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Statesville Elementary School and Beacon Partners, Inc.
(Charlotte, North Carolina)
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| Goal: |
Nurture students to become lifelong learners within a safe, caring and positive
environment, focusing time, talent and resources in areas that will make
a long-term difference. Beacon Partners, Inc., a small real estate development
and acquisition firm, shared a similar mission within its company, recognizing
that success comes from talented, motivated and honorable people with a
strong commitment to community service. |
| Strategy: |
Engage Beacon Partners, Inc. volunteers in such a way as to connect them
closely to school projects, participating in a minimum of two activities.
The volunteers spend the majority of their time in one-on-one activities
with students to affect change, rather than largely focusing on non-student
projects such as fundraising. |
| Tactics: |
Volunteers continue relationships from year-to-year to demonstrate a commitment
to students. There is 100 percent participation from Beacon Partners. Collaboration
between the classroom teachers, literacy teachers and instructional assistants
reinforce academic goals.
Individual volunteer projects include one-on-one tutoring, Junior Achievement
role model and mentoring programs. The tutoring allows students performing
below grade level to receive additional attention in particular subject
areas. Volunteers serve as role models in the Junior Achievement program,
educating students on economics, free enterprise and business ethics.
As mentors, Beacon Partners' volunteers have lunch with students and reinforce
the importance of education.
Donations have supplied the school with education camps, field trips,
an accelerated reader store and laptops for teachers.
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| Results: |
Test scores increased from the 2002-2003 school year (85.3 percent on grade
level) to the 2003-2004 school year (86.2 percent on grade level).
Reading scores demonstrated that 78 percent of students are reading
on or above grade level, and 92.6 percent of students are on or above
grade level in math.
Adequate Yearly Progress goals were met and the school was named a school
of distinction by the state.
Attendance rates increased because students did not want to miss activity
time with volunteers. In turn, the attendance rate helped improve academic
performance with students concentrating on challenging areas and wanting
to make the volunteers proud.
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