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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Indian River County, CSAC "Jump into Reading" Program B. PROGRAM NEED STATEMENT (Entire Section B not to exceed one page) a) What is the unacceptable condition requiring change? Every child ' s future depends on his ability to read, write and build relationships . But too many children, in Indian River County, start school at a disadvantage, hindered by a lack of readiness skills and poor socialization skills . b) Who has the need ? The target population includes 75 students enrolled in Kindergarten, 1 't or 22 -grades . The schools have been selected by the Superintendent and the Director of Elementary Curriculum based on the number of students on Free & Reduced lunch, the percentage of children performing at Levels 1 & 2 on FCAT, absenteeism rates and the number of discipline referrals . Clients are referred by their teachers based on need and a mentor' s ability to make a positive impact . Teachers refer children when they begin demonstrating reading problems, early academic failure, low motivation for education and risk factors such as poor self- esteem, excessive absences and/or anti-social behavior. Despite their young age, children are already struggling academically and socially. Members of the target population are frequently eligible for free or reduced lunch. Eligibility guidelines are worded carefully to avoid duplication of services for clients who are already receiving assistance through Exceptional Education or Federal Programs. c) Where do they live? They live in neighborhoods characterized by economic and social deprivation such as areas in the 32948, 329602 32962, 32967 and 32968 zip codes. d) Provide local, state, or national trend data, with reference source, that corroborates that this is an area of need. Local statistics show that 43 % of Indian River County ' s school children are considered "economically needy . " However, rate of growth in the number of impoverished children in the county exceeds state and peer counties . Research reveals that students living in poverty are more likely to develop problems linked to school failure, delinquency and teen pregnancy (St. Lucie Hand4n Hand 14). A high percentage of the adults (24%) have very limited literacy skills leaving their children with minimal exposure to books, words and the support they need, at home, to help them read effectively. (Florida Adult Literacy Survey) . Data elicited confirms concerns over academic achievement in 2004-05 . Poverty, illiteracy and excessive absences have led to academic failure as confirmed by 25 % of the 3rd graders who score at level 2 or below on the FCAT thus indicating limited academic success. Of particular concern is the apparent achievement gap evident in minority students scoring at levels 1 or 2 . a) Identify similar programs that are currently serving the needs of your targeted population ; b) Explain how these existing programs are under-serving the targeted population of your program. Other mentoring programs, available in Indian River County, include : Youth Guidance, RSVP, Community Church, Gifford Youth Center and "Take Stock in Children. " We have also implemented an AmeriCorps Florida Reads Program and a BISS "Jump into Reading" program, funded by Department of Education and BBBSA. b) Explain how these existing programs are under-serving the targeted population of your program. Youth Guidance does no school-based mentoring and the other Indian River mentoring programs, including "Take Stock in Children" tend to target older elementary, middle and/or high school children. Despite the presence of 75 mentor relationships in the State funded Jump program and the 60 to be served by AmeriCorps next year, the school district has asked our agency to cover six schools in the 2004-05 year including Fellsmere, Thompson, Highlands, Vero Beach Elementary, Citrus and Dodgertown. This, along with the gap referenced in the Community Needs Assessment, indicates that we are currently underserving our target population. 5