Closing the Gap School Program
Closing the Gap School Program is a collaborative initiative serving students at
six Buffalo public schools. The schools involved in the initiative were originally
recognized as having below-average performance and are located in areas where many
students live at or below the poverty level. The goal of the program is to meet
the non-academic needs facing these students through in-school resource centers
that help connect students and their families with the appropriate community resources.
By addressing these non-academic barriers, the program helps students and their
families overcome life’s obstacles to achieve academic and personal success.
Closing the Gap helps improve academic achievement and attendance by staffing individuals
from local health and human service organizations, like Child and Family Services
at various schools. At the same time, staff strives to decrease disciplinary referrals
and formal/informal suspensions by addressing these non-academic barriers facing
students and families.
Program Funding
Closing the Gap is a partnership between numerous local organizations, foundations,
corporations, including: the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, Buffalo Public
School District, Erie County Department of Mental Health, Erie County Department
of Social Services, Kaleida Health System, Catholic Health System and Catholic Charities.
A variety of local health and human service providers, including Child & Family
Services, work with site facilitators to coordinate services for children and their
families.
Areas Served
Closing the Gap currently serves students and their families in pre-kindergarten
through eighth grade at six Buffalo Public Schools: #27 Hillery Park (where Child
and Family Services staff is currently located), #30 Frank A. Sedita, #53 Community
School, #74 Hamlin Park School, #94 West Hertel Academy and #97 Harvey Austin School.
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