CDF FREEDOM SCHOOLS PROGRAM

Pensacola's First CDF Freedom Schools Program

 

The Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® of the Central Gulf Coast believes that reading is the key that unlocks the door to children’s dreams and unlimited potential. It is our hope to develop reading skills within these children through a proven effective six-week summer program set to launch on June 15, 2020, at The Global Learning Academy in partnership with Escambia County Schools and the Pensacola community.

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Setting Pensacola's Children Up for Success

No. 1 indicator of whether or not that student will complete high school, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Correctional and judicial professionals have long recognized a connection between poor literacy, dropout rates, and crime.  For 2017-2018, the Florida Department of Education reported that 69.7% of African-America Escambia County 3rd graders are not proficient in reading.  Our community's most vulnerable children are being set up for failure. CDF Freedom Schools programs are designed to change this negative trend.  

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Effectiveness of CDF Freedom Schools Programs

• Provides more instruction hours of reading than any other summer learning program;

• Consistently produces the highest reading gains among the top 8 summer learning programs;

• Increases the reading levels of students who are reading below the national average at the start of the summer program by a 1.2 year gain by the end of the summer program.

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Resources​

• Diocesan Freedom Schools Brochure

• CDF Freedom Schools® Website​

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