The mission of Bartlesville Education Promise is to guide our community towards assuming greater shared ownership with Bartlesville Public Schools.  for improved educational outcomes for all students of our schools, with special focus on improving graduate rates and readiness for higher education, technical school or full-time employment. Working with the schools, this involves special attention in identifying and helping students who are struggling and are at risk of dropping out of school before graduation.  Based on work with the schools, BEP helps identify unmet needs, develops appropriate programs and funds these with contributions from individuals, corporations, civic clubs and foundations.

Consistent with this Mission , Bartlesville Education Promise focuses  on four major programs to improve  long term improvements in terms of student outcomes for all students with special focus on students at risk of not graduating from high school.

1  Third Grade Reading.  The Oklahoma legislature, in recognition of the need for lifetime  competence in reading, has mandated that there will no longer be social promotions of students beyond the third grade if they do not demonstrate adequate reading skills.  For the past two years, BEP has provided take home books to each of the elementary schools as too many families have no books at home and can’t help with reading at home.  Starting in 2016, BEP has additionally established high priority for after school tutoring for young students who are struggling most in acquiring the requisite reading skills.  At the schools’ request we are adding funds for additional after school tutoring in our primary schools in 2017-18.

2.  After school professional tutoring.   Through after school tutoring BEP provides the opportunity to all students to enhance their learning, with special focus on identifying and including students who are at risk of not graduating.  During the 2016-17 school year more that 1000 middle school students and 600 BHS students availed themselves of the opportunity to benefit from after schools tutoring, frequently with their own classroom teacher.

3. Provide Transition Summer Camps.  Research concludes that difficulty for students in adjusting to transfers from grade school to middle school and from middle school to high school is one of the biggest obstacles for all students to master.  BEP provides strong Transition Camps to help students master these critical steps. As an example, 20 of 21 ninth grade at risk kids, through extra help from tutoring, passed their required courses and have moved on to the 10th grade.

4. Make summer months productive for Bartlesville students. BEP provides a rich and challenging menu of summer camps that address the need for expanding student horizons  to take more STEM and other challenging subjects that are predicted to be  the foundation for many jobs in the future.  The summer camps also serve the purpose of keeping students involved in continuous learning during the otherwise down summer months.