{"id":3799,"date":"2026-02-09T10:59:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T18:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carnegiefoundation.org\/?p=3799"},"modified":"2026-02-09T10:59:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T18:59:43","slug":"strivetogether-and-united-way-of-salt-lake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carnegiefoundation.org\/strivetogether-and-united-way-of-salt-lake\/","title":{"rendered":"StriveTogether and United Way of Salt Lake"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Improving to Achieve Collective Impact<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using improvement science across a community poses a unique challenge: It shifts the focus from an individual organization to multiple organizations working together on systems-level problems. The payoff is enabling communities to build a common language and approach to using data for improvement, which builds trust and enables community-level impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Salt Lake City, Utah, United Way of Salt Lake and StriveTogether are using the discipline of improvement science to improve outcomes for children and families. StriveTogether is a network of 70 communities across the U.S. that is working to improve educational outcomes for young people from cradle to career by bringing together diverse stakeholders around a common set of challenges, thereby having a collective impact. United Way of Salt Lake\u2014backbone organization for network member Promise Partnership of Salt Lake\u2014joined with StriveTogether to convene an impact and improvement network to tackle chronic absenteeism in grades K\u20133, the numbers of which had grown steadily in the Salt Lake City region between 2011 and 2016. In addition to improving attendance, the Partnership hoped to improve the ability of its staff and partners to use improvement science in all facets of their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS A RESULT OF THOSE EFFORTS, CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AMONG STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY \u2026 AND THE PROPORTION MEETING OR EXCEEDING THE BENCHMARK FOR READING PROFICIENCY IN GRADE 3 INCREASED FROM 8% TO 17%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between January and November 2017, United Way of Salt Lake and StriveTogether held seven learning sessions with a networked improvement community in Salt Lake City that included six teams from eight schools in three districts. Teams were composed of school staff, United Way staff, parents, and AmeriCorps volunteers. During the sessions, teams learned the tools and techniques for continuous improvement and shared what was and was not working. In between, they applied what they had learned in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To develop their strategies for reducing chronic absenteeism, improvement teams reviewed nationally recognized best practices. However, they put most of their emphasis on local quantitative and qualitative data, and on the knowledge of school staff and others who understood the specific needs of their students. This approach entailed talking with parents, students, teachers, guidance counselors, and others who were dealing with the problem on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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