Steel City Academy Secures Funding for ILEARN Tutoring Program

Steel City Academy, a charter school located in Gary, Indiana, has received funding from the state’s Indiana Learns initiative to support tutoring services for up to 91 students. This program, which focuses on improving ILEARN skills, is a continuation of last year’s successful IREAD tutoring effort, which resulted in an impressive 81% pass rate for participating third graders.

Katie Kirley, the executive director of Steel City Academy, expressed enthusiasm for the impact of this program during a recent statement. “We saw exponential growth last year, and we know this program yields a huge impact,” Kirley noted. The necessity for such support arises from the fact that third graders who do not pass the IREAD must repeat the grade unless they qualify for an exemption.

Building on last year’s achievements, this year’s tutoring sessions will cater to students in grades 4-8 and are designed to enhance their ILEARN skills. The program commenced on November 24, 2023, and will feature 23 one-hour sessions per week, tailored based on performance data to address specific areas where students face challenges. Both Kirley and the school’s teachers will conduct the tutoring.

Students interested in participating can sign up until December 19, 2023. Each student is expected to receive approximately 15 sessions leading up to the ILEARN exam, which occurs in April 2024. Kirley is optimistic about enrollment, projecting that around 70 students will take part, an increase from 58 last year.

Last year also saw stronger growth in the English/language arts portion of ILEARN, with an 8% increase in performance among students, indicating the effectiveness of the tutoring programs. The initiative was originally launched in 2022 with federal pandemic assistance to combat learning loss experienced during school closures.

The Indiana Department of Education announced the resumption of the tutoring program last month after an interruption due to funding issues, which had impacted its popularity. “Winning a competitive grant like this from Indiana Learns is a significant opportunity for Steel City Academy students, and we’re excited about their potential achievements with this support,” Kirley added.

With the backing of Indiana Learns and the collaborative efforts of the Indiana Department of Education and the nonprofit Mind Trust, Steel City Academy is poised to make a meaningful difference in the academic journeys of its students.