FAQs

WHO?

Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership, or DEEP, is a place-based 501c3 nonprofit that mobilizes community partners around a research-guided theory of change designed to ensure that children attending schools in a cluster of southeastern San Diego neighborhoods enter kindergarten prepared for success and complete third grade reading proficiently.

Check out our Board, Staff, and Partner pages to learn more about our team!

 

WHAT?

DEEP’s change making work is grounded in data with a methodology of empowering a village of dedicated partners to lift up at-promise students that is proven to work.

According to 2019 3rd grade standardized reading scores, students in early DEEP partner schools scored significantly higher than students in surrounding schools without DEEP services.

These scores often determine the educational trajectory of students far past third grade. Intervention before third grade is critical in shifting the path for students, and DEEP strives to make this shift for as many students as possible.

DEEP achieves these impactful results through a variety of modalities, including our signature Super Readers and Super Tuesdays after school programs.

DEEP’s Super Readers program provides targeted after school literacy instruction for students in 2nd and 3rd grade onsite at partner schools. Learn more here!

Super Tuesdays provides literacy instruction along with STEAM enrichment activities on partner school half-days to encourage curiosity and project-based learning while giving students the opportunity to flex their reading muscles. As a result of Super Tuesdays, students report increased confidence in science, and 86% of students felt happy about reading aloud at school, a critical skill that directly translates from school to career. Learn more here!

These high-quality programs are unique and impactful because DEEP only partners with fully certificated teachers who have been trained to deliver comprehensive literacy instruction, while many programs use paraprofessionals or non-certificated instructors.

This results in rare and robust data, such as a nearly 200% increase in students meeting grade level standards upon completing the program.

WHEN?

DEEP runs programs year-round to accelerate learning. These include after-school programs such as Super Readers and Super Tuesdays, Pre-K programs such as 1,000 Books Before Kinder, and summer programs such as Summer Readers – Future Leaders.

WHERE?

DEEP is a place-based program serving partner elementary schools in the Lincoln Cluster, including Johnson Elementary, Encanto Elementary, Chollas-Mead Elementary, and Webster Elementary. DEEP also serves families with young children 0-5 in the Diamond Community of southeastern San Diego through programs such as 1,000 Books Before Kinder, Family Workshops, and Childcare Provider Workshops.

WHY?

While DEEP’s work is grounded in data to show their methodology works, there is no better feeling than the success of the individual students they serve.

Natu is just one shining example of the difference DEEP makes in hundreds of students’ lives every day. As a result of attending DEEP’s Super Readers program, Natu grew EIGHT reading levels over just a year and a half!

DEEP makes a difference, and that difference is often a total game changer for students and families. Natu is now excelling in school and reading above grade level. This can lead to his inclusion in higher level classes in middle school, AP classes in high school, scholarship opportunities, and expanded career options.

While early literacy is at the heart of DEEP’s mission, we recognize that whole child interdisciplinary instruction is the best proven modality to increase educational outcomes.

HOW?

Students in the Diamond Community of southeastern San Diego were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, leading to learning loss during a critical period of growth.

DEEP pivoted their programs quickly to include dozens of virtual options for families. These included an interactive Summer Read Aloud campaign, guided STEAM activities using household products, and dedicated reading times at breakfast and dinner on their YouTube channel.

DEEP also mobilized their extensive partner network to safely distribute books to families in the community so they could keep working toward their goals despite the virtual learning environment.

We are excited about our return to in-person programming as schools reopen this year. DEEP returned to in-person programming with our 2021 Summer Readers – Future Leaders program. Super Readers is currently running in-person as well. To respect the needs of everyone in the community as we return to a new normal, we are running family and childcare provider workshops remotely as well as in-person.