Power scholars academy partnership report denver 2015

Power Scholars AcademyTM Partnership Report YMCA of Metropolitan Denver 2015

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Power Scholars AcademyTM Partnership Report YMCA of Metropolitan Denver Partnership Summary This report describes the activities and outcomes of a partnership between BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life), the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver, and the YMCA of the USA. The three nonprofit organizations worked together to design and deliver a robust summer learning program, the Power Scholars Academy, that boosts children’s academic achievements, self-confidence, and social skills, while encouraging healthy lifestyles and engaging parents in their child’s education.

Summer learning activities play an important role in children’s academic, social, physical, and emotional development. Without them, studies show that children tend to lose reading and math skills, gain weight, and face increased risks of negative social behavior. Yet, in under-resourced communities, most children lack affordable, safe, and high-quality summer learning options. As a result, summer learning loss has been shown to account for up to 2/3 of the academic achievement gap between children from low-income families and their higher-income peers.

For the second consecutive summer, the Power Scholars Academy provided at-risk children with an opportunity to engage in rigorous academic instruction and camp-like enrichment activities and field trips. It built on a strong partnership between the YMCA and Wyatt Academy. The program operated at no cost to families. YMCAs in Montgomery, AL; Hartford, CT; Washington, DC; Orlando and the Clearwater area (Suncoast), FL; Boise, ID; Louisville, KY; St. Paul, MN; St. Louis, MO; Omaha, NE; Cincinnati, OH; and San Antonio & Houston, TX also delivered the Power Scholars Academy.

Assessment data suggest that the program helped scholars strengthen the foundational reading skills they need to advance to the next grade and begin the new school year ready to excel. Scholars who were the furthest behind at the start of the summer achieved the greatest academic growth in the six-week program. The Power Scholars Academy also succeeded in increasing scholars’ self-confidence and social skills, delivering healthy meals, engaging scholars in physical activities, and exposing them to new ideas and experiences.

225 Rising 1st -7th 83% +3 +3

Scholars Enrolled

Grades Served

Average Daily Attendance Average Reading Gain, in Months Average Math Gain, in Months

88%

Parents reporting that scholars increased their self-confidence

94%

Parents reporting that scholars enjoyed their Power Scholars Academy experience

94%

Parents reporting they became more involved in their scholar’s education

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✎ PARTNERSHIP & PROGRAM GOALS The Power Scholars Academy leverages the strengths of three nonprofit organizations. BELL supplies its expertise in the design and delivery of high-quality expanded learning models that consistently produce positive outcomes. The YMCA of Metropolitan Denver provides talent and deep connections with families, schools, and the Denver community. The YMCA of the USA (the Y) contributes its ability to scale its youth development principles through its community-based network.

BELL trained the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver on its learning approach and offered coaching support as the association operated the model at Wyatt Academy. The school serves a large population of children from lowincome families. Children were called “scholars” to demonstrate high expectations for their achievement.

The goals of the Power Scholars Academy included:  Increase scholars’ literacy and math skills and mitigate summer learning loss.  Strengthen scholars’ self-confidence, socialemotional development, and physical health and well-being.  Increase parental engagement.

The three partners also sought to continuously improve partnership and program quality. Using performance and quality data and feedback from last year’s post-summer analysis, they improved and streamlined planning and implementation. All 14 Associations delivering the Power Scholars Academy – 8 returning YMCAs and six new Associations - came together to share best practices in a professional learning community.

✎ PROGRAM MANAGEMENT BELL shared its program management approach, resources, and supporting systems for planning and design, staffing and training, service delivery, quality assurance, and assessment. It leveraged its information systems, curriculum partnerships, quality control processes, which are designed to enable Power Scholars Academy staff to focus their time and energy on serving scholars and families with excellence.

The Y facilitated the launch of the Power Scholars Academy, which was first piloted in 2013. It continued to provide additional support in training, marketing, evaluation, and fundraising.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Denver was responsible for recruiting, selecting, and training a program leadership team, based on BELL’s staffing model, to deliver the program model. The team included: • An Association Program Lead, who partnered with the school, hired program staff, supported quality assurance activities, resolved program challenges, and worked with Association management to secure program funding.

• Two Site Managers, who led the hiring and management of site staff and worked with school and Association staff to coordinate enrichment programs, volunteer activities, and program events.

• An Instructional Coach, who provided support and feedback to classroom teachers and tutors to improve academic instruction, scholar engagement, and achievement.

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✎ PROGRAM STAFFING The YMCA of Metropolitan Denver hired program staff from the school and community, utilizing BELL’s summer staffing structure of two educators for every 24 scholars. Staff included: • Teachers, who were recommended by principals, worked part-time in the morning (Monday – Thursday), and were responsible for delivering datadriven academic instruction.

• Assistant Teachers, who worked full-time and were responsible for supporting the academic and social development of scholars throughout the day.

• Enrichment Teachers, who worked part-time and were responsible for developing and implementing enrichment classes (Monday – Thursday), supporting tutors, and supervising scholars during events.

• A Parent Ambassador, who worked on a part-time basis to educate parents about the program and recruit scholars.

• Volunteers, who helped out in the classroom and on field trips, creating more opportunities for one-onone tutoring and mentorship.

✎ TRAINING BELL led training for Association Program Leads, Site Managers, and Instructional Coaches using a blended learning model. Training content focused on program principles, assessment practices, curriculum, quality management, and technology. Training was delivered via online e-learning courses (BELL University), webinars, and in-person training held at the Y’s national headquarters.

Power Scholars Academy leaders delivered training for program staff, integrating content on school and community needs and priorities. Classroom-based training for teachers, tutors, and other staff was also supplemented through e-learning courses about the summer learning program model, utilizing assessment data to drive instruction, effective teaching practices, collaborative teaching, and behavior management.

✎ SCHOLARS SERVED Scholar enrollment was led by the Power Scholars Academy leadership team and guided by the school principal, who set eligibility criteria. The Association Program Lead and Site Manager worked with a Parent Ambassador to distribute enrollment information, lead informational parent events, collect data, and track enrollment and attendance.

While the enrollment process was open to all students, the school identified several scholars who were required to attend mandatory summer school and enrolled those scholars in the Power Scholars Academy instead.

✎ FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Family involvement was a key component of the program. They invited parents to an Open House event, and involved parents in the Closing Ceremony celebration, at which scholars performed songs and presentations about their summer learning experience.

✎ QUALITY ASSURANCE BELL’s Quality Assessment Rubric was used by BELL and Y staff to monitor fidelity to the Power Scholars Academy model. Performance metrics and observations about the quality of the learning environment, teaching effectiveness, and classroom culture informed ongoing technical support and coaching.

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Partnership Checklist Summer Program Planning & Management

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Academic Curricula & Supplies

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Enrichment Curricula & Supplies

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Student Enrollment & Attendance

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Teacher & Staff Recruitment & Hiring

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Staff Training

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Quality Assurance & Technical Support

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Field Trips & Community Service

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Parent Engagement

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Assessment & Evaluation

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Classrooms & School Facilities

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Snack & Meal Service

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Volunteer Recruitment & Management Philanthropic Funding School Funding

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✎ COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Several of the YMCA’s community partners helped to improve the quality of the Power Scholars Academy experience. Partners partners provided hands-on enrichment activities, led service activities, strengthened scholars’ cultural appreciation, and expanded their engagement in their community and environment.

Enrichment Partners El Sistema

ArtReach

cityWILD

Denver Writes

The GrowHaus

Cleo Parker Robinson

Sticky Fingers

Trips for Kids

Janelle Altoff Photography

Science Matters

Community Service Partners Denver After School Alliance

Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver

City & County of Denver – Office of Children’s Affairs

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Sample schedule

Program Design ✎ CORE ESSENTIALS & VALUES The Power Scholars Academy is designed to serve scholars who lack access to high-quality learning opportunities outside of school and who may need more time for learning to master core academic skills. The model is guided by principles of effective summer learning, including (1) a culture of high expectations; (2) partnerships to magnify impact; (3) an exceptional learning environment, including a 1:12 staff to scholar ratio; (4) teaching excellence; and (5) relevant & engaging learning experiences that broaden scholars’ educational horizons while developing 21st Century skills. Scholars and staff were expected to model core program values: Excellence, Collaboration, Learning, Respect, Courage.

✎ THEMES All summer long, scholars were encouraged to Find the Genius Within. Themes relating to college- and career-readiness and healthy lifestyles were woven into the program. During “College Pride Week,” scholars learned about the college experience and how success in school is connected to success in life.

Every classroom was named after a Colorado college, and all of the scholars visited a college this summer .

Grades K-3 went to the University of Denver and Grades 4-6 went to the University of Colorado Boulder.

✎ PROGRAM SCHEDULE The Power Scholars Academy delivered academic and social enrichment for 6.5 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 6 weeks. The program started on June 15th and concluded on July 24th, respectively. The daily schedule started at 8:30 and ended at 3:30. In sum, the program expanded learning time by a total of 210 hours. The summer learning model included the following core elements:

Breakfast + Community Time: Scholars enjoyed a nutritious breakfast provided through the school. After breakfast, scholars participated in team-building activities to build social skills and strong relationships with peers and staff.

Literacy Instruction: BELL equipped teachers with a powerful toolkit of teacher’s guides, scholar workbooks, access to technology and assessment data, and professional development to prepare them for delivering the greatest academic impact in a concentrated summer learning program. Each content area was scoped out to provide educators with details on whole group, small group, and individualized instructional methods in a rigorous, engaging, and scholar-centered learning environment.

Certified teachers led 90 minutes of literacy instruction using curricula drawn from Scholastic’s Comprehension Clubs, Guided Reading Program, and Traits Writing.

Instruction focused on the priority skills critical for student success: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Curricula incorporated stories of contemporary figures and their journeys of struggle, perseverance, transcendence, and transformation and was organized around four social justice and learning platforms – define the self, become resilient, engage others, and build capacity – which provided a framework for scholars to chart their own development.

Writing activities helped scholars become capable, confident writers. The curriculum was based on the six traits of writing – Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Presentation.

Math Instruction: Certified teachers led 90 minutes of math instruction using curricula with targeted intervention modules to build conceptual understanding, problem solving, and mathematical skills.

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Scholastic’s Do The Math helped scholars develop the skills they need to compute with accuracy and efficiency, the number sense they need to reason, and the ability to apply their skills and reasoning to solve problems. It incorporated eight researchbased instructional practices for scholars who need additional support: Scaffolded Content, Explicit Instruction, Multiple Strategies, Gradual Release Routines, Student Interaction, Meaningful Practice, Assessment & Differentiation, and Vocabulary & Language.

Lunch & Structured Sports: Scholars ate a healthy lunch provided through the federal Summer Food Service Program, followed by 30 minutes of organized physical activities, with a focus on teambuilding sports.

Enrichment Courses: After lunch Enrichment Teachers and Teaching Assistants lead two 45minute enrichment activities each day. Enrichment courses were designed to foster critical 21st Century skills like teamwork and leadership, increase selfconfidence, and expose scholars to new subjects, opportunities, and career paths.

Field Trips: Each week, scholars participated in field trips that blended learning and enjoyment. Such trips scholar learning by exposing scholars to diverse ideas, people, and places, and nurturing increased empathy, tolerance, and criticalthinking skills.

Enrichment Courses Music- El Sistema

Dance- Cleo Parker Robinson

Cooking and NutritionSticky Fingers and GrowHaus

Art (ArtReach)

Outdoor AdventurecityWild

Photography

Healthy Living

Build a Bike- Trips for Kids

Writing (Denver Writes)

STEM- Science Matters and YMCA

Field Trips Denver Zoo

CU Boulder

Lincoln Hills

Rafting (cityWILD)

DMNS – IMAX & Planetarium

Fishing with CU South Denver

Challenger Learning Center

History Colorado

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THE GROWTH MINDSET This summer, program staff and scholars focused on cultivating a growth mindset. In a growth mindset, scholars believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work — brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for short- and long-term achievement.

The Power Scholars Academy’s culture of high expectations, staff modeling, and transforming mistakes into positive learning opportunities are some of the strategies used to strengthen scholars’ growth mindset.

End-of-program surveys suggest that this approach is resonating with scholars, as 85% of parents reported that scholars showed improved abilities to overcome challenges.

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Impact Measurement The Power Scholars Academy sought to produce the following outcomes:

• Scholars will gain at least one month of academic skills, on average, instead of experiencing summer learning loss.

• At least 75% of scholars will demonstrate improved self-confidence and social skills.

• At least 75% of parents will report that they became more engaged in their child’s education.

To measure performance against these outcomes, program leaders produced qualitative and quantitative data.

✎ COMPUTER-ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENTS Teachers used STAR Enterprise Assessments, by Renaissance Learning, on a pre- and post-program basis. The assessments are built for measuring progress against rigorous standards. Scholars completed both the STAR Reading and STAR Math assessments.

The multiple-choice assessments, administered via computer, laptop, or tablet, “adapt” based on scholar responses to assessment questions. For example, if a scholar selects the correct answer, the next question becomes more difficult; if the scholar answers incorrectly, the next question becomes easier. The adaptive quality of these assessments enables staff to hone in on the specific learning needs of each scholar. It also allows staff to group scholars according to common needs and deliver small-group, data-driven instruction.

✎ ATTENDANCE DATA The YMCA managed attendance data using an online Program Data Management system (PDM). Data was then transferred to BELL’s online Scholar Management system for analysis. Scholars were expected to attend at least 80% of the time, given the strong positive correlation between learning time and academic and social outcomes. Program leaders integrated enrollment and attendance data with staffing and quality indicators to optimize the learning environment.

✎ TEACHER SURVEYS Partners use a leadership and staff survey to assess program implementation and efficacy. At the end of the program, site leadership and instructional staff complete the anonymous survey about scholars’ progress, training, curricula, program staff and service, parent engagement, and satisfaction with their professional experience during the program.

✎ PARENT SURVEYS Partners employed a parent survey instrument to assess parent observations of scholar improvement, program quality, and parent satisfaction. Parents completed the anonymous survey on-site during the final week of the program.

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Scholar Achievement ✎ ACADEMIC GROWTH Assessment data from the end of the Power Scholars Academy program show that scholars gained an average of three months of reading skills and more than three months of math skills.

Gains in reading and math skills are an important indicator of student success because they provide a measure of how much a student has progressed up the proficiency ladder at a time when most children are not engaged in structured learning activities. A full grade level contains ten months of skills development (i.e., based on an average school year of learning from September – June). A gain of one month, then, is equal to what an average student learns in 10% of a school year.

Scholars’ academic growth demonstrates that participating in summer learning activities has a positive impact on achievement and eliminates summer learning loss. The data also suggests that summer learning opportunities may have the greatest impact on scholars who are struggling in school and who lack access to the camps, travel, and other enrichment experiences that play a formative role in the development of children from higher-income families.

Teachers utilize formative assessments from the start of the summer to understand each scholar’s learning needs and to inform individualized learning plans.

ACADEMIC GROWTH IN THE POWER SCHOLARS ACADEMY VS SUMMER LEARNING LOSS -2

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0

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2

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Skills Gained, in Months +3 Months of Reading Skills

+3 Months of Math Skills

-2 Months of Summer Learning Loss Experienced by Disadvantaged Students Without Summer Learning Opportunities* -2

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0

1

2

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* Sources McCombs et al. (2011). Making Summer Count: How Summer Programs Can Boost Children’s Learning. Rand Education & The Wallace Foundation.

Cooper, Harris (2003). Summer Learning Loss: The Problem & Some Soluations. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary & Early Childhood Education.

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✎ PARENT & TEACHER ENGAGEMENT & SATISFACTION

✎ SELF-CONFIDENCE & SOCIAL SKILLS Scholars’ academic success requires self-efficacy skills, determination, and social skills, including the ability to communicate clearly and work well with others. That is why staff is trained to cultivate scholars’ growth mindset so that they believe that their abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Teachers and parents consistently reported that scholars’ participation in the Power Scholars Academy helped them make important gains in these areas. Such a positive impact can be attributed to a culture of high expectations, highquality staff, a small staff to scholar ratio, and an individualized learning environment.

Teachers and parents consistently reported that the Power Scholars Academy was of high quality and met or exceeded their expectations. Teachers reported that the program structure and resources helped scholars achieve the goals set forth for them. They also reported that working the program helped them develop their professional skills. Parents reported that the model boosted their involvement in their child’s education – an outcome that is proven to have significant long-term impact on student achievement in school and beyond.

PARENT & TEACHER SURVEY RESULTS Parents report:

Scholars are more confident in their abilities

88%

Scholars have a more positive attitude about school

88%

Scholars enjoyed the Power Scholars Academy

94%

The Power Scholars Academy helped me become more involved in my child's education

94%

I am highly satisfied with my scholar's experience

100%

I recommend the Power Scholars Academy to other parents

100%

Teachers report: 80%

I recommend the Power Scholars Academy to parents

100%

Program staff are diverse and reflect scholar diversity Working with the Power Scholars Academy helped me develop my professional skills

80%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

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Resource Sharing & Sustainability BELL, the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver, the Y-USA, and Wyatt Academy provided resources to support the Power Scholars Academy.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Denver raised philanthropic funding to pay for direct program expenses. Wyatt Academy contributed classroom space, utilities, janitorial services, breakfast, and lunch. Other partners contributed to field trips, special events, and enrichment activities.

The YMCA of the USA contributed funding from its national Achievement Gap initiative to pay for direct program expenses, such as hiring and training staff, purchasing curriculum and supplies, etc. It also provided support related to fundraising, communication, and youth development resources.

BELL raised philanthropic funding from national sources, including the Wallace Foundation and Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, to cover a portion of program support expenses including staff training, technical assistance, and assessment and evaluation.

✎ SUSTAINABILITY Partners expect that strong outcomes will lead to passionate local support for the Power Scholars Academy. After the first three years of operation, funding raised nationally by BELL and the YMCA of the USA will be replaced by local resources generated by the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver, including philanthropic support and school funding. The two national organizations will continue to provide training, technical support, and assessment & evaluation activities as the program grows.

✎ CONTACT THE POWER SCHOLARS ACADEMY Jen Martin Association Program Lead YMCA of Metropolitan Denver jmartin@denverymca.org

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