A collaboration has been underway at four Buffalo Public Schools providing assistance to students in and out of the classroom. Cradle Beach is working with the city district through the Project SOAR initiative. WBFO'S Focus on Education reporter Eileen Buckley visited the Lovejoy Discovery School School #43 to find out how the program is providing support to struggling students.
"Before I started the program, I was really shy and getting into a lot of fights, and they helped me overcome that, and I'm not shy anymore," said David Jones of Buffalo, an 8th grader at the Lovejoy Discovery School. He is one of the 270 students at four city schools participating in Project SOAR. That stands for Success, Opportunity, Accountability and Responsibility. This program has been in place at the Lovejoy School since it began six years ago.
"The cumulative effect of the program -- so the longer we are with the kids the greater impact that we have on the kids," said Tim Boling, CEO of Cradel Beach. The program is provided to third through 8th grade.
"We generally look for the kids that have statistically the lowest chance of graduation high school. That it is generally minority males for the most part, especially kids with special needs," said Boling. "
7th grader Duane Battle of Buffalo was one of those struggling elementary students. "Being bad, getting in trouble," said Battle. But after three years into the program Battle said he's not getting into trouble and It's "It's kind of good."
"Duane was an extremely smart kid. He was in a 12-1-1 self-contained classroom because he had a lot of social issues and behavior problems that resulted in not being able to learn at the same rate other kids were learning at," said Nick Schifano, Director of Project SOAR. He oversees the program all four schools.
But now Battle says the program is fun and he's on the honor roll at school. "If there wasn't somebody there for him everyday he would still be at that point. He has a great family. He has a strong support, but these six hours he was here in school, he didn't have the supports he needed," said Schifano.
8th grader Kendyl Kinsley of Buffalo also had behavior problems when she started in the program
"Before I got in the program I probably wasn't as well behaved," said Kinsley.
But now Kinsley is one of the student leaders helping to tutor and peer mentors younger students.
Cradle Beach works with 23-AmeriCorps Members, who help assist in the program, offering students help with their academic help and providing human services. Becca Budin is a site supervisor for Project SOAR at the Lovejoy School. She noted the many challenges students face.
"Definitely the curriculum in general -- the Common Core. All the kids are struggling. All the teachers ares struggling. But I think the fact that we have people in the classrooms with people them helping them, we're also getting a chance to learn the curriculum, and by us learning it, we can help them learn it," stated Budin.
This program offers students receive a ten-year commitment, staying with them right through high school graduation. The biggest attendance gaps in the district are normally among Kindergartens and 7th and 8th graders.
Cradle Beach CEO Boling noted this program has a major impact on school attendance.
"People don't realize for a lot of kids, that are from low income families, when they do drop out of school, they don't drop out of high school in high school, they drop out in middle school. They've mentally have already checked out, " noted Boling.
"People don't realize for a lot of kids, that are from low income families, when they do drop out of school, they don't drop out of high school in high school, they drop out in middle school. They've mentally have already checked out, " noted Boling.
Lovejoy Discovery Elementary School principal Maria Miller responded to the program's success at her school.
"The need a lot of caring adults. The more we can provide that, surround them with caring adults, beyond their teacher," said Miller.
"The need a lot of caring adults. The more we can provide that, surround them with caring adults, beyond their teacher," said Miller.
This is Miller's second year at the school and in her 27-years of experience as an education, she noted this is one of the best support programs she encountered.
"Just another person they can turn, rely upon, feel safe with," said Miller. "A lot of research will tell you caring adults and relationships are what make a school, so I feel very fortunate to have Cradle Beach," stated Miller.
It costs about $3,000 per student for the program. Boling has about 75-percent funded. Thursday Boling is expected to met with interim Buffalo Schools Superintendent Don Ogilvie to ask for some funding support to continue the program.
"We've proven ourselves, hopefully to the district, that by being in four schools, serving 207-kids everyday, we really need to have district support, said Boling.
Ideally Boling would like to expand Project SOAR into 15-Buffalo schools and to be a part of the solution in improving failing city schools.