Greetings!
As many news articles across Oregon have commented on over
the last few months, only 66% of students in the class of 2009 graduated
on time in the state. In Portland that number is even lower; just 53% of PPS
students graduated on time with a regular diploma.
One organization is working with low-income students to try
to change those statistics and get more students to earn a post-secondary
degree or certificate. This month's Oregon Policy Update highlights the work of
the "I Have a Dream" Foundation.
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"I Have a Dream" Foundation
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"In our present program model, we have gone into elementary
schools in underserved communities and have "adopted" the entire third grade in
a given year. We then follow these students with wraparound services (after
school programming, community resources referrals, crisis intervention,
mentoring, tutoring, advocacy services), provided by paid professional staff
and volunteers, all the way through high school and into college/post secondary
education. In addition to ongoing support, information and mentoring, we
provide tuition assistance (up to $2000/year for up to 4 years) to those
students who receive their high school diploma or GED. At present, we are
working with approximately 330 students, from fifth grade into college,
attending over 20 public schools and 13 colleges."
The foundation is now expanding its model by "adopting" an
entire school. This month Alder Elementary, of the Reynolds School District, in
East Portland was chosen to be the first "Dreamer School."
By combining wrap-around services for students with a focus
on the birth-through-college-completion continuum and collaboration with other
non-profits and education partners, Alder and the foundation hope to reach high
goals. Those goals include: -
80% of Alder students will finish a
post-secondary degree or certificate;
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50% of Alder students will "exceed" and 90%
"meet" expectations on 3rd, 5th and 8th grade
statewide benchmark tests.
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Visit
www.chalkboardproject.org
for information on all of our initiatives
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