Couldn't Have Said it Better Myself...

From the Alliance for Excellent Education:

"Millions of middle and high school students lack the literacy skills—including reading, writing, and critical thinking—that they need to succeed in college and the workplace. According to The Nation’s Report Card fewer than one third of eighth graders read at a proficient level. Policymakers have directed considerable resources toward improving the skills of the nation’s youngest schoolchildren, and higher scores for fourth graders indicate that these investments are paying off. However, similar investments have not been made to support the literacy needs of students in the later grades; thus, academic gains are not being sustained through secondary schooling when students need instruction in advanced literacy skills necessary to succeed with more complex content. As a result, while fourth-grade proficiency rates on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) increased from 1998 through 2007, the percentage of eighth graders who scored at or above proficient declined.

"Only 29 percent of America’s eighth-grade public school students meet the NAEP standard of reading proficiency for their grade level.

"Approximately eight million of the 32.5 million students in fourth through twelfth grade read below NAEP’s minimum or ―basic standards for their grade level.

 

"A mere 2 percent of all eighth graders read at an advanced level."

To address such a massive problem, we need a portfolio of solutions. A huge number of the public school students entering 9th grade (71%!) are not proficient in reading, yet so often we say that this is too late to intervene. The fact that we have not successfully intervened at the high school level is not an indication that it can't be done. We have a responsibility to improve literacy interventions in high schools. Reach, Inc. aims to be part of the solution.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

Tutor Stipends

Reach, Inc. takes a three-pronged approach to adolescent literacy remediation: tutoring, training, and compensation. In recent weeks, I've been thinking a lot about the third facet of our program, compensation. Many people have an immediate, negative reaction to paying students for academic performance; however, if executed appropriately, I think it can be a significant motivational factor for struggling students. 

For compensation to work effectively, it must be tied to legitimate outcomes. In our case, this means that the tutor's compensation must be tied to job performance, effort in school, and academic achievement. It's been an interesting practice challenge to think about the best way to implement our system. We want to tie compensation into significant performance indicators - attendance, disciplinary records, benchmark assessments, grades, and standardized tests - and we want to recognize improvement more than mastery. However, these indicators all operate on different timelines. It's not easy to pay tutors monthly if we can only measure grades twice a year. Additionally, we must take into consideration the fact that adolescents do not enjoy delaying gratification.

Most recently (thanks to a helpful thought partner), it seems that having a two-tiered pay system makes the most sense. First, we'll provide tutors with a regular stipend for basic job performance. This will likely be approximately $40 twice a month. The second tier would involve the students' ability to accumulate bonuses. From very basic things like attendance (say, $.50 for every day they show up to work on time) to larger things (such as a $10 bonus for each percentile improvement in standardized test scores, up to a certain limit). These bonuses would be paid out at the end of each semester. By having this two-tiered system, we would allow students to receive immediate gratification for their after-school employment while also having a cumulative motivator for improvement in academic outcomes.

As we move closer to launch, these "nuts and bolts" issues will become increasingly important. The countdown continues...

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

Loaded Question

I often get asked, "what can I do to help?" It's not always an easy question for me to answer. Each day is so different, so I honestly don't always have a good answer. Additionally, as is the nature of entrepreneurship, we're finding answers to new questions everyday. So, today, I give you five ways you can help - from easiest to hardest:

1) Help build our network on facebook. Up in the left corner, there's a link that says, "suggest to friends." Click on it, find some friends you think might be interested, and let's try to build our online community.

2) If you've been a donor, let people know that's the case. Tell them you're supporting a brand new nonprofit, and encourage them to do the same. Let them know that new organizations will never make it to market in the current economy without gaining the support of individual donors. Direct them to our website so they can learn more. Oh, and if you haven't been a donor, donate.

3) Encourage your employer to donate to Reach, Inc. Many corporations have giving programs, and they are especially interested in supporting the organizations that their employees support. Find out who is in charge of such efforts, and go to bat for Reach. If your workplace does events (such as dress down days benefitting a nonprofit), help Reach, Inc. become a beneficiary. Bonus points to anyone that can find me a comprehensive list of corporations that match employee gifts.

4) Identify individuals - specifically in Washington DC - that might be interested in serving on Reach, Inc.'s Board. We are looking specifically for individuals with skills in accounting, nonprofit law, literacy instruction, and educational administration. We're also looking to create a Board that is diverse with respect to race, class, gender, age, and capacity to give. 

5) If you happen to have connections to foundations, either in DC or elsewhere, please feel free to make introductions. While DC-area foundations would be particularly helpful, there are often discretionary funds available that foundations can give to support organizations outside their standard geographic area.

The reading, writing, and planning I do every day are leading to our pilot program in October. It's an exciting time, and I can't wait to bring Reach, Inc.'s model to DC's students. When that happens, we will have many more opportunities for all our supporters to be involved in activities related to program execution. I look forward to using your many talents when that time comes.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

What does Haiti mean to Reach?

Recently, Thomas J. Tierney (Chairman and Co-Founder of Bridgespan Group), shared his thoughts on the current "rules of the road" in philanthropy. He centered his comments on four observations:

1) Delivering real results in the social sector is much harder than you probably think.

2) All philanthropy is personal. It's deeply personal.

3) Excellence is self-imposed.

4) Philanthropy is only as effective as the organizations and the people that you give money to.

He summarizes his thoughts in the following way: 

"To restate my Observations 1 through 4: Giving money away to improve

our society—to change lives—is really hard. Philanthropy is personal

and messy. Excellence must be self-imposed. There are no marketplaces

to guide and motivate you. You’re continually working through others.

And you’re only as good as your partners.

To state this as an axiom: The challenges confronting a philanthropist

are like gravity—they exert a force that relentlessly pulls

performance downward—reducing impact over time. Donors have to fight

tenaciously against this tendency. Otherwise they can easily end up

with mediocrity in perpetuity."

In my recent experience, observation 2 tends to be stronger than the others. That is why nonprofits will suffer due to the recent outpouring of support for Haiti. Like 9/11, Katrina, and the tsunami, we see these pictures and feel that we must help. And let me be clear: we should. When we see pictures of people hurting, we need to help. It becomes personal. It does not, however, change the needs of unrelated nonprofit organizations or the people they serve. Issues of education, health, and hunger continue to exist in the US, but the donations always slow significantly during these events. By giving emotionally, we contribute to this tendency toward mediocrity. 

While we know the need exists in Haiti, we give without asking important questions. How will the money be used? What are the strategic priorities for addressing urgent needs? How much assistance is needed, for how long, and for what purposes? Will Haiti emerge stronger based on our donations?

None of these questions would matter if individuals tended to give this money in addition to their normal philanthropy, but this is rarely the case. Most individuals give to an urgent cause at the expense of other organizations. To do that - to give up on the idea of strategic giving - is the wrong decision. It feels good, but does it do good?

So, donate to Haiti. But do it by giving up coffee for a week, staying in for a night, or dipping into your savings account. Don't do it at the expense of other organizations. They need you as much now as they did before the earthquake.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

Growth Plans

Often, when asked to speak about Reach, Inc., I have to explain and defend a legitimate growth plan. It makes sense. Many of us who launch careers in social entrepreneurship are not financial experts. It's important that we are forced to think about the way we will use resources. How fast can we grow without overextending our resources? 

Something about this conversation has always bothered me, and it was framed effectively for me this week. Hobson Middle School Assistant Principal (and my former Harvard housemate), Katie Franklin, described Reach's potential in a letter of recommendation. She talked about the ways that our model can impact two populations simultaneously. Then, quite succinctly, she explained, "if Reach, Inc. is maximally successful, it should ultimately go out of business."

Shouldn't this be our goal for all service-providing nonprofit organizations? If we truly want our organizations to solve problems, then part of our growth plan should be to eliminate the need for our services, right?

This creates a significant tension for many nonprofits. During a recent conversation with Robert Egger, founder of DC Central Kitchen, he spoke of the desire of many to fund a program that trains ex-convicts while feeding the hungry; however, many do not have the same passion about addressing the real causes of hunger. People like stories.

Let us never forget that it is not the purpose of nonprofits to grow larger - rather, to run themselves out of business.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

Echoing Green Application...check!

I just submitted the semi-final application for Echoing Green - the most prestigious fellowship in the country for social entrepreneurs. I thought you might be interested in my answers to two of the ten essays. It's already submitted, so if you see problems, please don't tell me (seriously). Answers are limited to 2,000 characters, with spaces, so I know I could always add more details/information. Enjoy!

Question 1: What is your new, innovative idea to create lasting social change? Be clear, specific, and jargon-free in your answer.

During after-school hours, Reach, Inc. will improve reading skills, across ages, by hiring and training struggling adolescent readers to tutor in District of Columbia elementary schools. Reach will employ 9^th grade students whose literacy skills sit in the bottom quartile. These students will be trained to provide literacy support to 3^rd grade students who need help achieving proficiency. By redefining remediation, Reach, Inc. will teach necessary work skills, facilitate literacy instruction in a stigma free environment, and provide necessary services in a resource-efficient manner.

Reach, Inc. will facilitate dramatic improvements in literacy through a three-pronged approach:

• Training: On two days each week, adolescent tutors will be guided by licensed teachers in identifying appropriate content, gaining fluency in that content, and preparing learning activities appropriate for the elementary school students they tutor.
• Tutoring: On two alternating days each week, adolescent tutors will be supervised in tutoring elementary school students in five components of literacy development: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension.
• Compensation: On a monthly basis, students will be paid for their work. They will be given a base stipend for meeting basic job expectations, and they will be eligible for monetary bonuses based on academic growth and the improvements demonstrated by the students they tutor.

Reach, Inc. will create a scalable model for high school literacy remediation. Reach, Inc.’s unique approach will address three specific obstacles to academic recovery at the secondary level: developmental appropriateness, motivation, and ongoing feedback. Through a relationship-based program, which includes regular summative assessments and an incentive-laden compensation system, Reach, Inc. will write a new way forward for struggling high school students while providing a high-quality tutoring experience for younger learners.

Question 3: As specifically as possible, demonstrate the need for your organization. Use statistics and references.

An alarming number of American students fail to complete a high school education. The rates are specifically troubling in Washington DC, where fewer than 50% of students complete high school on time(Education Week, 2009). Students that enter high school in the bottom quartile are twenty times more likely to drop out of high school than their higher performing peers (Carnevale, 2001). While recent literacy efforts have focused on primary grades, these efforts have not improved adolescent achievement (Biancarosa & Snow, 2006). We must promote academic recovery for high school students who have experienced chronic academic failure.

The problems in the District of Columbia are particularly troubling. Only 49% of The District’s elementary school students are proficient in reading and this number falls to 41% for secondary students. When looking at economically disadvantaged students, only 42% of elementary school students and 32% of secondary students achieve proficiency. Consistent with other districts, DC’s public schools have more difficulty achieving proficiency with the district’s older students. These older students who struggle to achieve proficiency are at higher risk for failing to complete their high school education. On average, the Center for Labor Market Studies (2009) indicates that the net fiscal benefit of a high school graduate is approximately $250,000 when compared to an individual that fails to complete high school.

For these reasons, we must invest in a developmentally appropriate approach to promoting academic recovery at the high school level. By creating a new path to success, we will keep DC’s teens engaged and enrolled. While ensuring that participating 3^rd grade students never fall behind, we will assist our high school students in developing the skills necessary for success in high school and beyond. 

Thanks for reading! 

Mark - Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

Dangerous Decisions

Yesterday, I received another grant rejection. With the rejection came a familiar refrain: our Board of Directors has decided to focus our funding on past grantees rather than adding new organizations to our portfolio. I've called this behavior dangerous before, but I wanted to again state how vehemently I disagree with this approach to funding - even in such a challenging economy.

There are many strong programs currently operating in Washington DC. I want to be clear that I am not rooting for the demise of any current program; however, funding only past grantees implicitly states an acceptance of the status quo. Funding the same good programs is seen as a risk-averse way to continue supporting a community in need. But, at what cost? Is a blanket policy ignoring new organizations the best way to support this community? Don't we run the risk of ignoring potentially great programs to continue supporting good ones? Do we feel that there is no room for improvement?

I do, however, want to acknowledge the other side of this argument. Every dollar is important right now. No foundation wants to take a risk on a new organization only to see it fail (either in securing enough funding or creating an impact). In this economy, such wasted money would be seen as a huge failure for the individual foundation that took the risk.

So, should the bar be set higher for new organizations? Yes. 

Should foundations refuse to consider new organizations? No.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

Next Steps

In the last entry, I mentioned that we now have confirmed our pilot partnership with Hyde Leadership Public Charter School. While this is an exciting step, it definitely does not mean that we can now rest until the program launches in the fall. We must take many steps to prepare ourselves for our pilot program at Hyde.

• During this year, I will observe literacy instruction in Hyde's 3rd grade to familiarize myself with the teaching staff, gain comfort with the school's teaching strategies, and improve my understanding of District standards.
• I will begin working with school personnel to identify students from next year's 9th grade class who would benefit from Reach, Inc.'s programming.
• Working with school administrators, I will identify teachers who might be interested in guiding our student tutors.
• I will begin working with the parents of eligible high school students to explain the program while gaining buy-in.
• Finally, we will have to complete and publish a student handbook, a training manual, lesson plan templates, and all the forms associated with student participation in after-school activities.
• Oh, and we need to fund the pilot program...

Sounds simple enough, right? 

Speaking of funding...don't forget that the Patricia Kind Family Foundation is matching all your donations for the next 14 days! Consider donating early to have the impact of your gift doubled.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President  - Reach, Inc.