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“By giving kids a leg-up, we believe we can do our part to not only help close the <br />achievement gap but provide the opportunity for these kids to reach their full potential <br />as members and leaders of our vibrant community,” said Coby Jansen Austin, director <br />of programs and policy for the Family Success Alliance. “The Family Success Alliance <br />has prioritized the need for equity from the onset of a child’s academic career in helping <br />children feel successful and be successful throughout their educational journey and into <br />college and career.” <br />Burchinal said this was the second straight year that students in the Family Success <br />Alliance’s Kindergarten Readiness Camp continued to show significant gains in school <br />readiness skills. During the four-week program, 72 students were exposed to the <br />routines and procedures of kindergarten in a typical school day to help them develop a <br />positive outlook and a love of learning. <br />Participating schools included New Hope Elementary, Carrboro Elementary, Northside <br />Elementary, and Frank Porter Graham Bilingüe Elementary. The evaluation team asked <br />teachers to rate social skills, and they tested children on attention and academic skills. <br />The UNC evaluation team includes a partnership with UNC’s Department of Pediatrics, <br />which will look at health in children in the program and health relationships to FSA <br />support. The team will continue to assess these children during their kindergarten year, <br />comparing them to groups of low-income children not involved in Family Success <br />Alliance, in order to help the program continue to improve. <br />