The National Picture

Achievement Gap

• 23 million low-income students

• On average, begin Kindergarten 6 months behind

• Gap grows to 2.5 years by fifth grade

• 1.2 million students drop out of high school per

school year

• More than half are from minority groups

• Low-income students 6x more likely to drop

out1

1U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2006

The National PictureSummer Learning Loss

Over half of the ninth-grade achievement gap between lower and higher income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years1

1Alexander et al. 2007.

“We cannot afford to spend nearly 10 months of every year devoting enormous amounts of intellect, energy and money to promoting student learning and achievement, and then walk away from that investment every summer.” Jeff Smink, National Summer Learning Association

Horizons Closes the Gaps

• Award-winning, high-quality summer learning programs

• Low-income public school students

• Independent school and college partners

• Provides opportunity to learn new academic, social and life

skills

The Horizons Approach

• 9-year commitment beginning in Kindergarten

• Students with broad range of academic abilities

• Six-week summer session with additional year-round

support 

• Project-based learning

• Professional teachers, 5 to 1 student teacher ratio

• Swimming!

Horizons’ Impact

• Reverses effects of summer slide

• Two to three month gain in reading and math skills

• Students, staff retention for 6 years on average

• Creates love of learning and increased engagement

• Improved high school graduation and college matriculation

Horizons Expansion Efforts

Expansion Challenges

 

• Limited number of schools

• Limit to the number of students at each school

• Dependence on private philanthropy

Horizons at Harley

Horizons at Harley Strategic Goals

ConnectionsWith OtherPrograms

ProgramFinancial

Sustainability

ProgramQuality &

Effectiveness

• The Horizons Community has invested over $2M and thousands of hours of volunteer support to make all this possible

• Horizons at Harley is a powerful force for good in Rochester and serves as an example for other communities

Contributions to Community

Community Involvement Strategies

Engaging community partners to enhance Horizons at Harley and

to further summer learning

Community Involvement Strategies

Horizons

At

Harley

Public / Gov.

Sector

Corporate Sector

Universities & Colleges

Non – Profit

Sector

Horizons at Harley / Rochester, NY

Community Involvement Strategies

Universities & Colleges

• U of R Get Real Science Program• SUNY Geneseo Literacy Clinic• Graduate level Social Work Interns• Marketing and Administrative Interns• Student Teachers• College and Career Field Trips• New affiliate sites (U of R, MCC, Nazareth)

Community Involvement Strategies

Public /Gov. Sector

• NYS / ED Summer Food Program ($24,000 reimbursement in 2010)

• Rochester City School District (busing, recruiting of students, student academic tracking, information sharing)

• City of Rochester Department of Youth Services and Recreation (extended day programming)

• Charter Schools (Character Development Curriculum, recruiting of students)

Community Involvement Strategies

Non-profit Sector

• Foodlink and Rochester Roots• Latino Rotary (volunteers, books)• Greater Rochester Literacy Commission• United Way & RACF (funding, training)• Children’s Institute (Data tracking and management &

meeting space)• The Ad Council (marketing plan, professional volunteers)• Harley School (Board members, specialty teachers)

Corporate Partnerships

• Funding (Canandaigua National Bank)• Board Members and Volunteers• Sponsorships (Go-kart build / STEM, Financial Literacy)• Training space• Sponsor the Annual Horizons Garden Party

Community Involvement Strategies

The Challenge

• Rochester and the Nation face a crisis in public education often referred to as the Achievement Gap

• In Rochester, 84% of RCSD students are on the free or reduced cost lunch program. Fewer that 50% graduate from high school on time. Fewer than 6% are deemed ready to go on to higher education (NYS Board of Regents College Readiness Data 6/19/11).

• Research demonstrates that approximately 2/3rds of the achievement gap is directly attributable to summer learning loss.

Background

• In 2008, Horizons at Harley reached out to other independent schools, public schools and colleges and universities in the area.

• During summer 2009 and 2010, a number of leaders (presidents, deans, faculty members) from these educational institutions visited Harley to see Horizons in action.

• Joe and Nancy Briggs, David and Shirley Kearns, and the Marie C. and Joseph C. Wilson Foundation stepped forward to contribute a total of $400,000 to initiate new summer learning programs in Rochester.

• In July of 2011, the Greater Rochester Summer Learning Association was formed with eight member institutions.

Greater Rochester Summer Learning Association

The mission of the Greater Rochester Summer Learning Association (GRSLA) is to promote the

development of sustainable, high-quality summer learning programs for low-income children in Rochester and in the Greater Rochester area.

Sustainable Funding Sources

Monroe Community College

Significance Horizons to MCC

• Locally• Nationally

Monroe Community College

Resources Unique to

• Higher Education• Community Colleges

Monroe Community College

Institutional Support

• Pilot• Moving forward