National Council on Educating Black Children Partners with Achieve3000® and Faith-Based Community Groups to Deliver School-to-Community Services
Indianapolis, IN (May 4, 2009) - A new partnership between the National Council on Educating Black Children (NCEBC) and Achieve3000 will launch the new Augustus F. Hawkins Literacy Centers, where students can access enhanced instructional literacy support during after-school and summer programs. Each of the Centers will work to boost overall literacy levels for students at risk of academic failure, specifically for students of color. This is the first national initiative of its kind to deliver coordinated literacy support with a common set of goals, resources and curricula.
"It is well documented that by the end of 4th grade, many students of color have fallen well behind their wealthier, predominantly white peers in reading and math -- in some cases they are even two years behind," said NCEBC President Diana Daniels. "We intend to stop this trend. By working with a team of dedicated teacher volunteers, reading experts at Achieve3000 and community leaders, we believe we can help students become stronger readers and prepare them for today's competitive global society."
The Augustus F. Hawkins Literacy Centers will provide a personal library for each student enrolled at the Literacy Center; a culturally relevant curriculum and materials; and service opportunities for community building. The first Center, opened in New Orleans, LA, in June 2008, has served as a model; additional Centers are scheduled to open soon in Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, and Mississippi, with more states to follow.
Students attending the Literacy Center's after-school and summer programs will be given challenging books for their own personal library from Reading is Fundamental. "A recent study found that the ratio of books per child in low-income communities is 1 to 300, compared to 1 to 13 in middle income communities. Giving at-risk students books will go a long way to leveling the field," said Daniels.
Students will also engage in a culturally relevant, research-based, literacy curriculum that includes level-appropriate, Web-based reading and writing resources from Achieve3000. Using the Achieve3000 program, students will work on increasing reading comprehension and fluency, building a larger vocabulary and improving writing proficiency. All students-and their parents-will be given access to Achieve3000's online differentiated instructional program, free of charge.
"Studies show that poor literacy skills lead to increased poverty, incarceration, drug use and poor health. We believe that by working with NCEBC we can help students become better prepared and stronger community leaders," said Saki Dodelson, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Achieve3000, Inc. "Combining our one-on-one, intensive and highly personal reading program with culturally sensitive curricula and supplemental books is a powerful and effective way to help students reach higher levels."
NCEBC will work with community and faith-based groups to give students a solid foundation and support base for building life-long leadership skills. Students will work with role models on service projects designed to strengthen their communities. In addition to the student resources, each Center will provide parents with resources to help them forge deeper relationships with their children and, if desired, work on their own literacy skills.
The Augustus F. Hawkins Literacy Centers will help NCECB meet a key milestone as outlined in their National Blueprint for Action, a national research-based framework for building effective educational and mentoring programs. Additional information and copies of the NCEBC Blueprint can be found online at http://www.ncebc.org/blueprint.html.
About NCEBC
Founded in 1986 by the late and former California Congressman Augustus F. Hawkins, NCEBC is a national organization committed to making a critical difference, through its state/regional structure, in the lives of African-American students. NCEBC believes in a stakeholder model for addressing the educational ills facing the African-American community, for "it takes a village to raise a child." The NCEBC stakeholder village includes: students, parents, teachers, administrators, support service providers, paraprofessionals, policy makers, higher education institutions, business leaders, civil organizations and members of religious communities. The NCEBC board consists of senior education administrators, policy makers and researchers, including such renowned educators as Dr. Deborah Jewell Sherman, MA, and Dr. Linda Darling Hammond, CA, among others.
About Achieve3000
Achieve3000, founded in New Jersey in 2000, is the leader in online differentiated instruction. Its products deliver online differentiated literacy solutions proven to increase reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing proficiency for students in grades 2 through 12 and also for adult learners. Through its proprietary software engine, the company provides tailored assignments to each student in the class based on his or her reading level. The company's products are delivered in a nonfiction, current event format and are based on decades of scientific research. They include KidBiz3000™ (a reading and writing program for grades 2 through 5), TeenBiz3000® (a reading and writing program for grades 6 through 12) and Spark3000® (a reading and writing program for adult learners). Achieve3000 is located in Lakewood, N.J. For more information, visit http://www.achieve3000.com or call 800-838-8771.
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