IMPACT
in Rapid City
Your Generosity in Action
When it comes to early childhood education, high-quality learning environments make a lifelong difference. In Rapid City, Starting Strong teachers are proving just how powerful that impact can be — not only through the children they teach but in the measurable progress they continue to make in their classrooms.
Each year, Early Childhood Connections uses the nationally recognized Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, Third Edition (ECERS-3) to assess teachers and classroom environments. Since adopting the ECERS-3 in 2021, Starting Strong classrooms have demonstrated a remarkable upward trend.
In the first year alone, teachers improved their group average score by 8%. The following year, they climbed another 14%, and in a recent assessment (Fall 2023), scores rose again by 4%. That’s a total increase of 29% over just two and a half years.
But the numbers only tell part of the story.
While new teachers often show large improvements as they learn and grow, it’s equally impressive — and critical — that more experienced teachers continue to sustain high-quality learning environments. Every teacher who has reached a top-tier score in the ECERS-3 has maintained that level of excellence.
This success ripples far beyond the Starting Strong program. Although each classroom may only include one or two Starting Strong scholarship recipients, every child benefits from the elevated standards and practices introduced through the program.
Thanks to generous donors like you, United Way of the Black Hills is able to make stories like this possible!