NC Board of Education awards grant to Hill Learning Center to bring high-impact literacy intervention tutoring to students in Durham and Orange counties
Durham, NC– April 11, 2024 – Hill Learning Center, an educational nonprofit that serves students with learning and attention challenges, has been awarded $402,752 from the NC Board of Education’s Extended Learning and Integrated Student Supports (ELISS) Competitive Grant Program. The grant program funds high-quality, independently validated extended learning and integrated student support service programs for at-risk students that raise standards for student academic outcomes.
The grant will enable 100 students at six schools in Durham and Orange counties to benefit from Hill Learning Center’s literacy intervention tutoring program, bringing trained tutors into schools to work with students at-risk of reading failure. This high-impact tutoring program uses the innovative 95 RAP (Reading Achievement Program) digital learning platform that supports teachers as they deliver targeted intervention to learners with persistent reading difficulties, including dyslexia.
“We are excited about the opportunity to help more students in our community improve their reading skills,” said Beth Anderson, executive director of the Hill Learning Center. “These schools have a high number of students who need intensive reading support. Bringing Hill-trained tutors into the schools means we can reach more students and better support teachers and our local public schools.”
“I love how this program individualizes intervention for each student,” explains Dr. Meredith Maier, principal at New Hope Elementary School. “It is truly differentiated so that we will be able to effectively tutor multiple students with differing needs while maximizing our human resources in the building.”
Literacy intervention tutoring will be provided at four schools this year: Maureen Joy Charter School, KIPP Durham, A.L. Stanback Middle School, and Partnership Academy High School. For the 2024-25 school year, the program will be expanded to two additional schools: Grady A. Brown Elementary School and New Hope Elementary. In addition, KIPP Durham Elementary and Maureen Joy Charter will add summer and after-school programs respectively that include the 95 RAP program for literacy intervention tutoring. Grant funds will also support parent engagement activities at each school and a third-party evaluation of the impact on participating students.
“The opportunity to implement Hill’s literacy intervention tutoring program at Partnership Academy High School will be transformative. Beyond the immediate academic gains, we believe the impact on students’ self-esteem and confidence will be immeasurable. We truly believe that Hill’s intensive reading tutoring will not only transform academic outcomes but also shape the future trajectories of our students.”
Stan Farrington, Principal, Partnership Academy High School
“The results that we’ve already seen with Hill’s literacy intervention tutoring are remarkable. Our scholars have exhibited notable improvements in their ability to grasp foundational literacy skills. The tailored instruction has not only addressed individual learning needs but has also ignited a passion for learning. We are thrilled to be getting additional support for our scholars through the ELISS grant to Hill.”
Kendal Grier, Principal at KIPP Durham Elementary
“Having a literacy intervention tutoring partnership with Hill Learning Center has been invaluable for students. For the students that will be served by this expanded partnership, their time with our tutor will be the difference between being somewhat behind to being proficient in reading. What a gift!”
Jessica Conn, MTTS Coordinator at Maureen Joy Charter School
In January 2023, 95 Percent Group, the trusted source for comprehensive, proven literacy solutions, acquired the Hill Reading Achievement Program (HillRAP) and rebranded it as 95 RAP. Since then, 545 teachers in 150 schools have implemented 95 RAP through a partnership with Hill Learning Center.
Media Contact:
Darah Whyte
dwhyte@hillcenter.org
919-751-7561