The Early Childhood Coalition is a community-wide partnership in Tupelo/Lee County to ensure that all our children reach their full potential. This initiative began with a partnership between United Way of Northeast Mississippi and the CREATE Foundation and is the joining of Lee County Excel By 5 and the Tupelo/Lee County Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. The Coalition includes both Tupelo and Lee County school districts, which serve approximately 14,000 students. It also includes 50+ daycare/childcare centers. The community of Lee County/Tupelo has united and made a commitment to our children’s success.
The two school districts, Head Start centers, childcare centers, and the Coalition have made great strides in developing partnerships. The members of the coalition focus on improving four main areas: school readiness, student attendance, out-of-school-time learning, and health.
The Coalition joined the National Campaign for Grade Level Reading in 2018, the fifth community in Mississippi to join the national campaign. Tupelo/Lee County became a certified Excel By 5 community in 2013, joining dozens of others across the state of Mississippi.
Why We Formed
An alarming 65 percent of fourth-graders in public school were reading below proficiency in 2017. Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical marker in a child’s educational development. This disturbing statistic is made even worse by the fact that more than four out of every five low-income students miss this critical milestone. Children who reach fourth grade without being able to read proficiently are more likely to struggle academically and eventually drop out of school. This has significant consequences not only for each of those children but also for their communities and our nation as a whole.
On a local level, not all children of Lee County are entering kindergarten ready for school or are reading proficiently by the end of third grade. In 2023, 51.5% of third graders in the Tupelo Public School District and 47.3% in Lee County School District scored at a proficient level on the state assessment. Additionally, in the fall of 2023, incoming Kindergartners in the Tupelo scored 494 and 498 in Lee County on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment. The target score is 530. Based on extensive research, 85% of students scoring 530 or higher at the beginning of kindergarten are proficient in reading at the end of third grade.
The Campaign for Grade-level Reading and Excel By 5 are based on the belief that schools cannot succeed alone. Engaged parents and communities can work to remove barriers in school readiness, student attendance, and summer learning opportunities in order for all the children in Lee County to be successful. Participation and support by the community as a whole is imperative in order to improve the quality of life for all who live here.
Our Goals
The Coalition will focus on coordination of resources, communication, and increased public awareness to ensure the children of Lee County will read on grade level by the end of third grade. The Coalition collaborated and developed goals focused on four main areas: school readiness, student attendance, out-of-school-time learning opportunities, and health. The entire community can play a role to ensure we are meeting these goals and that all our children are reaching their full potential.
The Coalition has helped support the creation of an Excel By 5 coalition in neighboring Chickasaw County and is looking into supporting additional communities in the region.
Early Childhood Coalition 