Overview: LEEP based on SOI
Whether 61% of Los Angles Latino high school student drop out (RAND) or Mayor Villaragrosa's 50% of all students do, far too many kids in LAUSD's crowded classrooms fail to graduate and are significantly disadvantaged for life. Urban schools all over the country are experiencing various versions of this unhappy state, which the Federal "No Child Left Behind" law was passed to cure. There are disagreements about the potential of that legislation, but there is probably little belief that, all of a sudden, childrens' brains aren't what they used to be.
page from SOI assessmentÔø‡it's not like "No Child Left Behind" tests
PACT is convinced that lay citizens mentoring 10-15 year olds, one-on-one, in non-school hours can - and are - needed NOW to help alleviate this crisis in education. Using the Structure Of Intellect (SOI) assessment and enhancement to meet this challenge NOW - while LAUSD works to complete its enormous $12.4 billion school construction program, the Mayor drives his administrative and teaching initiatives and charter schools are on going.
In 2007, PACT, with partial funding from the Del Rey Neighborhood Council and the assistance of Middle School counselors, completed a pilot test of its long-planned Lifetime Empowerment Program (LEEP). Repeated in 2008 - 09 with Mark Twain Middle School. Beginning with SOI's three-hour, timed-in-segments, assessment of students - math, reading and thinking processes - each student's learning capabilities were determined, then ranking them on national norms with indicated career choices.
Once SOI has identified the learning abiiltities that need development, we can start the student on a "mental fitness" program. SOI workbook has exercises that builds these mental muscles.
MEEKER-SOI
The Role of the LEEP Student
Once accepted into the LEEP program, a middle school student is
in for self-discovery and an enhancement of learning capabilities, a constructive "all about ME!" experience like nothing before. Having committed to the 3-hour pre- and post assessment, having puzzled his/her way through the workbook, the student has learned about learning. It's like riding a bike: once learned, never forgotten. All guided and personally reinforced by a mentor.
The SOI/LEEP program brings about a student's conscious awareness of how to think through the academic subjects essential for graduation from high school. This can be implemented and duplicated by lay citizens starting NOW.
The LEEP Mentor's Role
Mentor Qualifications. Open-hearted adults, who can see they have a way to make a difference with an at risk 10-15 year old, can include accomplished high school and college students earning community credits. All adults accepted will have their references screened and will be fingerprinted. This entails a voluntary commitment to 12 weekly sessions, for 2 hours each session, mentoring the same child. There is plenty of time to develop rapport and to help them with their homework. Recreational activities will also be included.
On the first meeting the mentor goes over the student's 20-page evaluation, stemming from the 3-hour assessment. The assessment will include evaluations of 24 learning capabilities that show what the student is really GOOD at - as well as what is at an average level, and what really needs work.
Over the next 10 sessions, once a week for 2 hours, the mentor helps his charge puzzle through the 144-page workbook, which is individually derived from each student's initial SOI assessment.
After this 10-week sequence, the student repeats the 3-hour SOI assessment to document the progress he/she has made, reported on in the final session and concluding with a celebration. Mentors are encouraged to follow the progress of their student monthly into the next school year.