Promise Heights partners with community-based non-profits and faith-based organizations to improve the educational, social, health, and economic opportunities of children from birth to young adulthood in the West Baltimore neighborhoods of Upton/Druid Heights. The partnership is led by the School of Social Work and is creating a pipeline of interconnected services that begins with prenatal care and continues through college to career. Promise Heights seeks to surround children and families with a holistic set of supports that enable them to succeed at home, in school, and in the community.


By leveraging resources to develop and implement a long-term strategic plan, Promise Heights expects to bring about transformational change in the lives of socioeconomically disadvantaged children and families. Its evidence-based and evidence-informed services incorporate elements of best-practice models while building on the strengths, assets, and knowledge of local stakeholders. Promise Heights continuously evaluates each of its programs to ensure that they are making progress toward our goal of getting thousands of Baltimore’s children to graduate from high school into college and to enter a productive career.

Project Results & Indicators

Result 1: Children enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school

Indicator 1: # and % of children birth to kindergarten entry who have a place where they usually go, other than an emergency room, when they are sick or in need of advice about their health

Indicator 2: # and % of 3-year-olds and children in kindergarten who demonstrate, at the beginning of the program or school year, age-appropriate functioning across multiple domains of early learning as determined using developmentally appropriate early learning measures

Indicator 3: # & % of children, from birth to kindergarten entry, participating in center-based or formal home-based early learning settings or programs, which may include Early Head Start, Head Start, child care, or preschool

Result 2: Students are proficient in core academic subjects

Indicator 4: # & % of students at or above grade level according to state mathematics and reading or language arts assessments in at least the grades required by the ESEA (3rd-8th and once in high school)

Result 3: Students transition successfully from middle to high school

Indicator 5: Attendance rate of students in 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grades

Result 4: Youth graduate from high school

Indicator 6: Graduation rate 

Result 5: High school graduates obtain a postsecondary degree, certification, or credential

Indicator 7: # & % of PH students who graduate with a regular HS diploma and obtain postsecondary degrees, vocational certificates, or other industry-recognized certifications or credentials without remediation.

Result 6: Students are healthy

Indicator 8: # & % of children who participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity

Indicator 9: # & % of children who consume five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily

Result 7: Students feel safe at school and in their community

Indicator 10: # & % of students who feel safe at school and traveling to and from school, as measured by a school climate needs assessment

Indicator 11: # & % of youth with DJS involvement

Result 8: Students live in stable communities

Indicator 12: Student mobility rate

Result 9: Families and community members support learning in Promise Neighborhood schools

Indicator 13: For children birth to kindergarten entry, # and % of parents/family members who report that they read to their children three or more times a week

Indicator 14: For children in K-8th grade, # and % of parents/family members who report encouraging their child to read books outside of school

Indicator 15: For children in 9-12th grades, # and % of parents/family members who report talking with their child about the importance of college and career

Result 10: Students have access to 21st century learning tools

Indicator 16: # & % of students who have school and home access (and % of the day they have access) to broadband internet (as defined in this notice) and a connected computing device