Beacon Hill

According to the Commit Partnership's Dallas County scorecard, only 41% of Dallas County 3rd Graders met state reading standards in 2019. These numbers are even more significant among minority children and children who live in poverty, the focus of Beacon Hill's tutoring programs. 65% of students living in poverty, 70% of black students, and 61% of Hispanic students need more support to meet standards in 3rd Grade Reading. The problem for the children in our targeted schools will likely worsen exponentially without intervention. Minority children living in poverty who are not proficient readers by 3rd grade are eight times more likely to drop out of high school.

These statistics were only worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has caused deep, "horrifying" learning losses for Dallas children, and underscored the disparities among Black students, according to new DISD results. Half of all Dallas ISD students experienced learning loss in math during disruptions caused by COVID-19, and nearly a third slipped in reading, according to the district's analysis of start-of-year assessments given to students in September and October. The results highlighted the vast disparities between Black and Latino students and the rest of the district.

In math, for example, the percentages of Black students reaching the "meets grade level" projections ranged from 7.5% (in fourth grade) to 17.9% (in eighth grade) compared with a range of 41.8% to 61.2% for white students in the district. The results were "a stark reminder that we have a long way to go to ensure equitable access for learning opportunities in the district," said Derek Little, deputy chief of academics.

At Beacon Hill, our response and our motto is "Success Begins with Preparation". We supplement school systems and prepare students and families for success by providing reading and math tutoring, parent education and college preparation for low-income African American and Hispanic students in South Dallas and surrounding communities.

On average, 95% of our students improve their reading scores by at least 1 grade level annually and 50% increase their math grade level. We expect this percentage in math to continue to grow, as this is the first year that Beacon Hill has implemented math services. At Beacon Hill, each student is assessed, and a customized learning plan is created. Certified professionals, assisted by trained volunteers, provide 2-3 hours of weekly tutoring.

Our Needs

Operation Needs:

- BH Van or large vehicle for pickup and delivery of donations, curriculum, and program (support)

- BH Corporate Facility

- BH Advisory Board Leaders (Community, Corporate, Educational Members) 

- 50 Computer Monitors (with touch screens)

- 25 Laptops (with extended screens) for tutoring and administrative staff for program and operational support

- 35 Chromebooks for Beacon Hill Technology Centers in our 16 in-school Learning Labs

- 1 Professional Copier

- 75 Bluetooth Headphones

- 22 Printers

Program Needs:
What Your Investment Provides at Beacon Hill:
$25= Pays for one student's registration fee for Summer Bridge Camp
$50= Pays for one student's registration fee for math/reading after-school tutoring
$100 = Purchases books for a student's home library
$250 = Pays for one student to attend "Summer Bridge" tutoring
$500 = Pays for one student to attend afterschool tutoring for one semester
$1,000 = Pays for one student to attend in-school tutoring for a full school year

Volunteer Needs:
- In-School, Virtual, and After-School In Person Teacher's Assistants
- Special Projects Volunteers (Individual or Group)
- Interns: Funds Development, Hospitality/ Events, Creative Writing or Grant Research, Data Entry, Accounting, Human Resources, IT, Marketing, Programs, and Supply Chain Management/ Inventory and Logistics