SERVICE PROJECTS
SIGNATURE PROJECT
ReadUP- United Way of Central Indiana
Why ReadUP? Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is the largest urban school district in Indiana. In 2006-2007 the high school graduation rate for IPS was 46.1% (Indiana Department of Education data). In 2008, a report covering the nation's 50 largest cities identified Indianapolis as ranking among the three lowest in high school graduation rates, along with Detroit and Cleveland (Editorial Projects in Education).
Teachers and administrators alike identified fourth grade as the critical juncture where many students began to disengage from classroom learning and embarked on a journey of frustration and failure. Additionally, about 30% of all IPS fourth-graders are reading two or more grades below their current grade level. Research also points out that most poor readers in third grade are unlikely to ever attain grade level reading skills (Marchand-Martella, Martella and Przychodzin-Havis, SRA's Corrective Reading Program). At fourth grade, they must begin reading to learn.
What's our goal? The Corporate Volunteer Council and the United Way of Central Indiana
developed ReadUP, a volunteer tutor program with the goal of raising fourth and fifth grade
students to grade level reading by the end of the school year. Corporate and other
community volunteers are matched with students and spend one hour each week on
reading skills, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Central Indiana Corporate Volunteer Council
Promoting community improvement through corporate volunteerism.
