At least 95% of the 129 students in our programs are minorities. Approximately 85% of our students served, live at or below the federal guidelines for poverty, the additional students live at moderate income levels. The program focuses on minority youth and their families because in Hillsborough County:
50% of all drop-out students are African American and/or Hispanic, minority students are less likely to continue on to higher education, 67% (FY 2008-09) of all juvenile referrals are African-American or Hispanic, households in Tampa enterprise zones are 2.5 times more likely to be headed by a woman, 41% of families do not own a car, and 41% of the housing is substandard.
Program Objectives
Goals for the Leadership Through Education Program include:
Ø 90% of non-senior secondary school participants served each year will complete the current academic year and continue in school for the next academic year, at the next grade level.
Ø 75% of high school seniors served during the year will graduate during the year with a regular secondary school diploma within the standard number of years.
Ø 55% of seniors served during the year will complete a rigorous secondary school program of study and will graduate during the year with a regular secondary school diploma within the standard number of years.
Ø 65% of participants, who graduate with a regular secondary school diploma, during the year, will enroll in an institution of higher education by the fall term immediately following high school graduation or will have received notification, by the fall term immediately following high school, from an institution of higher education, of acceptance but deferred enrollment until the next academic term.
Ø 55% of participants served during the year, who enrolled in an institution of higher education, by the fall term immediately following high school graduation of the next academic term as a result of acceptance but deferred enrollment will, complete a program of postsecondary education within six years..
Each student’s progress is monitored throughout the school year. New data is compared to the baseline data gathered at intake and goal attainment is measured throughout the school year. Student goals set in Individual Service Plan (ISP) include both long-term and short-term goals.