Seattle Department of Education & Early Learning

Mission: To ensure that all Seattle children have the greatest opportunity to succeed in school and in life and to graduate from school ready for college and a career.

The mission of the new Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) is to ensure that all Seattle children have the greatest opportunity to succeed in school and life, and to graduate from school ready for college or a career. DEEL achieves this goal by investing in high quality early learning services and programs that help children succeed in school, increasing capacity for such programs in underserved communities, strengthening school community connections, and reducing the likelihood that youth will engage in violence.

DEEL is responsible for weaving together early learning programs in the City to provide families with the opportunity to prepare their children to enter school ready to succeed. By braiding and blending resources from the Families and Education Levy, the state Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, and City General Fund, the department seeks to ensure that low-income families in the City have access to high quality early learning.

In addition, DEEL administers the Education-Support Services Levy, otherwise known as the Families and Education Levy. DEEL is responsible for developing the City's education policy and investment strategy for levy funds to help children succeed in school by increasing access to high-quality programs supporting academic achievement. DEEL builds linkages between the City of Seattle, the Seattle Public School District, and other organizations to ensure successful levy implementation. Levy investments are made in programs that improve academic achievement. To that end, each program undergoes ongoing program evaluation to ensure it delivers on specific targeted outcomes intended to improve academic achievement. The department provides annual
reports detailing program targets and results to policy makers and the community.

DEEL is the liaison for the City with the higher education community on all education issues of joint concern. The department will build partnerships with, and facilitate collaboration between, local higher education representatives to increase academic, economic and social advancement. DEEL will align City investments with
institutions' priorities, initiatives, and goals to increase student success and higher levels of educational attainment.

Finally, DEEL manages the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative (SYVPI). The initiative was created with the goal of preventing youth from engaging in violence, and to provide early intervention supports for those who have started anti-social behaviors. SYVPI is a community engagement effort that uses the strengths of local resources to support youth in pro-social activities and to give them the opportunity to be successful in life.