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RICH’s MATHLETES PARTICIPATE IN MOODY’s MEGA MATH CHALLENGE

March, 2010: Four students of the Capitol Hill campus of the Cesar Chavez Public Policy Charter High School iarticipated in the Moody’s Mega Match Challenge on Saturday, March 6. These students were led by Paul Penniman, RICH executive director. The four students are part of RICH’s MATHletes program.

RICH’s MATHletes program targets the best math and science students at Chavez and enriches their curriculum with topics to help prepare them for a rigorous college program.

In Moody’s Mega Math Challenge, students in teams of 3-5 try to solve a real-life math modeling problem. Over 600 high schools along the I-95 corridor participated. The scholars have one day to attack the problem. The Chavez students who participated were Corey Johnson, Kwang Kaeo-Khao, Jose Maheda and Jaquan Settle. They spent nine hours answering a question about the census and reapportionment.

The problem on which students worked was titled, “Making Sense of the 2010 Census: to count or not to count, that is the question …”

Coach Penniman commented, “It was a great problem for a public policy school. I really am proud of this group for sticking it out all day. They said the problem was difficult, but they learned a lot. What more can you ask?”

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY EVALUATES RICH

March, 2010: Two two-person teams from George Washington University's graduate school programs are evaluating RICH's programs. One team will evaluate the social return on investment from RICH's high retention (non dropout) rate by comparing the population RICH has served over the years at its partner schools to the students at RICH's schools but whom RICH does not serve. The other evaluation team will focus on one year of RICH's programs, 2008-09, and compare grades, attendance, and standardized test scores of RICH's students against the same data of the students at RICH's schools but whom RICH does not serve.

SATURDAY ACADEMY EXPANDS

Fall, 2009: RICH Executive Director Paul Penniman shakes hands with Cesar Chávez Schools founder and CEO Irasema Salcido as they launch a Saturday Academy at Chávez’s Parkside campus. Chávez will fully fund, and RICH will administer, $50,000 worth of supplemental instruction in English, math and tesis (term papers) at Parkside in 2009-10. In 2009, 63% of the tenth graders at the Capitol Hill campus were able to score at “proficient” (grade level) or better on the District of Columbia-Comprehensive Assessment System (DC-CAS), nearly twice the number (31%) of the tenth graders from the previous year. Most of these tenth graders attended RICH’s Saturday Academy at the Capitol Hill campus from 2007-09. The increase in students scoring at proficient or better was the second highest of any public high school in Washington.

RICH STUDENTS EXCEL ON TESTS

Summer, 2009: Sixty-three percent of the 10th graders at the Cesar Chávez School-Capitol Hill scored “proficient” or better on the recently released DC-CAS (Comprehensive Assessment System) tests. These students have been attending RICH’s Saturday Math Academy at Chávez for the past two years. Only 32% of the previous tenth-grade class scored at “proficient” or better. RICH’s Saturday English Academy was also partly responsible for 57% of the 10th graders this year scoring “proficient” or better on the reading DC-CAS, compared to 31% for the 10th grade in 2008. The two increases in reading and math were two of the three largest increases of all the high schools in Washington, D.C.

FOUNDATIONS AWARD RICH FIRST-TIME GRANTS

Summer, 2009: The Anthony F. Lucas-Spindletop Foundation and the Dimick Foundation recently awarded RICH grants. RICH is especially grateful considering that many foundations are not issuing grants to new applicants during the economic recession.

RICH ACCEPTS GRADUATION DIPLOMA FROM FAIR CHANCE

Winter, 2009: RICH Director Paul Penniman accepts a plaque in recognition of RICH’s growth and development in 2008. RICH has more than doubled its services to inner city schools since partnering with Fair Chance. Fair Chance partners with D.C.-area nonprofits that serve children, youth and families to help them increase capacity and strengthen their organizations.

RICH WELCOMES NEW MASTER INSTRUCTORS

Fall, 2008: Christopher Reid, who taught math for over 35 years in England, has recently moved to the Washington, D.C., area, and has been a splendid addition to RICH’s remedial tutoring program as well as the Saturday Academy at the César Chávez School. Welcome, Chris!

Bill Long, also recently moved to D.C., taught and tutored all subjects for 14 years in central Pennsylvania. Bill has also helped with tutoring at Chávez and will become our SAT program manager at the Maya Angelou Schools. Bill is also helping our development efforts.

DIRECTOR PAUL PENNIMAN INTERVIEWED ON "PARENTS’ PERSPECTIVE"

Fall, 2008: In September, Paul Penniman taped a half hour radio interview for Parents' Perspective, which is a nationally syndicated, weekly radio show. To listen, click here (and get someone who knows how to use Itunes!) Paul discusses his work with RICH as well as other ways communities can provide educational resources for their inner city youth.

RICH REWARDS SUMMER SCHOLARS WITH TRIP TO BASEBALL GAME

Summer, 2008: RICH took six summer school stars to a Nationals game on September 25! The summer scholars were also awarded with RICH T-shirts. (Front of shirt:“I’m off the RICHter scale.” Back: “Def. Academically superior, beyond all possible measurement.”

The students enjoyed themselves despite the weather. Nationals Park has many pillars around the lower level with portraits of old players, and RICH Director Paul Penniman walked around with the students telling stories about each player. The stories about Babe Ruth and Cool Papa Bell were the favorites.
Many thanks to the Nationals' Community Relations department for making the trip to the game possible.

SATURDAY MATH ACADEMY

Summer, 2008: The final tally is in, and the Saturday Math Academy at the César Chávez Public Charter School for Public Policy helped 106 students retake and pass math exams that these students had previously failed. As the result of this program's success, the César Chávez School has pledged $25,000 toward RICH's Saturday Academy for 2008-09.

Graduation ceremonies at the Maya Angelou and César Chávez Schools were incredibly moving this year. Tears were flowing as teachers and graduates gave testimonials for each other. RICH was proud to be recognized by both schools for its support.

TWO NEW FOUNDATIONS ARE NOW SUPPORTING RICH!

Spring, 2008: The Gannett Foundation has contributed $5,000 for general support, and the Capitol Hill Community Foundation has donated $2,500 toward RICH's Saturday Academy. They join our regular foundation supporters: The Commonweal Foundation, The Herb Block Foundation, The Luther I. Replogle Foundation, and the Washington Post Foundation.

RICH is at the forefront of SAT instruction for low-income youth in the Washington, D.C. area! Director Paul Penniman and master instructor Sheree Adams will be leading a lunchtime conference of area non-profits regarding the "A B C's of Teaching the SAT's" on July 16. The Herb Block Foundation has graciously agreed to host the event.

RICH honors Antonio Williams, soon to graduate from our partner school, Maya Angelou. Antonio's SAT scores increased 180 points after he took our prep class with instructor James Stallins. Antonio has received a full scholarship to attend Denison University.

RICH BEGINS PARTNERSHIP WITH FAIR CHANCE

Winter, 2008: This has been an incredibly busy and exciting winter for us at RICH. We have begun a partnership with Fair Chance, www.fairchancedc.org, which recognizes young, promising non-profits that serve the impoverished Wards 5-8. Fair Chance will provide RICH with $60,000 worth of administrative assistance during 2008. In other financial news, our largest cash donor, the Commonweal Foundation, has invited us to apply for a capacity-building grant in the summer of 2008.

Our "Saturday Academy" at the César Chávez-Capitol Hill School has been a huge success. In November, we invited all the ninth graders who failed their first quarter math exams to come in and relearn the material. 15 out of 17 ninth graders retook their first quarter exams and doubled their original scores.

Our most recent SAT course at the Maya Angelou Shaw campus resulted in 8 students scoring an average of 133 points better than their previous PSAT or SAT, a result comparable with commercial test prep companies.

On the financial front, our most recent fundraising drive raised 50% more than last year, which was great news.

© RICH 2008 • Resources for Inner City Children (RICH) • 3522 Davenport Street NW • Washington, DC 20008 • (202) 966-4814