What does Seeding Success do?

Our work aligns strategy, policy, and funding to ensure every family has the resources they need to succeed. We seek to transform systems by bringing together leaders and organizations from all sectors to analyze the data, identify opportunities, and work toward a common goal.

When was Seeding Success founded and why?

Seeding Success was launched in January 2013 as part of a strategic plan during the merger of Shelby County Schools and Memphis City Schools. A community engagement committee made a formal recommendation to create an organization that would help bring community and education systems together for a collective impact approach, ensuring that K-12 students and families would have the resources and support they need in the newly merged school system. We launched as part of a cohort of cities supported by StriveTogether and United Way Worldwide. Until 2015, Seeding Success was anchored at the United Way of the Mid-South.

In 2015, we joined the PeopleFirst Partnership, a collaborative effort dedicated to improving education outcomes and growing talent in Memphis and Shelby County. In July 2017, the partnership voted to merge the entities involved and move forward as Seeding Success, an independent organization focused on strengthening education to ensure student success from cradle to career.

What is public policy?

Public policy is the language of the government—the system of laws, regulatory measures, and principles on which social laws are based. Public policy informs how systems like education, health, labor, housing, and more are regulated and impact our everyday well-being.

What is a public policy agenda, and how does S2 develop it?

A public policy agenda is a slate of social issues and proposed solutions that is presented to policymakers for consideration. The Seeding Success Public Policy department collaborates with a policy committee and partners in adjacent sectors on various educational issues to create an annual agenda that drives our advocacy efforts locally and at the state level.

Our policy agenda development process includes the following phases:

• Research and Analysis: Investigate key issues through review/evaluation of current contexts, review of literature, and dialogue with Public Policy Committee members

• Feedback Collection: Use feedback from our partners and the communities they serve

• Approval: Present policy proposals to Public Policy Committee and S2 board for approval

• Advocacy: Pursue passage of policy proposals in relevant local and state administrative and/or legislative bodies.

What is social and economic mobility?

Social and economic mobility is the ability of an individual, family, or group to improve their income, well-being, proximity to resources and power, and access to opportunity over their lifetime.

S2 uses public policy to address barriers to economic opportunity and create positive social changes that empower families to move out of poverty and achieve better life outcomes.

How does S2 use data to support Partners?

S2 maintains a data sharing agreement with Memphis-Shelby County Schools to help community partners track the progress of the students they serve. We offer a range of training to help partners understand rules for the ethical use of student data and how to interpret data to inform decisions. We also coach partners one-to-one on how to use data to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and interventions to improve student outcomes. Learn about training opportunities here.

How can my organization become a data partner?

To access aggregated data or summarized data for students they serve, partners should fill out a data request form and sign a data confidentiality agreement.

To access student-level data, partner organizations must sign a Seeding Success partnership and data sharing agreement, and an MSCS FERPA agreement. Email Taylor DeMagistris, taylordm@seeding-success.org, to begin the process.

Refer to our Data FAQ for additional information.

What is S2’s role in the More For Memphis PARTNERSHIP?

Seeding Success is the recipient of the Blue Meridian Partners Place Matters grant through which More For Memphis (MFM) was founded. From the beginning, Seeding Success pledged to make the opportunity a public-private collaboration informed by the community and centering those most impacted by systemic inequity in Shelby County.

Community members, nonprofit orgs, and various institutions have worked together to shape More For Memphis, co-defining the mission, vision, goals, and structure. Now that MFM has completed the preplanning and design phases, Seeding Success serves as a project manager to ensure the alignment of all MFM work groups and fulfill the deliverables outlined in the grant award. Learn more and get involved at moreformemphis.org.