Voluntary team targets achievement gap
By Austin Bogues, Times Staff Writer
Published Friday, February 20, 2009
ST. PETERSBURG — The goal is ambitious for all parties involved.
It includes recruiting 100 people for each of three schools in Pinellas County to "stand in the gap."
The "Dream Team" goal is to help schools with high minority enrollments close the achievement gap by providing community assistance. In Pinellas last year, 42 percent of black students graduated in four years with a standard diploma. In contrast, the graduation rate for Hispanic students was 57 percent, and more than 70 percent for Asian and white students.
Thursday night more than 100 volunteers gathered at Pinellas Technical Institute to discuss the program's goals for the next year. The project, organized by the PACT, a Pinellas-based group that focuses on closing the achievement gap, has representatives from some 110 community organizations. The idea is to help students at all levels. Schools participating in the initial program are Maximo Elementary, Baypoint Middle and Gibbs High School.
Success will depend on the mobilization of a huge volunteer effort from businesses, clergy, educational groups and other community organizations.
Michelle Dennard, one of the "Dream Team's" founders and a former president of the Pinellas County Teachers Association, said the group will rely on an expansive database of community organizations to fit individual students' needs.
Some volunteers will be tutors and mentors while others will give families one-on-one support to identify specific needs and provide encouragement.
Right now, there is no county funding for the program. It will rely on community sponsors, although the group is looking into fundraising options. Families will be contacted through targeted direct mail and phone calls.
© 2009 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111
Contact Us | Join Us | Advertise with Us | Subscribe to the Times
Privacy Policy | Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/article977830.ece
1 of 1 2/23/2009 10:18 AM
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
(c)E.R.R.Weaver 2000, #manofknowledge, #stars4ideas
COMPLEXITY vs. SUSTAINABILITY
Labels
Blog Archive
-
▼
2009
(39)
-
▼
February
(8)
- Volunteer team targets Pinellas students' achievem...
- NYU Student Protest Over Financial Transparency Ge...
- THE ART OF BEING PRESENT : Looking Inside
- Understanding Evolution
- New Alchemy And Green Center Archives - Falmouth, MA
- Sustainable Civilization
- World heads for 'water bankruptcy', says Davos rep...
- Permaculturist David Blume
-
▼
February
(8)
have you ever blogged before
FAIR USE NOTICE:
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of personal equity justice, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to:
http:/www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
(c)E.R.R.Weaver 2000, #manofknowledge, #stars4ideas