Student Profile: Raymond

Student Academic and Social Circumstances

Raymond enrolled in the New Salem Educational Initiative as a Grade 6 student during the 2007-2008 academic year. He reenrolled in the Initiative for the 2008-2009 academic year and thus has completed his second year of participation in our program. For both of these years (Grade 6 and Grade 7) he has been a student at Cityview K-8 School, which seems will also be his school of attendance for Grade 8 during the 2009-2010 academic year.

It is likely that Cityview K-8 will not qualify for No Child Left Behind/Supplemental Educational Services funding during the 2009-2010 academic year, which makes financial support for Raymond’s participation in the New Salem Educational Initiative all the more vital. Cityview will be at the “Restructuring” stage during academic year 2009-2010. When Northside schools Lucy Laney K-8 and Nellie Stone Johnson K-8 reached that stage, the Minneapolis Public Schools appealed to the Minnesota Department of Education to define these as “new” schools on the basis of substantially new staff and principal and thus to place them at Stage One in the process that eventually leads to No Child Left behind funding for tutoring. Despite continuing to have some of the worst MCA scores in the city, state, and nation these schools have not qualified for No Child Left Behind funding for two years now.

Prior to enrolling in the Initiative, Raymond had gone through both academic and behavioral problems at Green Central K-8 school, the school at which he had been enrolled prior to moving to North Minneapolis (from South Minneapolis) and becoming a student at Cityview. His participation in the New Salem Educational Initiative imbued Raymond with a sense of confidence and support that he had not theretofore felt, and he began to make steady progress in his mastery of math concepts and reading skills. When Raymond enrolled in the New Salem Educational Initiative, he was functioning three grades below level of school enrollment in both math and reading. During his period of participation in the Initiative, Raymond has risen two full grade levels in both of these key subject areas and now stands at the cusp of full grade level performance.

Raymond’s family qualifies for the Free Lunch program and faces the sort of economic challenges that are typical for families who live in North Minneapolis. It is vital that Raymond continue his participation in the New Salem Educational Initiative so that he continues his ascent to full grade level performance during his Grade 8 Year and enters high school at Grade 9 with strong academic skills and a healthy self-image. If funding for Cityview under No Child Left Behind/Supplemental Educational Services is not forthcoming for the 2009-2010 academic year, Raymond’s full participation in the New Salem Educational Initiative on a weekly, two-hour, small-group, individualized instruction basis will be threatened. This cannot happen. Raymond must continue his participation in the Initiative for his academic and personal development to continue.

Raymond is quick to smile, generally maintains a cheery disposition, and has a better family support system than many of the students in the New Salem Educational Initiative. His mother is highly attentive and a great supporter of mine. We connect weekly on the progress of Raymond and his brother, Grayson, and sister, Tracey (these two are also enrolled in the Initiative; the former will be a Grade 9 student at an as-yet-to-be determined high school, the latter will be a Grade 10 student at Roosevelt). Raymond and his siblings also have a supportive aunt whose son, Matthew, has for two years been enrolled in the same Monday night academic session of the Initiative with his cousins.

Raymond has these advantages of personality and family support. But, starting as he did academically so far behind, he is still struggling to achieve grade level performance. Raymond is a capable student, but he is easily distracted and has drawn a special education label in the school setting. He has thrived in the small-group setting of the New Salem Educational Initiative, and he has responded to academically aggressive instruction delivered in a warm, personalized style. He now faces the challenge of achieving grade level performance during the vital Grade 8 year, when so many lives are won or lost. When students do not master academic material sufficiently to enter high school with the requisite skill set and attending confidence, and when they do not therefore succeed academically at the high school level, they will seek their rewards, attention, and identity in unsavory ways and places.

Raymond must continue to receive the academic support that I am particularly well-placed to render in order to thrive in high school and to avoid the all too familiar pitfalls of inner city adolescence. Thus, funding for Raymond’s participation in the New Salem Educational Initiative is one of my paramount concerns.