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Needs:
For students struggling with reading and literacy, success in school can become increasingly difficult. With rigorous standardized testing and increasing curriculum standards, reading is fundamental for student academic achievement. Furthermore, the literacy needs in our student population, especially in Lewisville ISD, is growing and adding additional, insurmountable barriers to student success in school.
Lewisville ISD is an expansive district spanning 71 campuses with total district enrollment of 53,270.
Within the larger community, there are pockets of extreme poverty, where many of our students are living. During the 2014-2015 school year, 918 students placed on the Communities In Schools of North Texas caseload were documented as having Limited English Proficiency, meaning that they struggled reading, speaking, or understanding the English language. Because these students are struggling with English and reading as well as other socio-economic, academic, behavioral, and attendance needs, these students are identified as being at-risk of dropping out of school and in need of intensive case management dropout prevention services.
Students who have difficulty reading or who struggle with Limited English Proficiency often also suffer from poverty and societal issues that are out of their control. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, children who aren't reading proficiently by fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school and only 34 percent of America's fourth graders read at grade level. America's promise alliance also found that in most cases, particularly among black and Latino students (less than 20 percent of whom achieved reading proficiency by the fourth grade in 2011, a depressing number), it seems more likely that they're simply not reading comfortably — and it's scarcely news that if you can't read with confidence, school, from fourth grade on, is only going to get more challenging.
Poverty is the greatest issue that negatively impacts students in Lewisville ISD, especially those who are homeless. According to the Texas Education Agency, of the students enrolled in Lewisville ISD, 7,884 students (14.8%) have been designated as having Limited English Proficiency and 17,081 students (32%) have been designated as economically disadvantaged and at-risk of dropping out of school. A study by the Children's Defense Fund (2010) found that economically disadvantaged children are more likely to suffer development delays, participate in risky behaviors, and drop out of school.
The University of Montreal confirmed that we are losing many high school dropouts early; early enough that we should be able to bring many of them back with support of early-education programs. We have known for a long time that reading is fundamental. Childhood literacy, and reading to and with children from infancy on is essential. This grant opportunity will give our Rotary Club a direct pathway to partner with a local nonprofit agency to combat the literacy gap and to support and empower students who have fallen behind along the way.
Meeting the Needs:
With funding from the Rotary Foundation, the Lewisville Noon Rotary will partner with Communities In Schools of North Texas to provide "Rotary Reads!" bags for children who are in need of reading assistance or language improvement. Communities In Schools of North Texas will assist in identifying students who struggle with reading or English Language Proficiency and provide opportunities for Rotarians to come and read to students on the school campus.
Inside each Rotary Reads bag will be at least 2 books and a healthy snack for the students to take home and enjoy with their family. Rotarians will go to the schools to read stories to the students from their Rotary Reads bags, encouraging reading for the student and providing a great volunteer experience for the Rotarian.
After they student finishes the books with the Rotarian, they will be given the bag and books to take home to share with their siblings and family if desired. The snack may be eaten during the reading session or at home, depending on the student's preference. Because each student will be on the Communities In Schools of North Texas case-managed list, they will receive regular services throughout the school day such as food, clothing, school supplies, counseling, mental health groups, tutoring, and one-to-one mentoring with a positive role model.
Support from the Rotary Foundation will ensure that each of these students has access to books, a Rotarian reading buddy, and a healthy snack. Lewisville Noon Rotary's partnership with Communities In Schools of North Texas will ensure that these students receive the dropout prevention services they need so they can succeed in school, graduate, and move forward in life prepared for success.
Timeline:
As soon as funding is approved, Lewisville Noon Rotary will purchase the Rotary Reads! bags and healthy snacks. The Communities In Schools representative will then coordinate with the Lewisville Noon Rotary to onboard reading volunteers, complete a Criminal History Background check, and a short training before the reading days begin. In general, the timeline of services provided to students aligns with the school calendar, with enrollment and initial services during August- September, continuing services through May of the following year.
How Project Funds will be spent:
Funding from the Rotary Foundation will be spent on essential items for the Rotary Reads! program. Items that will be purchased include:
$2,000 will be allocated for Reading Bags (if possible with RI Logo and Rotary Reads!)
$ 6000 will be allocated for Healthy Snacks for students
$ 400 will be allocated for Criminal History Background Checks fees for volunteers
(Books will be donated by Communities In Schools of North Texas)
Involvement of Club Members:
We believe that the success of any project rides on the follow through. The Lewisville Noon Rotary club members will be involved in the purchase of supplies, packing of the Rotary Read! bags, and reading to the students throughout the year. Our goal is to achieve at least 200 hours of reading by the end of May 2017.
Rotarians will also be heavily involved in the follow up services that are required to ensuring students success. Rotarians will be encouraged to serve throughout the year in the following roles:
- Mentors, who meet with students once a week to discuss student progress and to provide encouragement, build self-esteem, and set future goals.
- Tutors- who meet with students as needed to work on core subjects such as math, English, social studies, and science.
- Career Presenters- who come to school campuses to talk to groups of students about careers that interest them. Students will have the opportunity to discuss their questions with the presenter one-to-one following the presentation.
The Lewisville Noon Rotary respectfully requests your attention to these needs, and asks the Rotary Foundation to provide support in the amount of $1,500 to for the Rotary Reads! program that will provide 200 hours of reading support, as well as free books, and snacks for students in LISD. While these supplies may have a temporary impact, the long-term impact of a successful education is our goal and will be key in order for students to break the cycle of poverty and to reach their full potential in life.
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