After-school program

What We Do

After-school Program

In the after-school program, tutors guide Heads Up students through the literacy curriculum for three-and-a-half hours per day during the academic year. Heads Up maintains low student-to-tutor ratios of no more than 5:1, ensuring each student receives individual attention and support. Our after-school programs include reading, homework assistance and writing activities. Field trips to local college campuses, historical sites and museums are included.

Our program is hosted in six public schools and enrollment is open to all elementary school students in each neighborhood. Students range in age from 4 to 12. All of our services are offered free of charge.

Sample schedule

3:15 - 3:30 pm	Tutors greet students
3:30 - 4:00 pm	Students receive a healthy snack
4:00 – 5:00 pm	Students complete homework (with help from tutors if needed) and practice journal writing
5:00 – 5:45 pm	Tutors lead students in literature circle — depending on reading level, students or a tutor read a book aloud and discuss the story.
5:45 – 6:15 pm	Students work on vocabulary, comprehension, and phonics skills, as well as math
6:15 - 6:30 pm	Clean up
6:30 - 7:00 pm	Tutors share information with parents as they pick up children

Goals

Heads Up’s goals for the students in our program are:

To increase their reading proficiency, as measured by improvement on standardized test scores, improvement of school grades and Heads Up’s own student achievement assessments;
To increase their performance and engagement in school, as measured by an increased interest in learning reported on student surveys, an improved rate of school attendance, and an improved percentage of children advancing from grade to grade.

Impact

Every year, Heads Up helps hundreds of students improve their reading skills. New research shows that Heads Up students improve their reading skills at twice the rate of other students in the same schools. On average, Heads Up students advance more than one grade level within just one year.

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