SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Waterford Institute was recently awarded the contract for the High Quality School Readiness Program Expansion for High Quality Education Software, which provides an allocation of up to $2 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds each year for the next three years. The funding will be used to expand Waterford’s UPSTART kindergarten readiness program. The allocation, in combination with current funding sources, will enable UPSTART to serve approximately 10,000 children throughout Utah, roughly 20 percent of the state’s four-year-olds.
Waterford Institute took part in the Request for Proposal (RFP) process issued by the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and won based on efficacy demonstrated through multiple student outcomes data. The RFP came about by the passage in the 2016 Utah Legislative Session of Senate Bill 101 (S.B. 101) sponsored by Sen. Ann Millner and Rep. Bradley G. Last.
“UPSTART is all about supporting the family in preparing young children for kindergarten and a love of learning,” said Claudia Miner, Executive Director of UPSTART and vice president of development for the nonprofit Waterford Institute. “This new funding source will permit more at-risk children throughout Utah to participate in the program—all of whom are from lower income or non-English speaking families. UPSTART has proven to be one of the most successful kindergarten readiness programs for children in every district across the state.”
“With the additional allocation, Utah will be able to serve even more preschool aged students and support them in building a solid foundation for school readiness,” said Jennifer Throndsen, PreK-12 Literacy and Library Media Coordinator, Utah State Board of Education.
According to the Award Justification Statement, Waterford was determined to meet the requirements of the RFP and reasonable pricing compared to other potential contractors. “After evaluating the proposal and reviewing the costs proposed, the evaluation team determined that awarding the contract to Waterford was in the best interest of the procurement unit,” the statement read. Waterford was also selected for its parent support model and its ability to recruit at-risk children.
UPSTART uses Waterford Early Learning, a cloud-based adaptive learning curriculum to provide children lessons in early literacy, math and science at home, the year before kindergarten. Now starting its eighth year in Utah, UPSTART is offered at no cost to participating families through funding by the Utah State Legislature.
“There is no question that UPSTART is giving Utah great and economically viable results,” said State Senator Stuart Adams.
Independent evaluations by the Utah State Office of Education show UPSTART children significantly outperform state averages on standardized tests in grades kindergarten through fourth across language arts, math and science.
UPSTART is open to everyone, prioritizing low-income and English language learners. Qualifying families receive use of a free computer and free Internet during the program if they do not have access to these resources at home.
Families can pre-register now for UPSTART at www.utahupstart.org or by phone at 800-669-4533.
About Waterford Institute
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Waterford Institute is a nonprofit research center that creates personalized cloud-based instruction through an award-winning curriculum, content and assessment for children aged pre-K to 2nd grade. As a nonprofit, Waterford is uniquely focused on providing accessibility, equity and excellence for our youngest learners to position them for a lifetime of learning and success. For more information, visit www.waterford.org or call 801-349-2200.
