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<br />Officials: FSA kindergarten <br />readiness program a success <br /> Katie Jansen <br /> Updated Oct 24, 2015 <br />HILLSBOROUGH — The new kindergarten readiness program launched this summer is <br />meeting its goals, the Family Success Alliance announced this week in conjunction with <br />two local school districts. <br />The program rolled out this summer after the Family Success Alliance collected surveys <br />and held community listening sessions to help in prioritizing the communities’ needs. <br />“This is the start of multiple interventions which will carry these children on a p ipeline to <br />young adult success,” said Michael Steiner, chairman of the Family Success Alliance <br />advisory council. <br />The program, which was held at three elementary schools and served 66 families, <br />hoped to provide academic, social and emotional support for underserved families and <br />for students who didn’t have previous school experience. <br />Of this summer’s participants, about 48 percent didn’t have prior school experience, and <br />70 percent of families qualified for free and reduced lunch. <br />The students were given pre- and post-tests to measure their level of readiness for <br />kindergarten. By the end of the 15- to 16-day program, many of the students moved <br />from the bottom two levels — beginning and in progress, to the top two levels — basic <br />or full proficiency.