2014 Annual Report JEREMY P
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2014 Annual Report JEREMY P. COLE PHILIP L. HILDEBRANDT BRENDA PALM President, WITS Board of Directors Board Chair Executive Director 2 The 2013-14 school year marked the 21st year of WITS literacy programming in Chicago public schools. With the breadth of our programs and the dedication of our volunteer corps, WITS helps to bridge gaps in student academic achievement through focused literacy mentorship. Through working directly with our partner school principals and teachers, we are able to tailor a plan for WITS programs in each school that best supports the needs of the students. This approach gives the students the support they need in the classroom and also builds a sense of community among WITS staff, 2013-14 YEAR volunteers, school administrators, and teachers. IN REVIEW 2,599 30 1,848 The following report illustrates the Students Schools Volunteers impact of the 2013-14 WITS programs: WITSummer in the Parks WITSummer Early Childhood Classroom Reading Tutors WITS Kindergarten Workplace Mentoring 135 3 20 Mid-day Mentoring Weekly Sessions Parks Neighborhoods WITS on Campus WITS on the Weekend “I’ve worked with WITS for a number of years at both Peabody and Otis schools – the students continue to look forward to the program every year. From a teacher’s perspective – I love that the volunteers are available to help guide them through their 5th grade year – which can be a tough year for students.” MR.PETER SIMPSON, 5th Grade Teacher, Otis Elementary School 4 Skokie Skokie 14 N SCHOOLS 1 BrownSCHOOLS 54 N Hermitage Ave 290 90 Jefferson 2 Carnegie 1414 E 61st Pl Park55 94 1 Brown 54 N Hermitage Ave 290 90 24 3 Chavez 4747 S Marshfield Ave Jefferson 294 2 st Park Carnegie 1414 E 61 Pl 55 94 Uptown W E 4 Cook 8150 S Bishop St 11 3 Portage Irving Park 5 De DiegoChavez 1313 N4747 Claremont S Marshfield Ave Ave 294 Park10 33 290 90 Uptown 6 Drake4 Cook 2710 Dearborn8150 S Bishop St St 55 94 Portage Irving Park 7 Everett5 3419 S Bell Ave Park De Diego 1313 N Claremont Ave 294 290 90 S 8 290 90 Fairfield6 Drake 6201 2722 S Fairfield Martin Ave Luther King Dr Logan 55 94 9 Hamline 4747 S Bishop St 55 94 Square 7 294 17 Everett 3419 S Bell Ave 10 4540 N Hamlin Ave 294 Haugan 290 90 8 11 HibbardFairfield 3244 W Ainslie 6201 StS Fairfield Ave Humboldt Near Logan 55 94Park Square 1726290 90 North Side 12 Holden9 Hamline 1104 W 31 4747st St S Bishop St Austin 294 18 55 94 13 Jenner10 Haugan 1119 N Cleveland 4540 N HamlinAve Ave 1619 East Garfield 1 5Park 294 14 Jordan 7414 N Wolcott Ave 290 90 29130 90 11 Hibbard 3244 W Ainslie Ave 290 90 Humboldt Near Park Chicago 15 LEARN 1700 W 83rd St 2829550 9490 55 North94 Side 12 1104 W 31st St WITS 55 94 Holden 16 294 294 Lowell 3320 W Hirsch St 294 552394 13 17 Jenner 1119 N Cleveland Ave East GarfieldMarshall1 Lozano 1501 N Greenview Ave 20 Square 294 Cicero Park 18 Manierre14 Jordan 1420 N7414 Hudson N Wolcott Ave Ave 290 90 290 90 290 90 30 32 Chicago 19 McClellan15 LEARN 3527 1700 S Wallace W 83rd St St 25 55 94 55 94290 90 55 94 20 Melody16 3937 W Wilcox St 290 90 Brighton294 294 55 94 Lowell 3320 W Hirsch St IMPACT 294 Park26 29 22 21 Morrill 6011 S Rockwell St 55 94 Marshall 292904 90 17 Lozano 1501 N Greenview Ave 22 55 W Cermak Rd Square 55 94 South Side NTA 294 6 18 Evaluation of our programs demonstrates that WITS builds student reading proficiency, self-efficacy, and 23 Otis 525Manierre N Armour 1420 St N Hudson Ave Garfield 12 294 West 19 overall academic achievement. The data from our evaluation guides decisions on curriculum enhancement, Edison 7 24 PeirceMcClellan 1423 W Bryn 3527 Mawr AAve Wallace St 19290 90 24 2 25 Penn20 1616Melody S Avers 412 Ave S Keeler volunteer and staff training, coaching techniques, and program delivery. 290 3 9 Englewood 90 Brighton 55 94 26 Perez 1241 W 19th St West LawnPark 21 Morrill 6011 S Rockwell St 290 290 55 94 294 90 90 27 Ruggles 7831 S Prairie Ave 4 55 94 290 90 22 NTA 55 W Cermak Rd Our evaluation leverages multiple data sources to gauge impact of programs. Data is collected from teachers, 294 21 8 55 94 South Side 28 Talcott 1840 W Ohio St 294 55 94 23 Otis 525 N Armour St volunteers, parents, and directly from students to track quantifiable achievements. We also recognize that often Garfield 294 31 29 Walsh 2015 S Peoria St Ridge West 294 Edison 30 Washington24 Peirce Irving1423 W Bryn Mawr Ave it is the non-quantifiable achievement that has the greatest impact. WITS outcomes are achieved through the 2 749 S Oakley Blvd 25 Perez 1241 W 19th St network of mutuality that develops between students, volunteers, teachers, staff, and schools. This community Englewood 31 Nicholas Park 1355 E 53rd St 26 Ruggles 7831 S Prairie Ave empowers all of us as readers and inspires us to advance opportunities for students throughout the city. 32 West Lawn 290 Fosco Park 1312 S Racine Ave 90 27 33 ClarendonTalcott Park 1840 W Ohio St 4 290 90 15 55 94 27 4501 N Clarendon Ave Walsh 2015 S Peoria St SO, WHILE THE EVALUATION RESULTS ARE AN IMPORTANT REFLECTION OF OUR WORK, THERE ARE 294 55 94 Washington 749 S Oakley Blvd 294 ASPECTS OF WITS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO CAPTURE IN NUMBERS. FY14 SCHOOL MAP Nicholas Park 1355 E 53rd St Fosco Park 1312 S Racine Ave WITS is the student who has read the entire Encyclopedia Brown series with their Workplace Mentoring Clarendon Park volunteer. WITS is the Classroom Reading Tutor, also a docent at the Art Institute, who leads discussions 4501 N Clarendon Ave % with second graders on Monet and Degas. WITS is the corporate group who identifies just as strongly with 75 their partner school in Bridgeport as they do with their company department. The groups that attend their school’s career day, donate backpacks filled with supplies, and come in on a Saturday to paint the school’s Students participating in WITS Mid-Day Mentoring programs gym. WITS is the classroom of third graders who—after collecting pennies all year—decide to donate their were 75% MORE LIKELY TO RAISE THEIR HAND IN CLASS money to buy books to send home with WITS students. We can put a dollar amount on that classroom’s and participate than their peers who did not have the benefit of a WITS mentor. donation, but the value of that gift adds up to so much more than the individual pennies in that jar. 6 SUMMER PROGRAMS Research shows that during summer break, students lose important knowledge and ground gained during the school year. Low income students have an especially high risk for the “summer slide.” In an effort to bridge the WITSUMMER EARLY CHILDHOOD opportunity gap for our students, WITS delivers programs during the summer months. Students entering kindergarten and first grade need a background in % phonological awareness and exposure to picture book reading in order 73 WITSUMMER IN THE PARKS to succeed in the classroom. Many students lose ground gained during 22% the school year because their summer child care does not target these 73% OF PARK VOLUNTEERS observed WITSummer in the Parks launched in 2013 in partnership with the Chicago skills. The WITSummer Early Childhood program provided four hours of Students made a 22% IMPROVEMENT substantial improvement in student Park District as part of the district’s commitment to build in reading time individualized attention, access to books, and skill building activities for in their knowledge of book and print reading confidence over the course of concepts, whereas comparison students just one month of programming. and literacy programming into summer camp. On a WITS program day, students in three Chicago Public School locations. WITS students and actually showed a -6% decline in this campers read for 45 minutes, increasing the amount of time they spent volunteers moved in small groups through learning centers, each focused type of knowledge. WITSummer Early on reading and literacy activities by 25% each week. In addition to on building various literacy skills. Students remain fully engaged under Childhood Program played a role in buffering the summer slide, as the extra time devoted to reading, campers benefited by working either the supervision of trained WITS volunteers who act as “reading role comparison students showed a decline one-on-one or two-on-one with the same volunteer each week. Volunteers models” and coaches. Students deepen their understanding of classic in book and print knowledge.* acted as reading role models and mentors, quickly developing attachments picture books through games and hands on projects over the summer with their campers in just five weeks of program time. and enter school in the fall ready to excel. 8 WITS KINDERGARTEN and shared strategies about how to access students’ interests when During the 2013-14 school year, choosing appropriate texts. IN SCHOOL the WITS Kindergarten program served 14 schools and 287 students. MID-DAY MENTORING WITS volunteers read with the same 4 to 5 students every week. This The WITS Mid-Day Mentoring PROGRAMS consistency allows for the students program is a one-on-one reading and and volunteers to cultivate mentoring program that takes place Studies show that reading regularly with young children stimulates relationships through the course during the school day.