This three week intensive summer program allowed for 30 academically gifted low-income Title I students from critical needs districts in Marshall County Mississippi to enter the college process with exposure to opportunities that are normally reserved for their more affluent peers: intensive individualized ACT Prep, as well as College and Scholarship Counseling.

When one considers all children in Mississippi who take the ACT, one can clearly note that the students in this state are simply not performing at their academic peak when taking the noted standardized test.

And when one examines the disparity in performance on the ACT through a racial lens, it becomes quite apparent that African American, American Indian, and Hispanic students in Mississippi are truly at the biggest disadvantage when taking the ACT.

No, your eyes do not deceive you. Over the last five year, ONLY 6% of African American students,11.6% of American Indian students, and 20.4% of Hispanic students in Mississippi have reached three or more ACT benchmark scores. This sad statistic has nothing to do with the students’ abilities, rather it is a reflection of the lack of opportunity to receive consistent ACT preparation and academically challenging instruction, activities, and material in school.

Let's     Fix    THIS    PROBLEM      TOGETHER!!!!!

Proposed    Solution:        The     Extra    Step   Program  

This FREE 3 week intense ACT Prep and College and Scholarship Counseling summer program ran at Holly Springs High School (transportation as well as breakfast and lunch were provided).

All participants received top tier ACT Prep, an Extra Fee Waiver in order to sit for the July ACT Exam, and an ACT GO Pack including a messenger bag, a calculator, a binder, a notebook, pens, pencils, paper, and dividers.

In the mornings students participated in a rigorous ACT course, and in the afternoons/evenings they had the option of being enrolled in a college/scholarship counseling course.

The Extra Step Program enabled underserved Mississippi Students a real opportunity to attend a competitive 4 year college (something which is atypical for students from our high schools). With this enhanced education, many will return to their communities and be able to lead the efforts to improve the standard of living in what are some of the poorest and most underserved places in America. 

Thank you so much for your time and consideration,
The Educational Equity Foundation