FOUNDATION FOR ACADEMIC ENDEAVORS

Long-term goals are for low-income students to achieve academic parity with higher-income peers.

We envision more teachers of color in our schools and more involvement of low-income parents in the education of their children.

Our specific goals are:

Goal: Prevent summer learning loss for 270 low-income students and close the achievement gap between low-income students and their higher income peers.


Goal: Provide rigorous and interesting STEM challenges and introduce STEM career options.


Goal: Prepare and support future teachers of color.


Goal: Develop school, college and career readiness skills of low-income children and their families.


Goal: Build diverse leadership skills in our community.

We integrate literacy activities into all areas of our Summer Program and use a leveled reading program that supports each classroom's STEM topic.

We utilize research based, integrated STEM curricula from the Boston Museum of Science to teach the Engineering Process and scientific literacy as it applies to real world engaging problems for students.

We train our college student fellows in curriculum and program implementation alongside professional certified teachers. Fellows set individual learning goals and receive mentored support in leading classroom lessons and in implementing classroom management strategies. Fellows participate in all staff meetings.

We provide workshops for parents and families on topics that support the health and education of their families and students including kindergarten readiness, child abuse prevention, transition to high school, scholarship opportunities and college preparation.

We encourage and support our staff and volunteers to build leadership and academic skills and mentor board members.

All of our classrooms are staffed by professional experienced teachers who are committed to teaching students and mentoring college fellows.

Our Executive Team is staffed year round by two professional teachers and two program directors with a high level of community involvement that enables us to partner with local schools and organizations who share our goals and values. The Executive Team and the Board of Directors work together to plan, implement and assess a quality sustainable program.

FAE recruits and trains classroom volunteers from the community. Many are high school students who are exploring teaching as a possible career through high school clubs and elective course work. Others are parents with limited English skills who are able to volunteer to our classrooms because we have bi-lingual teachers and fellows. This reduces the adult to student ratio in our classrooms.

We draw on the support and experience of a variety of community organizations for parent workshops including five local school districts, Skagit Valley College, Brigid Collins House, College Success, Skagit Headstart, and United Way.

1. Number of students who did not experience summer learning loss increased - San Diego Quick Assessment of Reading
2016
• 25% increased one or more grades
• 65% stayed at the same grade level.

2017
• 44% increased one or more grades
• 44% stayed at the same grade level.

2018
• 56% increased one or more grades
• 41% stayed at the same grade level.


2. Rate of student attendance increased 3.9%, the number of students with attendance rate of 90% or better increased 9.2%
2016
• Average rate of attendance was 80.4%
• Number of students with an attendance rate of 90% or better was 60.5%.

2017
• Average rate of attendance was 84.3%
• Number of students with an attendance rate of 90 % or better was 69.3%

2018
• Average rate of attendance was 91.52%
• Number of students with an attendance rate of 90 % or better was 71.2%


3. Number of family members participating in school activities is increasing
2016 2017 2018
Orientation: 50 Orientation: 74 Orientation: 77
Volunteers: 13 Volunteers: 27 Volunteers: 23
Open House: 56

4. Number of Teachers and Fellows of Color
2016 2017 2018
Teachers: 3 Teachers: 4 Teachers: 6
CollegeInterns: 7 College Interns: 11 Fellows: 11

From 2016 to 2018 five of our fellows completed Early Childhood Education degrees or training at Skagit Valley College. Currently, an additional five fellows are in their final year of K-12 teacher preparation. Six more fellows are pursuing teaching degrees in their third year or higher of college and three are pursuing STEM degrees in Engineering, Medicine and Nursing.

5.
Administrative staff and leadership development
50% of our administrative staff is Latino, 43% of our Strategic Board is Latino and 53% of Summer Staff was Latino in the summer of 2018.