it through

agreed-upon actions

Shared MeasurementsCollecting data and measuring results consistently across all participants

ensures efforts remain aligned and participants hold each other accountable

Mutually Reinforcing ActivitiesParticipant activities must be differentiated while still being coordinated

through a mutually reinforcing plan of action

Continuous CommunicationConsistent and open communication is needed across the many stakeholders

to build trust, assure mutual objectives, appreciate common motivation, and

celebrate success

Backbone Organization SupportThe backbone organization supports the initiative partners through ongoing

facilitation, technology and communication support, data collection and

reporting, and administrative details of the initiative


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Initiative Model

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ContinuousCommunication

healtheducation financialsecurity

BackboneProsper Waco

Board of DirectorsGovernance, Vision & Goals

Implementing PartnersEngagement & Implementation

Community MembersPublic Will

Leadership CouncilStrategy & Action Planning

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The Prosper Waco initiative is built upon

three pre-existing networks created

to improve education and health and

alleviate poverty in Waco. These networks

were the Greater Waco Community

Education Alliance, the Community

Health Improvement Plan and the Poverty

Solutions Steering Committee. The work

of these groups demonstrated the need

for a coordinated, holistic approach to

addressing systemic issues in Waco. In

2014, under the leadership of former Waco

Mayor Malcolm Duncan, Jr., a leadership

team developed a vision for a broad

community initiative to address poverty-

related issues and improve quality of life in

our community.

Since 2015, schools, healthcare providers,

non-profits, faith organizations, employers,

local government, community members

and others have implemented a variety

of cross-sector, collaborative projects and

campaigns to achieve the Prosper Waco

initiative goals.

JUNE 2014Greater Waco Collective Impact Initiative established as a nonprofit organization

FEBRUARY 2015Inaugural Event held to launch Prosper Waco Initiative

APRIL 2015First meetings of Education, Health, and Financial Security Steering Committees to establish measurable initiative goals

SEPTEMBER 2016Second Annual Prosper Waco Summit includes community feedback and initiative updates

OCTOBER 2017Third annual Prosper Waco Summit highlights numerous collaborative efforts and upcoming projects

PRESENTWorking Groups meet regularly to advance collaborative projects

History of the Prosper Waco Initiative

INITIATIVE TIMELINE


Role of the Prosper Waco BackboneThe Prosper Waco initiative utilizes the collective impact model, which

includes a “backbone” organization to bring together cross-sector partners,

facilitate communication and strategy, and support the collective work of

partner organizations.

The backbone provides a number of supports to initiative partners, including:

The Prosper Waco backbone is the community’s “dot connector.” The organization convenes partner organizations to collaboratively identify and strategically implement efforts that will address the goals of the community-wide initiative.

- Bridging strategic conversations across the three focus areas of the initiative

- Connecting organizations to potential partners and funding sources

- Tracking data and outcomes

- Communicating the contributions of partner organizations

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

CIVIC GROUPS HEALTHCARESYSTEMS

PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS

RELIGIOUSORGANIZATIONSGOVERNMENT

BUSINESSES

EDUCATIONALINSTITUTIONS

PROSPER WACO

BACKBONE


Community Snapshot

MCLENNAN COUNTY251,259

INDIVIDUALS LIVE IN MCLENNAN COUNTY

MCLENNAN COUNTYBLACK: 14.3%

HISPANIC: 26.4%OTHER: 3.7%WHITE: 55.6%

POVERTY RATE

MCLENNAN COUNTY

CHILDREN*

*UNDER 18 YEARS OLD

ALL MCLENNAN

COUNTY RESIDENTS 17.7%

23.0%

16 TO 24 YEAR OLDS UNEMPLOYED

AGES 201716-24 12 .6%25-44 4 .2%45-64 2 .3%

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

12.6%

CITY OF WACOBLACK: 20.8%

HISPANIC: 33.2%OTHER: 4.9%WHITE: 41.1%

MCLENNAN COUNTY

CITY OF WACO

WACO CHILDREN*

*UNDER 18 YEARS OLD

ALL WACORESIDENTS

RACIAL BREAKDOWN

31.8%

24.3%

16 TO 24 YEAR OLDS UNEMPLOYED

AGES 201716-24 14 .6%25-44 5 .3%45-64 3 .3% 14.6%

Source: U.S. Cencus Bureau, 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates


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BACHELOR’S DEGREE

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA

80.1%

24.8%

MCLENNAN COUNTY RESIDENTS WITH

HEALTHCARE COVERAGE

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

85.8%

83.6%

24.6%

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA

BACHELOR’S DEGREE

CITY OFWACO

136,437 INDIVIDUALS LIVE

IN WACO

MCLENNAN COUNTY

CITY OF WACO

WACO RESIDENTS WITH

HEALTHCARE COVERAGE

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

2015 $46,602

$46,860

$47,267

2016

2017

2015 $36,792

$37,722

$39,063

2016

2017

84.9%

MCLENNAN COUNTY CITY OF WACO

12 2017 - 2018 INITIATIVE REPORT

1

2

3

5

4

1 G.W. Carver Middle School

2 J.H. Hines Elementary School

3 Brook Avenue Elementary School

4 Indian Springs Middle School

5 Alta Vista Elementary School

Giving students what they need to succeed


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Transformation ZoneState legislation passed in 2015 mandated the closure of schools that were identified as “improvement

required” by Texas Education Agency (TEA) for five consecutive years. In 2017 Senate Bill 1882 gave school

districts the option of keeping struggling campuses open by creating an in-district charter partnership with

a non-profit organization. After extensive deliberation and community input, Waco ISD partnered with the

Prosper Waco Initiative to create an in-district charter model that would be operated by a newly created

non-profit called Transformation Waco. Upon approval by TEA in May 2018, this in-district charter school

partnership created a “Transformation Zone” of struggling WISD campuses that will receive additional

resources and support and will be exempt from state accountability for at least two years. The schools that are

part of the Transformation Zone are Alta Vista Elementary, Brook Avenue Elementary, J.H. Hines Elementary,

G.W. Carver Middle School, and Indian Spring Middle School. In August 2018, TEA released its accountability

ratings for the 2017-2018 school year. Waco ISD celebrated the improved performance of several campuses,

including four of the five Transformation Zone campuses (Alta Vista, J.H. Hines, Carver, and Indian Spring),

which are no longer considered “improvement required” and thus not threatened with closure under the

state legislation. Invigorated by this success, Waco and its surrounding communities are coming together to

support the students, families, and staff on the Transformation Zone campuses. Through a concentrated effort

and strategic focus, the Prosper Waco Backbone is working closely with Transformation Waco, Waco ISD and

numerous community partners to coordinate the community services provided on these campuses.

Family Support SpecialistsEach campus in the Zone has an added staff member called Family Support Specialists. The role

of the Family Support Specialists is to work directly with families to identify needs that may create

barriers to student success. These positions will increase the services and supports students receive

in order to improve student attendance and academic performance while reducing disciplinary

incidents.

STARS/MentoringThe STARS Book Club project is a collaborative effort of churches and nonprofits that are increasing

the number of community members who regularly invest in at-risk students on the Transformation

Zone campuses. 840 volunteers from across the community are meeting with 1,650 elementary

students at least once a week at lunchtime to provide targeted help in reading and mentor students.

Faith AllianceAs part of a concentrated effort to support the campuses in the Transformation Zone, an alliance of

faith-based organizations is coordinating efforts and activities to have a bigger impact not only on

the students and families of the Zone campuses but on Waco ISD as a whole. Through the work of

the Faith Alliance, churches are providing volunteers and other resources to support the work of the

Transformation Zone.

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Education

13.6%FALL 2017

59.6%2016-2017

56%2016-2017

54%2015-2016

79%2016-2017

77%2015-2016

INITIATIVE GOALS

INITIATIVE GOALS

OVERARCHING: The Greater Waco community will build an environment that promotes lifelong educational success for all residents beginning at birth. The successful outcome of our work will be a 15 percent increase in the number of area residents who complete a post-secondary degree or certificate that prepares them for a successful career and productive citizenship.

SCHOOL READINESSIncrease the percentage of Kindergarten-ready students by 50 percent

THIRD GRADE READINGIncrease the percentage of students meeting standard on Third Grade Reading assessment to exceed the state average

COLLEGE & CAREER SUCCESSDouble the percentage of economically-disadvantaged students who complete a workforce certificate or college degree

Percent of children who are pre-kindergarten ready

TARGET: 24%Source: Waco ISD, CLI Engage’s Circle Progress Monitoring PreK

Percent of children who are kindergarten ready, Waco ISD

Source: TPEIR, Texas Public Kindergarten Programs & Kindergarten Readiness Report

Percent of children reading on grade level by 3rd grade

TARGET: 73%Source: Texas Education Agency2017-2018 data not released until December 2018

COUNTY AVERAGEWACO ISD

KEY

= Unfavorable to Target

= Positive Improvement

Percent of economically-disadvantaged students who complete a workforce certificate or degreeTARGET: 24%Source: Texas Higher Education Board’s 8th Grade Cohorts Tracked Through Higher Eduction

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INITIATIVE STRATEGIESEarly Childhood programs collaboratively created a School Readiness Toolkit to inform parents and caregivers of important developmental milestones and the academic skills children need when they enter school . School-based mental health services were provided on campuses in multiple school districts in 2017-2018 to help improve student behavior and academic performance. 122 Waco ISD and La Vega ISD students enrolled in college in Fall 2017 with the help of the collaborative Project Link program.

Percent of economically-disadvantaged students who enroll in Texas Higher EducationSource: Texas Higher Education Board’s 8th Grade Cohorts Tracked Through Higher Eduction

14.3%12.4%

2016

12.3%2015

12.3%2014

10.5%2013

2017

52.6%53.1%FALL OF 2016

53.7%FALL OF 2015

51.6%FALL OF 2014

49.8%FALL OF 2013

FALL OF 2017

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Health

ACCESS TO CAREDecrease percentage of people utilizing the ER as a source of primary care by 10 percent

OBESITYDecrease the percentage of Waco-area adults and children considered overweight or obese by 5 percent

WOMEN’S HEALTHReduce disparities of poor birth outcomes+ by 50 percent

Increase percentage of women receiving annual preventative care by 10 percent

Reduce the teen pregnancy rate for each of the three primary racial groups to below 20 teen births per 1,000 population

MENTAL HEALTHDecrease use of ER for mental health treatment by 25 percent

Improve “poor mental health days” component of RWJF rankings to Texas average

INITIATIVE GOALSOVERARCHING: McLennan County will reach the top quartile (60th or better) of Texas counties in Quality of Life (currently 187th) and Health Behaviors (currently 116th) in Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings.

+ Pre-term deliveries and low birth weight

Percent of McLennan County adults that report a BMI of 30 or more

TARGET: 28.5%Source: RWJF County Health Ranking & Roadmaps

Number of poor mental health days in McLennan CountySource: RWJF County Health Ranking & Roadmaps

31%29%

2017

30%2016

29%2015

2018

3.8 days3.7 days

2017

3.3 days2016

2018

INITIATIVE GOALS

KEY



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INITIATIVE STRATEGIESThe McLennan County Community Health Worker Initiative began serving clients with community-based services in early 2018. Family Health Center’s Wellness Center began serving patients with personalized exercise plans. A coalition of healthcare providers and community organizations adopted a shared strategy to reduce teen pregnancy in Waco and McLennan County .

Teen Birth Rate in McLennan County (females ages 15 to 19 per 1000)

Low Birth Weight Births in McLennan County(per 1000)

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

TARGET: Below 20Source: Texas Health Data, DHSH

WHITE

HISPANIC

OVERALL

BLACK

WHITE

HISPANIC

OVERALL

BLACK52.048.1

32.9

21.3

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Source: Texas Health Data, DHSH

15.0%

6.5%7.8%

6.3%

^ 2017 Federal Poverty Level $49,200 for a family of four

INITIATIVE GOALS

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Financial Security

EMPLOYMENTIncrease employment of Waco residents ages 16-24 by 900 individuals

INCOMEIncrease median income of full-time workers by 10 percent

Increase median household income by 10 percent

Decrease the number of residents with incomes below 50 percent of the federal poverty level by 10 percent

WEALTHReduce the percentage of households living without three months worth of savings

More than 50 percent of households will have a net worth above $15,000

OVERARCHING: At least 55 percent of Waco residents will live with income above 200 percent of the federal poverty level^ .

Unemployment rate of Wacoans ages 16 to 24

TARGET: Increase employment rate of 16 to 24 year oldsSource: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates

Median earnings for full-time, year-round civilian employees in Waco

TARGET: $35,539Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates

Percent of Waco households that have a net worth above $15,000

TARGET: Above 50%Source: ESRI, Net Worth Profile

INITIATIVE GOALS

14.6%5.4%

2016

13.9%2015

14.5%2014

2017

50.5%2017

49.9%2016

52.8%2018

2017 $31,839

$32,164$32,043

$31,091

$32,308

20162015

2014

2013

KEY



INITIATIVE STRATEGIES

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The 2018 High School Summer Internship Program saw over 70 high school students complete internships with dozens of employer partners. The Waco Employer Resource Network provided hundreds of services to employees of local employer partners to help them maintain stability on the job. The McLennan County Reintegration Program helped dozens of individuals locate housing and employment as they transitioned into the community from incarceration . The Bank On Waco coalition of more than a half-dozen banks provided outreach about low-cost bank accounts .

Number of Waco residents with incomes below 50% Federal Poverty LevelSource: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates

2017 Federal Poverty Level is $49,200 for a family of four

Median Household Incomein Waco

TARGET: $35,976Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates

2017 $39,063

$37,722$36,792

$32,306

$32,705

20162015

2014

2013

2017 14,88015,96016,119

17,31317,403

20162015

201314,8072014

2012


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Snapshot of Initiative Efforts

Bank On Waco Campaign

Behavioral Health Leadership Team

CampusTown Waco Initiative

Community Health Worker Initiative

Community Loan Center

Family Health Center Wellness Center

Healthy Waco Women

High School Summer Internship Program

Mayborn Museum Science Night

MCC Work Readiness Certificate

McLennan County Reintegration Program

Medical-Legal Partnership

Mental Health Jail Diversion Program

Mentor Waco Coalition

Nurse-Family Partnership

Our Community . Our Future .

Produce Prescription Program

Project Link

QR F .I .T System

Reach Out & Read

School-Based Mental Health Services

Skillpoint Alliance

Start Up Waco

Teen Pregnancy Campaign

Waco Employer Resource Network

Waco ISD Transformation Zone

Waco Power Switch

Waco-McLennan County Library Literacy Kits

SCHOOL READINESS

ACCESS TO CARE

THIRD GRADE READING

COLLEGE & CAREER

READINESS


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LIVE WELL WACO

WOMEN’SHEALTH

MENTALHEALTH EMPLOYMENT INCOME

WEALTH/SAVINGS

Want to get involved in an initiative effort? Visit prosperwaco.org to find out ways you can help.


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Public Partners

Private Partners

Public-Private PartnershipThe Prosper Waco initiative is funded through a public-private partnership. The

initiative could not be successful without financial support from numerous partner

entities. The organizations listed below provide funding to support the backbone

organization and implementation of initiative efforts in the form of grants, donations

and contracts for services.


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Get InvolvedWant to get involved in the initiative? Visit prosperwaco.org to find out ways you can help.

Become a MentorAcross the city of Waco, community members are joining together to make Waco a

better city by becoming actively engaged in the lives of young people and fellow

community members through mentoring. Each week, hundreds of people spend

intentional time building relationships with the youth of Waco and supporting each

other for future success. These mentors are involved in tutoring, reading clubs and

many other fun activities. For more information, visit mentorwaco.com.

Participate in a Working GroupProsper Waco working groups are teams of community members dedicated to

developing solutions and breaking down barriers to education, health, and financial

security for all Waco residents. These action-oriented groups stay busy connecting

and collaborating to help the community reach its goals. For more information, call

the Prosper Waco office at 254-741-0081.

Join a Strong Neighborhood TeamStrong Neighborhoods exist when community members work together to

identify and develop solutions to community concerns. Strong Neighborhood

Teams are an opportunity for community members to get engaged in this work

at the neighborhood level. Each team works together to establish goals for their

neighborhood, design community strategies, and implement an action plan.

Currently, there are Strong Neighborhood Teams for both North and South

Waco. For more information, contact Grassroots Community Development by

calling 254-235-7358.

VolunteerVolunteer for any of the non-profit programs providing vital services to individuals

and families in the Greater Waco area. To find volunteer opportunities, visit

volunteergreaterwaco.com or call the United Way of Waco-McLennan County

at 254-752-2753.

prosperwaco.org

1516 Austin Avenue Waco, Texas [email protected] • 254.741.0081

initiative report - prosper waco · april 2015 first meetings of education, health, and financial...

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