Texas AIM

Texas AIM began in September 2009 at 30 Sites in 16 communities, including nine sites along the border. In the first six months, 2,998 youth were assessed for services through testing by Sylvan Learning and 1,227 youth were placed into a Club-based, Texas AIM academic program with instruction by certified teachers, contracted through Sylvan Learning, and Boys & Girls Club (BGC) Staff.

Of the 558 youth that completed the program thus far, 319 youth completed a Texas AIM academic intervention program in math and 239 youth completed a Texas AIM academic intervention program in reading.

The program is a success: 421 youth (75.4%) that completed the academic program advanced a level after only nine weeks of instruction. Texas AIM is evidence that utilizing caring and qualified mentors to integrate the proven Response to Intervention (RTI) approach to instruction with a multi-layered prevention system is most effective for at risk children.

Due to TX AIM and the resources provided by the Sylvan Partnership to BGCs, 5,032 youth received additional homework help and academic support through BGC’s POWER HOUR at the 30 AIM sites for an average of 32.2 hours per semester. In addition, 699 parents of TX AIM youth were provided with support and/or academic services. Furthermore, 128 certified teachers provided the Texas AIM academic program and mentoring in Boys & Girls Clubs assisted by 177 trained, professional youth development staff/mentors and volunteers directly working with TX AIM youth.

About the Texas Academic Innovation and Mentoring (AIM) Project

Texas AIM is a timely effort to confront the student achievement gap for at risk students in Texas, one student at a time with a comprehensive and holistic strategy. With cumulative minority drop out rates throughout Texas averaging more than 50%, such innovative collaboration with proven results is critical. Texas AIM utilizes the historic strengths of the organizations Boys & Girls Clubs and Sylvan Learning Centers, along with cooperation of local education agencies (schools districts), students make pronounced gains in the academic areas targeted. For more than 100 years Boys & Girls Clubs have provided youth development services to the youth most in need of them through mentoring and intensive case management when needed. For more than 30 years, Sylvan Learning Centers uses research based tutoring strategies building on individual students learning styles to target skills gaps in language arts, mathematics and/or college preparation. The Partnership literally provides mentors that tutor (BGC staff) and tutors that mentor (Sylvan teachers). Thirty Boys & Girls Club sites throughout Texas have been selected for the statewide rollout of Phase I. The results from these personal wrap around services yield outstanding results in skills mastery, credit recovery and academic promotion.