SPARK engages families to help them cultivate their children’s readiness for school, offers supports for school success, and promotes a collaborative, community-led approach to ensure schools are ready to receive and engage all children and families.
Replicating SPARK in your community is an exceptionally effective way to narrow the school readiness gap. The program cultivates family engagement and school readiness prior to kindergarten entry. The result? Increased readiness for kindergarten and sustained academic and social-emotional gains through a child’s elementary school years.
Local SPARK programs have typically been managed by a community nonprofit organization that partners with a school district. However, in recent years, some school districts have started their own SPARK programs. The managing organization oversees daily operations, including hiring and supervising parent partner home visitors and ordering supplies.
SPARK families are typically recruited in cooperation with the school district and other community partners. The managing organization and the district collaborate on many aspects of SPARK, including the responsive services process that addresses developmental, social-emotional, and learning issues that may prevent school readiness. SPARK group lessons are typically held in the school building, as are SPARK's school-based programs.
SPARK replication sites receive technical assistance and support from the Early Childhood Resource Center, including training and ongoing technical assistance on every level of operation (fidelity to the program model, program recruitment, implementation, management, recordkeeping, etc.), access to program materials, database services, and support for evaluation.
For additional information on bringing SPARK to your community, contact Mary Brady at (877) 691-8521.
