The HORD Foundation, Inc.

The Hord Academy Receives Grant

The Hord Foundation Academy is an initiative of The Hord Foundation to provide support to students during their K-12 school experience. The Academy’s initial effort will begin in the upper elementary and middle grades. Many students, especially ethnic minorities and English language learners, never master essential learning milestones that are critical for future success in certain academic areas. Connecticut Mastery Tests indicate that writing and mathematics are areas where the gaps in tested performance between black students and their peers is greatest and where additional support may be needed for black-American students. Classroom teachers alone are not able to provide the substantial additional and personalized support many students need. Some students simply never develop the confidence in their knowledge to support future grade-level expectations in mathematics, reading and writing. Students who are given the additional time often experience an "aaaha" moment--meaning that the concept has clicked, is more clearly understood and can be applied and transferred upon demand to new situations. Through the Academy, the Foundation resolves to provide the necessary additional support students need in mathematics, reading and writing. Other areas the Academy may address includes leadership, public service, personal responsibility and technology.

Participation in the Academy is open to students without regard to race, gender or ethnicity.

The Foundation expects to initiate the Academy in 2003 at the upper elementary and middle grades levels. In future years the high school will be integrated into the Academy's continuum of competencies and experiences. Planning for establishing the Academy will take place during the late summer and fall of 2002 and through the spring of 2003.

The academy expects to utilize the approaches described below to meeting the academic and personal development needs of students.

Developing a core of trained volunteers and subsidized tutors to assist students in reaching specific milestones related to the upper-elementary and middle school grades performance expectations in mathematics, reading and writing. Through national standards and research based literature, and aided by professionals in each academic content area, critical content, skills and applications will be identified. Volunteers will be trained to: Foster content insights, Clarify concepts, Conduct skill building and mastery exercises that are student centered, fun, entertaining and engaging of students in out-of-school settings. Academy members (students) who have mastered the "critical" content through their regular school offerings may have such mastery validated by their local schoolteacher. All students will receive Hord Academy recognition for their demonstrated competence in “critical” content areas.
The Academy will collaborate with existing community-based programs and non-profit organizations to sanction and award their student academic initiatives that meet Academy standards. Such other organizations include, neighborhood organizations, scouting organizations, school clubs, and religious institutions. These organizations will attest to students meeting academic mastery or other established Academy objectives.

Periodic recognition will be afforded students for their accomplishment. Recognition programs may be conducted in large or small cohort ceremonies with parents and Academy volunteers.

The potential benefits for participating students in the greater Danbury area are great. Given the opportunities for creative participation by so many individuals, institutions and organizations, many of the benefits to students, schools, families and the greater Danbury community may not be evident at this time. However, the Foundation's expectation is that:

The Academy's program will contribute to significantly enhanced performance by black students on state standardized performance measures, thereby contributing to closing the performance gap between Danbury's diverse student groups;
Enhance the perception of black students and their families of locals schools and the opportunities afforded as a result of their schooling; and
Increase the number of black students going to post secondary education, without academic deficiencies.

Development Areas	Rationale, Questions
1. Program Administration and Supervision: Role of Trustees and Advisors Collaboration Agreements Funding Project Scope Implementation Timelines	To establish and approve standards of program operation. Establish cooperative agreements with other organizations around mutual goals and operations Establish program costs and a budget to meet approved priorities and fundraising Determine the limitations of service associated with the program Establish a schedule to expand scope of service if appropriate
2. Recruitment of Volunteers	Develop a program of public awareness and call to service
3. Training of Volunteers	Develop a program to train volunteer in the content/curriculum areas.
4. Volunteers Support and Recognition of Danbury Public Schools Classroom teachers Curriculum specialists Western Connecticut State University Work-study students, tutors, facilitators, assistants to volunteers Teacher Prep program students Connecticut State Dept. of Education Content area Specialists	Develop a program to engage and recognize the contribution of program staff, including volunteers Communicate areas of reciprocal benefit to educational agencies/institutions, families/students and the Hord Foundation Instructional strategies, volunteer training, program consultation Critical content identification, training, consultation Paid work assignments, student community involvement, volunteers Volunteers, facilitators, tutors Content identification, resource location, technical assistance
5. Volunteers Support and Recognition of Danbury Public Schools Classroom teachers Curriculum specialists Western Connecticut State University Work-study students, tutors, facilitators, assistants to volunteers Teacher Prep program students Connecticut State Dept. of Education Content area Specialists	What are the critical content in: Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Leadership, Public Service, Personal Responsibility, Technology, Others What are the other community and school-based activities and program sponsors where students can experience/master content objectives?
6. Recruiting Students and Establishing Cohorts	Who can become a member of the Academy? How are invitations extended? How will the Academy respond to the needs of students of varying ages, in different communities and towns, across many content areas?
7. Student Rewards and Incentives	How can achievement and mastery of critical content be rewarded?
8. Volunteer Rewards and Incentives	In what meaningful way can the valuable time that volunteer spend in training, and working with children be rewarded?
9. Family Participation and Expectations	Should and can the Academy may requirements of families along with students?
10. Measuring and Reporting Program Results	Formal measurements Informal measurements Short-term performance evidence Long-term performance evidence
11. Coordination with Scholarship Program	Will membership in the Academy be prerequisite for receiving a Hord Scholarship? How can the Academy enhance the ability of the Foundation to raise funds for the Academy and for Scholarships?
12. Post-secondary School Support	Enhance student motivation/ participation Connect with general Hord Scholarship mission

HORD ACADEMY