AMERICORPS PROJECT REACH (Reading Excellence For All Children)

The focus of Project REACH is to train a team of 40 AmeriCorps members who will use Great Leaps to tutor 700-800 elementary school students who are reading below grade level, and to show that 80% of those students improve their reading skills (fluency with less errors) over the course of the school year. Presently, Communities In Schools programs in six counties -- Robeson, New Hanover, Cleveland, Madison, and Transylvania -- recruit AmeriCorps members from their own communities. The members serve in pairs at school sites selected by the CIS programs listed above.

Since the program's inception in the fall of 1997 CISNC has trained and supported over 150 AmeriCorps members who have tutored over 3500 students:

* 80% of the students improved their reading skills (fluency with less errors) over one school year

* 45% of the students moved up one developmental level on their end of grade reading tests * 70% of the students demonstrated improved attitudes toward reading and better classroom behavior as reported by teacher survey

* AmeriCorps members recruited 600 volunteers who served 2500 hours as tutor/mentors themselves or volunteered their time to help a school

Project REACH Objectives "Getting Things Done"

* Each AmeriCorps member tutors 20 elementary students using Great Leaps on a daily basis for a full school year

* Each Great Leaps student receives mentoring that focuses on good behavior modeled by the AmeriCorps member. Students demonstrate improved school and classroom behaviors and attitudes over the course of the school year.

* In support of the Closing the Achievement Gap initiative, members provide additional mentoring to five minority students from the above group. Mentoring focuses on members modeling responsibility for learning skills. Students demonstrate improved responsibility for their own learning by having homework completed, book bag organized, etc

Training

Communities In Schools of North Carolina trains all members as a group quarterly so that members develop the skills to tutor and mentor elementary students effectively. Members receive training in "Great Leaps," Strategies for the Tutor/mentor, and Child Behavior among many other topics. Members receive follow-up training and support each month from a CIS Field Service Specialist at their school site.

Strengthening Communities

* Each member recruits at least three volunteers to help at their school site in any capacity, including school wide events

* Members organize one service project at their school site, and collaborate with CIS and school staff to plan a year-end awards ceremony that celebrates academic success of the students they tutored over the year

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