Early Learning 

At Doing Good Well, we believe that our most pressing social challenges can be addressed and improved though holistic and collaborative approaches and partnerships of high performing, effective not-for profits.

Early Learning in Philadelphia

The Problem

Early Learning (Pre-K to 4th Grade) outcomes in Philadelphia continue to be structurally weak at all levels. 71% of Philadelphia area 4thgraders are struggling with reading while math proficiency is even more dire. 

Vik Dewan, Principal

Recent Events

Pandemic remote learning was a setback and has fundamentally impacted these trends with the expectation that the proficiency levels will continue to decline for the next several years. 

Ongoing Trends

Additionally, new worrying data has emerged on declining attendance levels at K and 1st grade pointing to broader and more systemic issues within the home and family structure as well as in school and neighborhood outreach programs. Addressing lagging reading and math proficiency through 4th grade will require a more holistic and systemic set of programmatic interventions through the cluster of neighborhood elementary schools administration, teachers and caregiver involvement alongside neighborhood support organizations.

Early Learning in Philadelphia

Our Theory of Engagement and Change

Focusing on just driving test scores without providing programmatic interventions to address the broader issues of school, family, neighborhood engagement around the student will only treat the symptoms and not the root causes and result in a constant and continuing poor educational attainment and performance outcomes. 

Vik Dewan, Principal

Our Approach

At Doing Good Well, we believe that our most pressing social challenges can be addressed and improved though holistic and collaborative approaches and partnerships of high performing, effective not-for profits. Deconstructing complex issues such as early learning starting with organizations providing services in schools, neighborhoods, families and resource networks is likely to produce outcomes that address negative trends at a root cause level. 

Ongoing Need

We believe these organizations require new sources of long-term capital – funding that can come from well informed and patient donors. We believe that none of these organizations can achieve the outcomes we believe are possible without working together – with joint performance goals, integrated in their delivery and committed to outcomes that are defined by milestones over a multi-year period. Our Subject Matter Experts convene, coach and coordinate the work of these collaboratives that have deep roots in and credibility with the community in specific neighborhoods and share insights and context with our Donors.

Early Learning in Philadelphia

Current Challenges

We will direct our attention to programmatic interventions that provide integrated programs. We will seek $3-5 million as an initial commitment to these outcomes in the first year. 

Vik Dewan, Principal

Focus

West Philadelphia and Mantua/Strawberry Mansion –our initial focus will be in hyper local Philadelphia neighborhoods such as West Philadelphia’s Mantua, Parkside and Strawberry Mansion area bringing together a collaborative of not-for-profits that are neighborhood based including faith based, cultural and civic resources and neighborhood organizations. 

Numbers

Figures grow by the year.

4th graders struggling
with reading 
%