Breakthrough measures its successes and shortcomings through a year-round assessment plan developed in consultation with outside research experts. Major findings for 2007 include:
Breakthrough middle schoolers exhibited meaningful academic growth in just six weeks during our summer session at UT – a significant impact that has been demonstrated every year. These gains reverse the "summer slide" typically experienced by low-income students.
95% of our middle schoolers are enrolled in advanced coursework at school.
60% of our middle schoolers are enrolled in Algebra or geometry.
85% of our 9th graders attend a school where significant percentages of students go to college.
Our students stay involved – our attrition rate is a low 8.5% among all six cohorts.
25% of our rising 11th graders participated in Early College Start classes at Austin Community College this summer, earning college credit at no cost.
All constituent groups--students, families, teachers and interns--agree that they would recommend participation in Breakthrough to others. Students report that Breakthrough has made them more certain that they will go to college, and parents say that involvement in Breakthrough has made them more certain that their children will go to college.
