Network for the Development of Children of African Descent
Culture Matters! Changing Lives Through a Holistic, Two-Generation Approach
Impact and Outcomes
NdCAD focuses on culture and cultural heritage to engage and work with children, youth, parents and community members. Supporting healthy cultural identity in our children prepares them for success in school and life. To this end, we use critical literacy to work holistically with families to become strong, stable and self-determinizing.
Results
Sankofa Reading Program Improves Education Outcomes
100% Increased
Reading Skills
Students Increased 2-5 Guided Reading Levels in 9 Weeks
65% Meet or Exceeded
Grade Level Reading
A 5-year research evaluation showed that prior to Sankofa, students’ reading ability was declining. After Sankofa, students were growing at an additional 0.15 words read correctly per minute (WRCM). And, prior to Sankofa, students’ school attendance was sporadic. After Sankofa, students’ school attendance was increasing.
Source: Social Innovation Fund Summary Report prepared by Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood, 2018
Parent Power Literacy and Advocacy Workshops Improve Workforce and Family Stabilization Outcomes
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County evaluation of Parent Power graduates showed that 64.3% increased their engagement in work-related activity hours, 17.9% increased their education hours and 44.2% increased their hours of employment.
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“These increases would not be expected for parents without receiving NdCAD’s Parent Power Program. The documented increases are better than any initiative administered by Ramsey County Workforce Solutions for reducing racial disparities in the African American community.”
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Results of 5 focus groups revealed that NdCAD was instrumental to improving families’ stability, well-being and self-determination.
Source: Ramsey County Workforce Solutions, 2019
64.3%
17.9%
Education
Engagement
44.2%
Employment
"NdCAD’s services provide a sample of what can be accomplished when systems listen to the needs and expectations of communities and work together to create meaningful and lasting services in partnership with and through serving whole families.”
- Ramsey County Workforce Solutions Evaluator, 2019
What Teachers Are Saying...
Think Different – Do Different Training Improves Culturally Responsive Instruction - Learning together with students to reach and teach them.
The training highlighted and emphasized the importance of self-study, which is extremely important for teachers – especially for those working to adopt NdCAD’s Value – Driven framework.
I learned that we need to see students as learners and teachers.
I learned that to be culturally competent, one has to be competent in their own culture and give students the opportunity to learn about their own culture and identity.
Source: NdCAD Think Different – Do Different Workshop Evaluation Surveys