In 2011, McKnight launched the Pathway Schools Initiative. The initiative represents a partnership between the Foundation, the University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute, and seven metro-area elementary schools. It aims to align and improve the quality of literacy instruction and school leadership from PreK-3rd grade, with the ultimate goal of improving third-grade reading proficiency. A team from SRI International has supported an independent evaluation of the initiative’s progress, and from 2010-2017, McKnight relied on the expertise of an Education & Learning National Advisory Committee to advise the Foundation on the initiative’s progress.
McKnight’s Pathway Schools Initiative will sunset at the end of the 2017-18 school year. As the initiative draws to a close, McKnight remains committed to sharing lessons from its implementation.
Below, you will find existing evaluation resources related to the Pathway Schools Initiative. We will be updating and adding resources to this page over the coming year – stay tuned!