After-school program boosts achievement: Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools / North Carolina.

An innovative, after-school program in Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools in North Carolina has helped raise competency passing rates at one high school by at least 60 percent, offered necessary remediation, homework help and enrichment at elementary and middle schools and improved achievement generally.

Called the 21st Century Learning Program, the initiative was begun during the 2004-2005 school year and resulted in the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank School District being named the North Carolina state winner in the 2008 National Civic Star Award competition. The program serves 250 students annually through five schools. It has served as a meaningful, integrated service that has helped improve the achievement of more than half the students on their end-of-grade and/or end-of-course tests in the first year.

The program has led to school and community partnerships, enriching opportunities for youth in need and support that has translated into better behavior and better grades in the classroom along with increased parental involvement in their children's education.

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The after-school learning program began in the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools two years ago through funding initiated by the U.S. Department of Education. The school district and several community partners developed the grant proposal.

Partners included the Elizabeth City State University, a four-year university affiliated with the University of North Carolina system; River City Community Development Corp., a nonprofit organization to assist Pasquotank County residents with home ownership, job creation, business development and cultural awareness; and the Pasquotank Arts Council (PAC), a nonprofit organization for fostering the arts in the Albemarle area to provide arts and music activities; the City of Elizabeth City and the Elizabeth City Police Department, which have established the Police Athletic League (PAL) as a mentoring program; the Pasquotank Department of Social Services; and the National Council of Negro Women Inc., which provides tutoring and mentors for students in the after-school program.

In establishing the program, the district and its partners were seeking new ways to help meet state and local proficiency standards. The district serves 6,100 students pre-K through 12th grade at seven elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and one alternative school. All elementary schools are Title I schools with an ethnic population of 49 percent black, 47 percent white and 4 percent other. Of these, 56 percent are on free or reduced-price lunch.

Schools are struggling to make Annual Yearly Progress with the percentage of students proficient in reading and math in 2005-2006 at 50 percent. Subgroups not making AYP include students with disabilities, black students and students receiving free and reduced-price lunch.

At the five schools offering the 21st Century Learning Program, elementary and middle school students who made lower results on their end-of-grade tests and high school students who failed to pass competency testing were invited to attend.

More than 25 licensed teachers serve the program with support from community volunteers representing the partnering organizations.

The district has found this to be an important and dynamic program in helping low-achieving children to meet challenging academic achievement standards and in closing the achievement gap among ethnic groups.

For more information, contact Superintendent Tony M. Stewart at Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools, 1200 S. Halstead Blvd., Elizabeth City, NC 27906-2247, or call [phone]. Stewart 's e-mail address is tstewart@ ecpps.k12.nc.us.