Academic
Enrichment
Learn About…
Learning Leaders
What is Academic Enrichment?
Academic Enrichment or
Learning Leaders is
a high-energy program that enhances the
math
and reading skills of children using non-traditional
teaching methods. Our overall goal is to help children improve in math
and reading so
that they will perform higher on the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and
Skills) test.
Program Summary
Program specialists provide tutoring
and homework assistance to children in Camp Fire USA�s after-school programs to
improve their math and reading skills and promote general academic success.
Clients receive individual and group
tutoring and participate in activities from the Math Options and
Reading Options curriculum a minimum of twice per week. In addition,
assistance with homework from peers and mentors is offered on a daily basis.
Program Activities
Specific
program activities include individual and group tutoring twice a week by
Learning Leaders program specialists at each site who use the Options
math and reading curriculum.
On days when
Learning Leaders is not held, program staff use Short Subjects in Math
and Short Subjects in Reading worksheets and activities to reinforce what
the children have learned in previous sessions. In addition, staff members
provide homework assistance to children on a daily basis. Study groups are also
offered to increase the level of support for younger students and allow older
students to act as peer mentors and develop an appreciation for academic
achievement.
Program Staff
Highly
energetic program specialists are hired in order to complete our mission. They
are required to have strong math and reading skills and/or be
enrolled in AP courses. Experience in working
with youth preferred.
Target Outcome
Targets for 2006-2007 are 80% of
youth will pass the math section of the TAKS test at a higher rate than the DISD
average and 80% of youth will improve reading skills by 15%.
How Progress in Measured
TAKS Test Results and the
TABE (Tests of Adult Basic Education) will
enable Camp Fire USA to gauge each child�s academic level when entering the
program and the progress made by each child through the program. The test itself
requires less than 30 minutes to complete and grades on a scale from 0.0-12.9+.
Progress will also be measured at six-week intervals through report cards.
Program Clients
Children
who actively participate in Camp Fire USA Lone Star Council�s Kids Club
after-school program at their apartment site.
Need for Program
Children from low-income families
generally have few options for educational support outside of school, leading
many of these youth to fall behind in their academic development. According to
the 2004-2005 DISD At-Risk Summary Report published by the Dallas
Independent School District, �large differences in the 2005 TAKS performance
were found in reading and mathematics between at-risk and non-at-risk students.�
Parents of at-risk youth are often unavailable or too uneducated themselves to
assist their children with school work and few can afford to pay for private
tutoring to help their children catch up in school. If these children are to
succeed later in life it is imperative that they have access now to programs
which stimulate their intellectual growth and foster academic development.
In 2005, Dallas ISD had the lowest
percentage of 3rd graders passing the reading and math sections of
the TAKS and the region�s lowest percentage of students passing all tests in all
grades – only 48% (United Way Needs Assessment Update 2006). A strong community
response to this problem has led to some increases in the percentage of students
passing the TAKS over the last year, but the problem is far from solved.
Recently released 2006 TAKS scores for Dallas ISD showed that only 69% of 4th
grade students passed the reading section of the TAKS. The situation was even
worse for 7th grade students in 2006, with only 66% passing the
reading section and 57% passing the mathematics section of the TAKS. (Texas
Education Agency 2006) Overall, almost 20,000 Dallas ISD students in grades 3-7
did not pass all sections of the TAKS.
Without
additional educational support, it is probable that these children will continue
to perform poorly in school and become frustrated with the learning process,
eventually leading many to fall far behind and/or drop out of school. In the
2004-2005 school year, the attrition rate for Dallas County was 42 and the
drop-out rate was 4.3% (CLIKS Community, Level Information on Kids 2006). As
experiences and development during the early childhood years are critical to
children�s long-term abilities and future educational successes, it is important
that children are provided with assistance aimed at helping them improve their
academic performance. Academic success builds children�s self-esteem and opens
the door for future education and employment opportunities.
Conclusion
By
improving the math skills of children, we are assisting in their future academic
success; thereby aiding in achieving Camp Fire USA�s mission of �building
caring, confident youth and future leaders.�
For more information, please
contact:
Copyright � 2006 Camp
Fire USA Lone Star Council 4411 Skillman St. Dallas, Texas 75206
Telephone: 214.824.1122
| Fax: 214.824.1148 | E-mail:
[email protected]
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| Adrienne Armstrong |
| Program Coordinator |
| 214 824 1122, ext. 243 |
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[email protected] |
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