Soar: A Handbook for Closing the Achievement Gap

Kim Campbell struggled to help disadvantaged students in her school. When a few students began to stop by her room after school for help with their homework, something happened. They showed amazing growth-and the SOAR program found its wings.

Students began to rise in a number of ways:

Their attendance improved

Their self-confidence grew

Their grades rose

They did their homework (and turned it in)!

Their attitudes toward school became more positive

Understanding of their work increased

They had fewer discipline and behavior problems

They began to think it was cool to be good students

SOAR is more than just an after-school tutoring program. Its purposeful components help students gain social, cultural, and behavioral skills that complement targeted academic skills.

This handbook outlines steps and techniques that any teacher, group of teachers, or school can follow to replicate the program with their students. It gives plans, tips, and specific strategies that will help you design your own program to meet your goals.