P-20 Council of the Ozarks

Underneath of the Advisory and Steering Committees on the org chart, working groups serve as a clearinghouse of information in their respective areas. They filter out good ideas and bad, identify best practices and establish recommendations that will be delivered to the Advisory Committee for feedback then action. The working groups meet outside of the regularly-scheduled P-20 bi-monthly meetings, but have the opportunity to present findings, host speakers for fact-finding, or organize tours during the six working groups reporting meetings, so the entire Steering Committee can gain a broader understanding of our region's education system.

Early Care – In Springfield the Every Child Promise Campaign is encompassing the scope of Birth to Kindergarten care, education, health, safety, and nutrition. As a result of this comprehensive community effort, and understanding the vital component Early Care is to the lifetime success of a child, the P-20 Council will serve as a supportive, silent partner to the Every Child Promise Campaign in their Early Care efforts.

Indicators and Benchmarks - Identifies and monitors indicators and benchmarks in the education system – from Kindergarten readiness to third grade reading scores, ninth grade math scores to graduation rates – to ensure our region is moving the needle on key skill attainment levels. The community's understanding of where we are and where we should be in education and workforce development is a valuable service the P-20 Council can provide through this working group's efforts.

College and Career Readiness - Focuses on what our middle and high schools are doing to prepare students for college and careers. May identify programmatic efforts to engage the business community and connect students with potential future employers at a much younger age, and establish best practices in this type of preparedness.

Workforce Development - Targets adults out of secondary education and ensures that our community is set to re-skill or train workers, and ensures our efforts and resources in workforce development are aligned with the business community's needs.

Legislative Affairs - Monitors legislative activity and federal and state education mandates, and ensures our region's education needs and concerns are communicated adeptly to local, state, and federal law and policymakers.