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Throughout
its 70 year history, JLOEB has focused its efforts on improving
conditions for vulnerable children throughout Oakland and the
East Bay. By collaborating with other community based organizations
and social service agencies, we are able to develop sustainable
strategies that address unmet community needs, provide resources
to community organizations, and supply dedicated volunteers
to support project development, implementation and outreach
efforts. In January of 2000, the membership voted to dedicate
its resources to projects which emphasize the education of children
K-8 who are economically and/or socially disadvantaged.
In response
to this membership directive, JLOEB launched the Super Stars
Literacy Program at Hoover Elementary in October 2002. The
decision to initiate this particular program was the result
of two years of community-wide needs assessments, research and
collaborative program development with former Oakland Unified
School District (OUSD) Superintendent, Dennis Chaconas, Hoover
school administration and staff, and a number of community organizations
including the YMCA and Girls Inc. of Alameda County. During
its first year, 50 children (from kindergarten, first grade
and 2nd grade) participated in this comprehensive after school
program that aims to foster the academic and social development
of children who are in the first quartile of their peers and
are therefore most at risk for reading failure. During the 2003-2004
school year, we continued to support all the students who were
in the program last year (those who remain at Hoover), and a
new incoming group of 25 kindergartners.
During the
school year, the Super Stars participants attend the
program daily, Monday through Friday, from the time they are
dismissed from school until 5:00 p.m. (4:30 for kindergartners).
The primary Super Stars after-school program components
consist of reading practice and support, homework assistance
and literacy extension and social enrichment activities. Program
content, curriculum and reading selections are deliberately
coordinated with Hoover teachers whose students are participating
in Super Stars and complements the standard Open Court
Reading Program curriculum and other content the students are
encountering during the school day.
With
Super Stars, JLOEB and program staff has thoughtfully implemented
a program designed to have substantive, measurable outcomes.
Evaluation criteria and measures of program success are both
quantitative and qualitative. Specific objectives of the program
are as follows:
OUTCOME
1: By the end of second grade, 80% of SSLP participants
who have regularly attended the program and been a participant
for three years will meet or exceed the Open Court reading curriculum's
benchmarks. This outcome is the program's most purely quantitative
outcome and will be evaluated by comparing program participants'
reading progress to the clearly defined Open Court benchmarks.
We will complement the Open Court evaluation with our internal
assessment program, which is based on California State Standards
for reading as noted above.
OUTCOME
2: Eighty percent of program participants will demonstrate
improved social development including improved behavior at school
and at home, anger management, impulse control, and empathy
shown to others. Benchmarks will be established upon program
entry and as targets are achieved. Improvement toward this outcome
will be assessed regularly through teacher assessments, interviews
with key staff including the principal, psychologist, Sports4Kids
coordinator, student surveys and interviews, and parent surveys
and interviews.
OUTCOME
3: Increase participation of parents/guardians by 50% in
actively supporting their children's school success and participation
in SSLP. Measures of parental support and facilitation
will include evaluation of participant attendance, parental
attendance at program orientation and meetings over the course
of the school year, and parental attendance of field trips and
family workshops.
OUTCOME
4: Increase the involvement of businesses, non-profit agencies,
community groups, and volunteers in the Hoover community by
25% each year of the program. This outcome will be tracked and
measured in a number of ways including sign-in sheets, tracking
of volunteer hours, and contributions of resources (time, financial
and in-kind donations of goods and services) by community members.
As the sponsor
of this program, JLOEB plays a number of key roles with the
SSLP including:
 Program
oversight and management
Resource
development
Volunteer
recruitment and management
Community
outreach
Directions
to Hoover Elemenary School >>
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