Success by 6: Crucial First Steps

1. To improve the quality of early care and education experiences and increase the percentage of area children who attend preschool.
2. To increase knowledge of important developmental milestones that children must meet to come to school success-ready.
3. To increase public awareness about the positive effect that quality care and education can have for the community at large.

Education - Elementary and Secondary

Success By 6® (SB6) is United Way’s initiative to ensure that more children come to school ready to learn. The years between birth and six are a time of tremendous growth and development.

CT has the largest achievement gap in the nation between poor and non-poor children in both reading and math. (Pulling Apart Report, CT Voices )

39% of New Haven students reached proficiency in reading in the 3rd grade, as measured by 2007 CMT scores. The CMT 3rd grade reading score in West Haven is 62%; the score in Madison is 90.7%.

For every $1 invested in high-quality early childhood programs, we save $16 in costs such as special education, incarceration, and welfare.