The Indiana Council on Educating Students of Color (ICESC) has made significant progress in enhancing student academic performance in English Language Arts (ELA) and Social Studies through its' targeted afterschool programs and experiential learning opportunities. Key accomplishments include: 

 

Afterschool Literacy Initiatives

The afterschool program has incorporated literacy-focused activities that engage students in reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and critical analysis. These activities include guided reading sessions, peer discussions, and essay-writing workshops that align with state standards in English Language Arts. As a result, participating students have shown marked improvements in reading and writing assessments, with a particular increase in analytical and interpretative skills.

 

Integrated Social Studies Curriculum

The program's curriculum is designed to integrate Social Studies with project-based learning that encourages students to explore historical events, social justice themes, and civic engagement. Recent projects have included in-depth studies of key historical figures and events, such as the Civil Rights Movement, and their impact on contemporary society. This approach has resulted in a deeper understanding of Social Studies content and has enhanced students' ability to connect historical knowledge with current social issues.

 

Field Trips and Experiential Learning

The trip to Selma, Alabama, described further below, served as a living classroom for students to engage directly with the history they study in Social Studies classes. This experience allowed students to connect classroom learning with real-world historical sites and primary sources, further solidifying their grasp of historical concepts and their relevance today. Feedback from students and educators indicates an increase in student engagement and comprehension of both ELA and Social Studies standards.

 

Outcomes

Throughout the program year ICESC collected iReady diagnostic data and data from the Reading Revolution curriculum to track student progress. Across students served, 77.25% of students increased iReady Reading scores with an average increase of 28.9 points per student with students increasing as high as 81 points. In iReady math, 90.24% of students increased scores with an average increase of 21.4 points and a maximum increase of 81 points. For Reading Revolution, 80% of students increased their scores with an average increase of 18% with students increasing as much as 39%.