There are positive signs from a program that targets black students in Appleton and Menasha.
ThedaCare is working with several organizations, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley, in hopes of reducing the achievement gap.
Kayla McNamara of the Boys and Girls Clubs says full-time coordinators started working with middle and high school students last year. She says they were impressed that 62 percent had better attendance, and 68 percent had fewer disciplinary problems.
About 350 students participated.
Forty percent improved their grade-point average, and 40 percent made progress on getting enough credits to graduate.
A study by ThedaCare found that two years ago, only 65 percent of black students in Appleton graduated high school.
