Many talented students in under-resourced schools do not reach their full potential. Research shows that by sixth grade, children born into poverty have likely spent 6,000 fewer hours learning than their middle-class counterparts. Higher Achievement, an intensive summer and after-school program, aims to close that learning gap. It offers…

Describes ongoing work at the Howard Street Tutoring Program in Chicago. Second and third grade students who score lowest on reading pretests and volunteers from all walks of life are selected. The tutoring model, the program's assessment plan, the program's implications, and replication requirements are considered. (GH)

Describes "Start Making a Reader Today" (SMART), a volunteer tutoring program that helps K-2 students at risk of reading difficulties. Finds that the program improved students' word reading, reading fluency, and word comprehension, though level of performance at end of second grade was still much lower than that of average-achieving…