The DCPNI has been established to
plan and coordinate a pipeline of
high-quality educational
opportunities wrapped by social
supports for children and youth
ages 0 – 23.
Our vision is to achieve and build
on positive outcomes for
neighborhood children so that they
move successfully through infancy,
early childhood, school, college,
and onto successful careers.
Goals of the DCPNI
 Every child is healthy and prepared for school
 Every parent and caregiver has access to support services
 Every student succeeds in school
 Every student completes post-secondary education
 Every student has an introduction to the world of work
 Every student has opportunities to help others and
improve their communities
Inspired by . . .
The Five Promises
 Caring adults who provide support and guidance – in their
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families, at schools, and in their communities.
Physical and emotional safety wherever they are — from the
actual places of families, schools, neighborhoods and
communities to the virtual places of media.
A healthy start comprised of regular health check-ups and
needed treatment, good nutrition and exercise, healthy skills
and knowledge, and good role models of physical and
psychological health.
An effective education that equips them for college, work, and
lifelong learning.
Opportunities to help others in their families, at schools and
in their communities.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CONTEXT
PARKSIDE /
KENILWORTH
WHITE HOUSE
DC WARDS
US CAPITOL
RFK
STADIUM
NATIONALS
STADIUM
POTOMAC RIVER
REAGAN NAT’L
AIRPORT
ST.
ELIZABETH’S
WARD 7 CONTEXT
•
19,750 children (2nd highest Ward
amount)
•
37% of children live below poverty
line
•
20% of children born to teen mothers
•
Only two health facilities (Chartered
Health and Hunt Street Unity Clinic)
The DC Promise
Neighborhood Core
Footprint = Cluster 29 and
Western Half of Cluster 30.
Expansion out to other
Ward 7 clusters is likely
after first 3 – 5 years of the
initiative.
The Core Footprint
KENILWORTH
EASTLAND
GARDENS
MAYFAIR /
PARADISE
PARKSIDE
= Schools and Recreation
Centers
= Educare
Community Profile
 Neighborhoods within the DC Promise Neighborhood:
Parkside Townhomes, Mayfair Mansions
(Condos/Apartments), Paradise Townhomes, Eastland Gardens
(single-family detached homes), Lotus Square Apartments,
Kenilworth Courts Public Housing, and Kenilworth Townhomes
 Census Tract 96.2: (Mayfair/Parkside/Paradise)
 1,115 youth (ages 0-17);
 1,302 households w/497 Female headed w/related children
 Estimated total population of 4,500
 Census Tract 96.1: (Eastland Gardens/Kenilworth).
 914 youth (0-17)
 738 total households; w/256 Female headed w/related children
 Estimated total population of 2,500
Resident Engagement
 ANC’s and local clergy person have attended HCZ
events
 President of Eastland Gardens Civic Association hired
as Resident Engagement Coordinator
 Regular Community Dinners to engage local
commitment
 Planning Teams for Evaluation, Governance, and
Program Design that include strong resident
participation
 Focus Groups, Organizational Leader Interviews, and
Brief Surveys to develop a detailed portrait of
community needs, wishes, and capacities
Civic & Organizational Core
 Active Civic & Tenants Associations
 Three Congregations
 Three early childhood providers
 Two Elementary Schools
 One Middle School
 One High School
 One Recreation Center
Needs of the Community
 More than 40% of children live below poverty line.
 More than 70% of children from two local elementary
schools are not proficient in math and reading when they
transition to middle school.
 Unemployment rate in neighborhood exceeds 20% -higher for young people and twice the DC-wide rate.
 High rates of teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, violent juvenile
deaths, illiteracy, substance abuse, high school dropout
% Elementary Students Testing Proficient or Above in Math
60
50
% of students tested
40
Math 2007
30
Math 2008
Math 2009
20
10
0
KENILWORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Source: NCLB data reports, OSSE
NEVAL THOMAS ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
ELEMENTARY STATE AVERAGE
% Elementary Students Testing Proficient or Advanced in
Reading
50
45
40
% of students tested
35
30
Reading 2007
25
Reading 2008
Reading 2009
20
15
10
5
0
KENILWORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Source: NCLB data reports, OSSE
NEVAL THOMAS ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
ELEMENTARY STATE AVERAGE
Active/Emerging Strategies & Resources
 Where the Kids Are: Deep engagement with
 Parents
 Early care & education providers (including and beyond Educare)
 Schools
 All Kids Covered: Child, adolescent and family health
 Children’s Hospital Mobile Pediatric Primary & Dental Care
 Ready for the Real World
 Dropout Prevention (e.g. GradNation Featured Community,
Chavez Saturday School and Extended Day/Year)
 College Promotion & Placement (e.g. Simon Scholars)
Rigorous Evaluation
 Evaluation is central to Promise Neighborhood model
 Monitoring progress, assessing success of intervention
 Documenting key lessons learned
 But evaluation design will be extremely challenging
 Planning and Design
 Focus groups with community residents and service providers
 Key informant interviews with community leaders.
 Creating a detailed community profile
Promise Neighborhood
Required Tracking Indicators
 #/% of young children who
 demonstrate age-appropriate
functioning;
 have a medical home; and
 participate in early learning programs
 #/% of students at or above grade level
 #/% of children participating in 60
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according to 3rd-8th grade and high school
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assessments
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 Attendance rate of students in sixth,
seventh, eighth and ninth grades
 Graduation rate in neighborhood high
school
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 #/% of students with post secondary
degrees or other credentials w/o need
for remediation
minutes of physical activity daily and eat
five or more servings of fruits and
vegetables daily
#/% of students who feel safe at school
and traveling to and from school as
measured by a school climate survey
Student mobility rate
#/% of students with a caring adult at
home, school, and community; or #/% of
families that attend parent-teacher
conferences
#/% students with school and home
access to broadband and connected
computing device
Italics: Likely available from administrative data sources.
Key Partnerships to Date
 America’s Promise Alliance
 DC Appleseed
 ANC 7D
 DC Council Chairman Vincent
 Bethesda New Life Gospel
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Church
Buffet Early Education
Fund/EduCare
Children’s National Medical
Center
The Chavez Public Charter
Schools
City Interests
College & Career Connections
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Gray
DC Department of Parks and
Recreation
DC LISC
The Eastland Gardens Civic
Assoc.
The East River Family
Strengthening Collaborative
Friends of Choice in Urban
Schools (FOCUS)
Key Partnerships to Date (cont.)
 McKinsey & Co.
 Urban Institute
 New Smyrna Baptist Church
 Ward 7 DC Council Member
 Office of the Deputy Mayor for
Yvette Alexander
 Zion Baptist Church of Eastland
Gardens
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Education
School Principals at Neval
Thomas and Kenilworth
Elementaries
Skadden Arps law firm
Simon Scholars
Social Solutions
The United Planning
Organization
Funding Partners to Date
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America’s Promise Alliance
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
The AT&T Foundation
The Bounce Learning Network
The Citybridge Foundation
The England Family Foundation
The Horning Family Fund
Judy & Josh Weston Philanthropic Fund
Microsoft
The Moran Family Foundation
Price Family Charitable Fund
Prince Charitable Trusts
Several Individual Donors
Role of the DCPNI, Inc.
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Provide strong resident and administrative leadership for the project
Ensure that existing community and city resources are focused and maximized
Conduct ongoing assessment of community needs
Develop and implement performance measures
identify service providers and partners who can deliver desired programs and
outcomes
Expand school and other partnerships even beyond footprint (e.g. middles schools
and high schools) in order to go “where the kids are.”
Enter into written memoranda of understanding with service providers and
partners that specify performance measures and target outcomes
Conduct program evaluation
Develop procedures to hold service providers and partners accountable
Provide technical assistance and support to partners
Facilitate coordination of resources and communication among stakeholders
Attract resources to community, core agencies, and partners, as needed, to fill out
pipeline
Share replicable procedures and analyses with other communities interested in
pursuing similar efforts
In Summary, the DCPN is . . .
• Modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone in NYC
• Initially located in the Parkside-Kenilworth with
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expansion to other Ward 7 & 8 neighborhoods
anticipated
Committed to deep resident engagement and
leadership
Adopted by America’s Promise Alliance
Nurturing and expanding key partnerships
Pursuing education and health initiatives already
Applying to become one of twenty Federally designated
and funded Promise Neighborhoods.