Community-level efforts are taking dead aim at the target of equipping children with skills to enter school.

A multi-year planning effort, sparked by United Way of Baytown Area, is expected to result in strategy implementation during 2010.

"Throughout the Baytown area, more than half of children entering Kindergarten are not school ready," said Rosemary Holm, a parent and grandparent who has helped lead the planning process. "This was a big surprise to me."

"I am convinced," Holm continued, "that we as a community can help families better prepare little ones to enter school with skills needed for achievement."

To formulate school-readiness strategies for young children, three community committees began work in late 2009.

Committee member Diana Cox, executive director of curriculum & instruction for Goose Creek CISD, says Goose Creek embraces this community-level work on school readiness.

Committee member Sandra Duree, assistant superintendent for curriculum & instruction for Barbers Hill ISD, said Barbers Hill also is proud to partner in this endeavor.

"We are so excited that our communities, local agencies and volunteers are coming together in this way to support our preschool children," Duree said. "Developing strategies and support for families of preschool children will be a tremendous benefit to all."

School readiness for young children has emerged as the focal point from a targeted community impact process, convened in mid-2007 by United Way of Baytown Area.

Targeted community impact is about marshalling a critical mass of a community's resources to make measureable community-level change, according to David Mohlman, executive director for United Way of Baytown Area. Throughout the country, Mohlman said, United Ways are convening targeted community impact efforts in one or more three general areas - education, health, and financial stability.

Not an effort solely of United Way or any single organization, targeted community impact instead is how the community - with as many resources as it can muster - identifies and attacks a problem. Responsibilities are divided appropriately among all participating groups and individuals.

Following a half-day workshop Nov. 7, 2009, three committees are at work to build strategies to be implemented, and to determine measures of progress/success.

One committee is considering interactions between pre-school children and their caregivers outside of a child care facility setting. Another committee is considering interactions between adults and children within child care facility settings. The third committee is a Steering Committee that oversees work of the other two committees, and serves as liaison to the United Way of Baytown Area board of directors.

For more information about targeted community impact, contact United Way of Baytown Area at 281-424-5831.